Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (soundtrack)

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Cover from the original release in 1999.
Film score by John Williams
Released Original release: May 4, 1999
Ultimate Edition: November 14, 2000
Recorded February 5–6, 9-12 & 14-17, 1999 Abbey Road Studio 1/London
Genre Classical
Length 74:23
Label Sony Classical
Producer John Williams
John Williams chronology

Stepmom
(1998)		 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
(1999)		 Angela's Ashes
(1999)
Star Wars soundtrack chronology
Return of the Jedi
(1983)		 Episode I: The Phantom Menace
(1999)		 Episode II: Attack of the Clones
(2002)
Re-release cover
Ultimate Edition re-release cover (2000)
Singles from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (soundtrack)
  1. "Duel of the Fates"
    Released: 1999

The soundtrack to Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released two weeks before the film in May 1999, and was composed by John Williams. In anticipation of the long-awaited film, the soundtrack was certified Platinum in the U.S. and Gold in the U.K. (where it entered the UK album charts at number 8).

Three formats were available, and a new one was released in February 2012:

None of the releases contain the entire score. Currently, no complete release has been made. The Album and Ultimate Edition each contain music not featured on the other release. Both sets also contain alternate takes of cues, while neither present some of the alternate takes only heard in the film.

Score information

Recorded in Abbey Road studios over a week, starting on February 10, 1999 performed by the London Voices and London Symphony Orchestra, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was the first Star Wars score Williams had composed in over 16 years. Williams produced the recording sessions himself with Shawn Murphy recording and mixing the score. Kenneth Wannberg returned as music editor, having fulfilled this task on the previous three Star Wars scores.

The scores of the following two films would rely heavily upon tracking from this score, a decision that Williams and George Lucas had decided upon early into the film's production.[1]

No complete score has ever been released, but the majority of unreleased pieces can be heard in various LucasArts video games.

After the album's release, the popularity of a more complete bootleg version of the score began to steal profits. In response, Sony released the Ultimate Edition, presenting the score nearly as it is heard in the film while falsely marketing itself as "every note ever recorded."

A fragmentary list of all known slate numbers and original track titles follows:

  1. 1m? Star Wars Main Title
  2. 1m? The Arrival
  3. 1m? Gas Leak
  4. 1m? Droid Fight
  5. 1m? Queen Amidala
  6. 1m? The Droid Invasion
  7. 1m7 Introducing Jar Jar
  8. 1m? Bubble World
  9. 1m? Gone Fishin'
  10. 2m? Darth Sidious
  11. 2m? Tentacles
  12. 2m? Theed Palace Arrival
  13. 2m? You're Under Arrest
  14. 2m? Escape from Naboo
  15. 2m? Intro Darth Maul
  16. 2m? Arrival at Tatooine
  17. 2m? I'm a Pilot You Know
  18. 2m? Stealing Food
  19. 2m? Through the Slave Quarters
  20. 3m? Running Out of Time
  21. 3m? Are You a Jedi?
  22. 3m? Watto's Deal
  23. 3m? Kids at Play
  24. 3m? It's Working
  25. 3m6 The Sith Spacecraft
  26. 3m? Roll of the Die
  27. 3m? The Flag Parade
  28. 3m10 Jabba Introduction - Start Your Engines
  29. 3m11 The Race Begins (This cue went mostly unused, but the opening moments were abridged before the cue "Escape from Naboo" was tracked)
  30. 4m? [Title Unknown] (Mostly cut in favor of tracked material, the ending moments were reprised)
  31. 4m2 Anakin Defeats Sebulba
  32. 4m? Anakin's Great Victory
  33. 4m? Anakin Is Free
  34. 4m? Darth and Qui-Gon
  35. 4m? Coruscant Arrival
  36. 4m? Queen and Palpatine
  37. 5m? High Council Meeting
  38. 5m? The Senate
  39. 5m? Anakin's Test
  40. 5m4 The Chosen One
  41. 5m? [Title Unknown]
  42. 5m? Moving Forward
  43. 5m? The Gungans
  44. 5m? With Boss Nass
  45. 5m? Promoting Jar-Jar
  46. 5m? War Plans
  47. 6m? Forest Mist
  48. 6m? Drums Insert
  49. 6m? The Armies Face Off
  50. 6m? Battle Part II C
  51. 6m? Laser Fight March
  52. 6m? Take To Your Ships
  53. 6m? The Big Army
  54. 6m? String Cluster
  55. 6m5 The Droid Battle
  56. 6m? Up the Wire
  57. 6m7 The Great Duel
  58. 6M7p2 Duel Continues/Crash Landing
  59. 6m? Qui-Gon's Noble End
  60. 6m? Battleship Destroyed
  61. 6m? The Death of Maul
  62. 7m? [Title Unknown]
  63. 7m? Qui-Gon's Funeral
  64. 7m? Augie's Great Municipal Band
  65. 7m? End Title
  66. 7m? End Title Part II

Differences between versions

In the recording studio, Williams records cues multiple times. A track's film and album versions can be drastically different. One cue can be made up of several takes, putting together the best moments of each, replacing flubbed notes.

Since each track is run several times, each performance differs slightly. Occasionally, Williams will change orchestrations right on the spot. The score also makes use of several insert pieces which usually replace certain sections within a cue.

Examples of Different Takes:

Several source cues composed by Williams' son, Joseph. Alternates of cues and alternate recordings of "Duel of the Fates" have unknown slate numbers and for the most part are unreleased.[2]

Track listing

Original release

The original release of the soundtrack only contained one disc.
  1. "Star Wars Main Title and The Arrival at Naboo" – 2:55
  2. "Duel of the Fates" – 4:14
  3. "Anakin's Theme" – 3:05
  4. "Jar Jar's Introduction and The Swim to Otoh Gunga" – 5:07
  5. "The Sith Spacecraft and The Droid Battle" – 2:37
  6. "The Trip to the Naboo Temple and The Audience with Boss Nass" – 4:07
  7. "The Arrival at Tatooine and The Flag Parade" – 4:04
  8. "He Is the Chosen One" – 3:53
  9. "Anakin Defeats Sebulba" – 4:24
  10. "Passage Through the Planet Core" – 4:40
  11. "Watto's Deal and Kids at Play" – 4:57
  12. "Panaka and the Queen's Protectors" – 3:24
  13. "Queen Amidala and The Naboo Palace" – 4:51
  14. "The Droid Invasion and The Appearance of Darth Maul" – 5:14
  15. "Qui-Gon's Noble End" – 3:48
  16. "The High Council Meeting and Qui-Gon's Funeral" – 3:09
  17. "Augie's Great Municipal Band and End Credits" – 9:37

Total Time: 74:23

Ultimate Edition

Due to the Ultimate Edition portrayal of the score as a film version, and to alleviate long tracks, certain tracks may be several minutes long, but are broken up into segments. When being played, the individual segments are separate tracks. The main track names are in bold and their separate portions follow.

Disc 1

  1. Fox Fanfare – 0:23
    Treachery Within the Federation - The Invasion of Naboo
  2. Star Wars Main Title – 1:24
  3. Boarding The Federation Battleship – 2:31
  4. Death Warrant For Qui-Gon And Obi-Wan – 1:18
  5. Fighting The Destroyer Droids – 1:44
  6. Queen Amidala Warns The Federation – 2:23
  7. The Droid Invasion – 1:00
    Underwater Adventure
  8. Swimming To Otoh Gunga – 0:56
  9. Inside the Bubble City – 3:05
  10. Attack Of The Giant Fish – 1:37
    Darth Sidious and the Passage Through the Planet Core
  11. Darth Sidious – 1:04
    On to Naboo and the Rescue of the Queen
  12. The Giant Squid And The Attack On Theed – 1:18
  13. Qui-Gon And Obi-Wan Rescue The Queen – 2:09
  14. Fighting The Guards – 1:42
  15. Escape From Naboo – 2:04
  16. Enter Darth Maul – 1:07
    Destination Tatooine, Home of Anakin Skywalker
  17. The Arrival At Tatooine – 2:28
  18. Street Band Of Mos Espa – 1:16
  19. Padme Meets Anakin – 1:12
  20. Desert Winds [deleted from the film] – 1:28
  21. Jar Jar’s Run-In With Sebulba – 1:18
  22. Anakin’s Home And The Introduction To Threepio – 2:22
    The Dark Forces Plot
  23. Darth Sidious And Darth Maul – 1:12
    Qui-Gon Bets on Anakin
  24. Talk Of Podracing – 2:58
    Anakin Closes In On His Destiny
  25. Watto’s Deal / Shmi And Qui-Gon Talk – 2:24
  26. Anakin, Podracer Mechanic – 1:38
  27. The Racer Roars To Life / Anakin’s Midi-Chlorian Count – 1:24
  28. Darth Maul And The Sith Spacecraft – 1:00
  29. Mos Espa Arena Band – 0:53
  30. Watto’s Roll Of The Die – 1:59
  31. The Flag Parade – 1:14
  32. Sebulba’s Dirty Hand / Qui-Gon’s Pep Talk – 1:37
    Anakin's Victory
  33. Anakin Defeats Sebulba – 2:17
    The Cheering Crowd
  34. Hail To The Winner, Anakin Skywalker – 1:13
    Mos Espa Folk Song
  35. The Street Singer – 1:13

Total Time: 57:27

Disc 2

To Coruscant and to Palpatine and the Senate
  1. Anakin Is Free – 5:04
  2. Qui-Gon And Darth Maul Meet – 1:48
  3. Anakin And Group To Coruscant – 4:11
    Palpatine's Treachery
  4. The Queen And Palpatine – 0:41
    Qui-Gon Goes Before Yoda
  5. High Council Meeting – 2:37
    War Clouds and an Alliance with Boss Nass and the Gungans
  6. The Senate – 1:12
  7. Anakin’s Test – 3:41
  8. Qui-Gon’s Mission/Obi-Wan’s Warning – 3:47
  9. Nute And Rune Confer With Darth Sidious – 0:29
  10. The Queen And Group Land On Naboo – 2:19
  11. Jar Jar Leads Group To The Gungans – 2:25
  12. War Plans – 2:31
    Prelude to War
  13. Darth Sidious Receives News Of The Gungan Army – 0:25
  14. The Gungans March – 0:57
    The Great Battle Begins
  15. The Queen And Her Group Sneak Back To The Palace – 0:18
  16. The Battle Begins – 0:24
  17. The Republic Pilots Take Off Into Space – 1:26
    The Battle Continues
  18. Activate The Droids – 0:44
  19. The Gungans Fight Back – 0:24
  20. The Duel Begins – 0:51
  21. Anakin Takes Off In Spaceship – 0:47
  22. The Duel Continues – 0:59
  23. The Battle Rages On – 1:59
  24. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan And Darth Maul Continue Battle – 1:22
    The War At Its Darkest
  25. Qui-Gon, Darth Maul And The Invisible Wall – 0:14
  26. The Gungans Retreat And The Queen Surrenders – 2:18
  27. The Death Of Qui-Gon And The Surrender Of The Gungans – 2:28
    Good Triumphs Over Evil
  28. The Tide Turns/The Death Of Darth Maul – 3:24
    The Wrap-Up
  29. The Queen Confronts Nute And Rune – 1:47
  30. The Funeral Of Qui-Gon – 1:18
    Victory Parade
  31. The Parade – 1:24
    Titles
  32. End Credits – 8:14
  33. Duel Of The Fates (Dialogue Version) - Bonus Track – 4:21

Total Time: 67:04

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Japan (RIAJ)[3] Gold[4] 100,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[5] Gold 50,000*

*sales figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – ジョン・ウィリアムズ – スター・ウォーズ エピソード1 ファントム・メナース オリジナル・サウンドトラック" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.
  4. ↑ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 1999年7月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. July 1999 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese) (Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan) 478: 9. September 10, 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Polish album certifications – Muzyka Filmowa – Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" (in Polish). Polish Producers of Audio and Video (ZPAV).

External links