My blog is ostensibly about collecting and Star Wars. Not always, of course, but mostly, that’s my focus. I recently wandered down the dark, deep hole of collecting albums on vinyl. I know, as if I have space or the means to take on ANOTHER collection. I have a problem, I know, I’m dealing, thank you. ANYWHO, this brings up a new area of Star Wars collecting that I haven’t given much attention to: Star Wars records!!!! I want them all, the music, the story discs, all of it! And I actually already have quite a bit!
A few years ago I bought a Star Wars Record Tote at DFW Vintage Toys, and was pleasantly surprised to find a set of Star Wars Story Records inside! They included: The 24-page read-along versions of all three Original Trilogy films, and Planet of the Hoojibs! I had all of these as a kid, and the records are all in great shape. Then, I was going through a box and I found several of my old records as well! Droid World, The Ewoks Join The Fight, and ANOTHER copy of Hoojibs! I was delighted.
Only problem: I didn’t own a record player, and apparently I was too cheap to buy one. Never fear, Christmas came around, and I got one! NOW I can listen to them any time I want, and follow along, turning the page every time R2 beeps. It’s seriously so much fun that I’m a little embarrassed. That’s all the thought I had given to Star Wars vinyl until…
In my search for vintage vinyl, I eventually came across something I had never expected to: an original-pressing copy of the 2-LP score to The Empire Strikes Back!!!! It was in tremendously good shape, used, but not misused. Again, I was delighted. I snatched it up (for a VERY reasonable price, thanks to Half Price Books), carted it home and spun the black circle, soaking in all the John Williams goodness. Of course, I’m now on the lookout for the Star Wars (or A New Hope, if you will) and Return of the Jedi scores as well. So, you know, if you have access…..
Now, we all know I’m not one to track down international variants, specialty releases, or things like that, so once I complete my Original Trilogy vinyl set, I figure I’ll be done with the scores. Except for one thing: We have new movies coming out. Big deal, I can get those scores digitally and listen on the go. Except for one other thing: The Force Awakens just got a terrific vinyl release of the score. And I have it. It’s 2-LPs, 180 gram vinyl, so it sounds amazing. But what makes it so special? I’m glad I asked. Side 2 of each record has a HOLOGRAPHIC IMAGE ON IT!!!!! Disc 1 is the Millennium Falcon, Disc 2 is a TIE fighter! When you drop the needle, the images spin along with the record. It’s a simple thing, and little more than a gimmick, but it’s incredibly neat and I love it.
So, that means I will NOW have to get the LP releases of the scores to the next 2 saga films. I AM a completist, after all. I have a problem, I know, I’m dealing, thank you. BUT, does that ALSO mean I will now need to obtain vinyl releases of the prequel scores, and Rogue One, etc? Probably. Most likely. If there are releases, I’ll add them to the collection, but it won’t be a search like the one I’m on for the Original Trilogy scores.
There are a few items that I am also desperately seeking: The Story of Star Wars, The Story of the Empire Strikes Back, and The Story of Return of the Jedi. These were 12-inch vinyl records with accompanying books that told the story of each film in greater detail than the 24-page books, and incorporated sounds and voices from the films. The 24-page books are narrated and use different voices than those found in the films. These may prove more difficult to find than the scores, simply because they were aimed at kids, and kids aren’t known for taking good care of their toys (except for Coffee With Kenobi’s own Dan Zehr). Which means, ladies and gents, that the Thrill of the Chase is back on!!!! I’ve talked before about how eBay has sort of taken the steam out of the idea of searching high and low for something, but I will NOT let that deter me. AND eBay will STILL be a useful tool in educating me about the amount of Star Wars vinyl that is out there that I’m not even aware of, and I’m sure there’s a ton. The trick is going to be knowing when to say when. This is something every collector has to learn, unless they have unlimited space and resources. And this is a question I’m going to have to wrestle with. What are my parameters? What will be my focus? It’s an exciting and important discussion to have with myself.
There’s always something else, folks. Always. I was getting to the end of my toy search, and wasn’t sure how I felt about it. And then, something else appeared. Vinyl. It’s only as expensive as you want it to be, and fairly easy to store. AND, unlike toys, I can experience this collection beyond just admiring it on a shelf or in my hot little hands.
Collectors gonna collect. There’s nothing to be done about it. And this collector has a new collection to build. If any of you have any suggestions for me in the vinyl arena, PLEASE send them my way. And if you have any ideas about items that I might want to consider adding, PLEASE send them my way. I have a problem, I know, I’m dealing, thank you. And thank you for reading.
Until next time, May the Force of Others be with us all.
Jeff can be heard weekly on Assembly of Geeks (www.assemblyofgeeks.com) and on his own podcast network, MarvinDog Media (www.MarvinDogMedia.com) where he hostsThe Pilot Episode, Talking Toys with Taylor and Jeff, and Bantha Banter: A Star Wars Chat Show. He is also co-host of Comics With Kenobi with fellow CWK blogger Matt Moore, on CoffeeWithKenobi.com, which you have already found if you’re reading this blog. You can contact Jeff at jeffm@coffeewithkenobi.com.
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