If there’s one name that’s almost as synonymous with Star Wars and George Lucas it is John Williams. Williams, of course, is responsible for the amazing iconic musical scores of all seven of the Star Wars movies. The good news for fans of Williams’ great music is that Walt Disney Records has just released the original motion picture soundtrack for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” The latest in Williams’ epic scores.
The album features a new score conducted and composed by five-time Academy Award-winning composer John Williams and liner notes by the film’s director, J.J. Abrams.
“I’ve loved doing the Star Wars films with all their fanfares and flourishes,” says Williams. “I actually feel as though I am still in the galaxy far, far away. I really never left it, having worked on all of the films. I’m happy to be continuing to be part of the whole fun of doing it.”
Williams continues, “This is new. This is different. But it’s wed perfectly with the corpus of what Star Wars is. I’ve been lucky in my working life, especially with situations like Star Wars. It’s been a challenge, and fun and it’s been a privilege. I don’t think there’s anything quite like it in the history of film.”
“The Force Awakens” will be the first Star Wars score to be recorded in the United States as all the previous films in the saga were scored at Abbey Road with the London Symphony Orchestra. For the recording of the score in Los Angeles, Williams worked with members of the highly regarded freelance orchestra with which he’s recorded numerous film scores over the years. The music for The Force Awakens was recorded over several months while working in tandem with the film’s editorial and special effects teams on the West Coast.
Audiences can expect to hear quotations from earlier Star Wars themes as Williams musically explores the story in the new film. For Williams, incorporating the previous themes is part of the fun of scoring film after film in the Star Wars saga and helps create what he calls “the fabric of the films.”
The track listing might be considered to contain some minor spoilers, but nothing earth shattering.
1. John Williams – Main Title and The Attack on the Jakku Village 06:27
2. John Williams – The Scavenger 03:42
3. John Williams – I Can Fly Anything 03:13
4. John Williams – Rey Meets BB-8 01:32
5. John Williams – Follow Me 02:56
6. John Williams – Rey’s Theme 03:12
7. John Williams – The Falcon 03:34
8. John Williams – That Girl with the Staff 01:58
9. John Williams – The Rathtars! 04:07
10. John Williams – Finn’s Confession 02:09
11. John Williams – Maz’s Counsel 03:08
12. John Williams – The Starkiller 01:51
13. John Williams – Kylo Ren Arrives at the Battle 02:01
14. John Williams – The Abduction 02:25
15. John Williams – Han and Leia 04:45
16. John Williams – March of the Resistance 02:36
17. John Williams – Snoke 02:03
18. John Williams – On the Inside 02:06
19. John Williams – Torn Apart 04:20
20. John Williams – The Ways of the Force 03:16
21. John Williams – Scherzo for X-Wings 02:33
22. John Williams – Farewell and The Trip 04:57
23. John Williams – The Jedi Steps and Finale 08:51
Director J.J. Abrams comments, “Of the many unreal opportunities working on The Force Awakens provided, none was more thrilling than collaborating with John Williams. His mastery of his craft has never been more evident than on this soundtrack, which embraces his earlier, classic Star Wars themes while creating soaring, powerful new cues that, amazingly, integrate seamlessly. How he does it, no one will ever know!”
Williams, whose career spans over six decades, has won five Academy Awards and he has scored some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films of all time, including Jaws, the Indiana Jones franchise, the first three Harry Potter films, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Lincoln, Schindler’s List, and countless others.
The soundtrack for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is available now for Apple iTunes, Amazon, and probably everywhere else.