Solo: A Star Wars Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
John Powell
ReleasedMay 25, 2018 (2018-05-25)
StudioAbbey Road Studios
GenreSoundtrack
Length1:17:11
LabelWalt Disney
ProducerJohn Powell
John Powell chronology
Ferdinand
(2017) 		Solo: A Star Wars Story
(2018) 		How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
(2019)
Star Wars soundtrack chronology
The Last Jedi
(2017) 		Solo
(2018) 		The Rise of Skywalker
(2019)

Solo: A Star Wars Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2018 film of the same name directed by Ron Howard, which is the second instalment in the Star Wars anthology series. The score is composed by John Powell, with the Han Solo's theme conducted and composed by John Williams, whom he had collaborated for several Star Wars films, was included in the album. Williams further composed several demos, that were not included in the soundtrack but was released in the deluxe edition. Besides, composing the original themes, Powell also incorporated Williams' music from Star Wars films.

Walt Disney Records released the soundtrack album on May 25, 2018,[1] and debuted at third position on soundtracks chart from UK's Official Charts Company. It further received positive response and Powell won the Film Music Composition of the Year award by the International Film Music Critics Association. It was followed by a deluxe edition release on November 20, 2020, that featured Williams' additional cues and unedited demos from the score, and a 2-LP vinyl album was published by Mondo in January 2021.[2]

Development

John Williams' involvement was actually a huge factor in my wanting to take this gig. I have such respect—perhaps awe is a better term—for the musical history of this series that being able to have the film-scoring equivalent of Yoda be part of it was a massive incentive, and an obvious advantage that I could not let pass. The actual experience of being allowed to see into John's process? I couldn't imagine a greater gift.

—John Powell on agreeing to score Solo.[3]

In July 2017, John Powell was announced as the main composer of the score, and he began writing the music in late-2017 after finishing his work on Ferdinand.[4] In December of 2017, longtime Star Wars composer John Williams began working on the film score, in addition to Powell's compositions.[5] Williams wrote two musical pieces: "Han hero" and "Han searching theme," and combined them to create the main theme for Han Solo – "The Adventures of Han".[1][3] In addition to the theme, he wrote several pieces, but they were not featured in the soundtrack in their entirety. His demos were recorded with the Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles at the Newman Scoring Stage the following month.

Powell started composing the instrumental cues in mid-January 2018. Some of the original tracks he composed include: a romantic theme revolving around Han and Qi’ra; a friendship theme for Han and Chewbacca; another theme for Han's mentor Beckett and his gang; a choral piece for the Marauders; a theme for L3-37, droid companion to Lando Calrissian; and a few other minor motifs. Powell interpolated Williams' new theme into his score, as well as incorporating music by Williams from previous Star Wars films, including the Star Wars main title, and several motifs and cues from A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and The Phantom Menace. Powell stated, "I tried to keep in mind the DNA of how John writes, which is flow and polyphony and melody, and of course an incredibly interesting rhythmic use of the orchestra".[3]

Recording of the score began during mid-March at the Abbey Road Studios, with a 98-piece orchestra conducted by Andrew Mackay.[6] Later that following month, he went to Sofia, Bulgaria to record a choral portion with 36 members from the Bulgarian women's choir, as they offered "an aggressive, exotic sound" for the Marauders, in order to feel like a different culture had arrived on the scene. Besides working on the score, Powell wrote and recorded a song that was used as a background lounge piece titled "Chicken in a Pot." The lyrics he wrote were translated into Huttese, a language invented by sound designer Ben Burtt for the original Star Wars trilogy.[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Filmtracks
Movie Wave

Critical response to the soundtrack were positive. Filmitracks.com commented "Solo: A Star Wars Story is not only a masterpiece equal to or exceeding the first two How to Train Your Dragon scores, but it could rank highly on some lists of the best all-time "Star Wars" scores [...] Powell proves here that finding the right balance is not a lost cause. The amount of density in this music is astounding, its detailed counterpoint lines, expert orchestration, and outstanding mix all contributing to an immensely entertaining result. There are simply too many fine touches in this score to do it justice in any review, leaving the music as a top recommendation on album for all film music enthusiasts." The website also published the review for the deluxe edition, and said "an exemplary presentation that provides the full score as a faithful representation of what's heard in the film, even if a few overlays of embellishment remain. The four source-like tracks may have been better placed in a bonus section at the end, but Powell seemed intent on preserving the exact chronological presentation."[7] Movie Wave, wrote "The album goes heavy on action – there is a fair bit of unreleased music in the film and not much of it is action – so perhaps it’s a bit unbalanced, but it is just incredibly exciting.  The new Williams material is excellent, the way Powell uses it (and the classic themes) truly impressive – and I really rather admire that he went so much his own way with the score [...] The album is a real thrill-ride and will bring repeated massive smiles to the faces of both Star Wars fans and John Powell fans."[8] Zanobard Reviews wrote, Solo: A Star Wars Story is the perfect Star Wars score that fans have been waiting for".[9]

Track listing

Solo: A Star Wars Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
No.TitleMusicLength
1."The Adventures of Han"John Williams3:52
2."Meet Han"John Powell2:22
3."Corellia Chase" (Includes "Star Wars Main Theme" by John Williams)John Powell3:36
4."Spaceport"John Powell4:09
5."Flying with Chewie"John Powell3:34
6."Train Heist" (Includes "Imperial/Stormtrooper Motif" from A New Hope by John Williams)John Powell4:51
7."Marauders Arrive"John Powell5:16
8."Chicken in the Pot"John Powell2:12
9."Is This Seat Taken?"John Powell2:39
10."L3 & Millennium Falcon" (Includes "Star Wars Main Theme" by John Williams)John Powell3:19
11."Lando's Closet"John Powell2:14
12."Mine Mission"John Powell4:14
13."Break Out" (Includes "Rebel Fanfare" by John Williams)John Powell6:18
14."The Good Guy"John Powell5:28
15."Reminiscence Therapy" (Includes "Death Star Motif", "Rebel Fanfare", "TIE Fighter Attack", "The Asteroid Field", and "Star Wars Main Theme" by John Williams)John Powell6:14
16."Into the Maw" (Includes "Rebel Fanfare" and "Star Wars Main Theme" by John Williams)John Powell4:52
17."Savareen Stand-Off"John Powell4:28
18."Good Thing You Were Listening"John Powell2:11
19."Testing Allegiance"John Powell4:23
20."Dice & Roll" (Includes "Rebel Fanfare" by John Williams)John Powell1:59
Total length:77:11

Deluxe edition

In September 2020, Powell announced on social media that a deluxe edition of the soundtrack album would be remixed and mastered by 5 Cat Studios, featuring all unedited cues from the score and additional demos that Williams had composed for the film.[10][11] The deluxe edition was released by Walt Disney Records on November 20, 2020, featuring an additional 40 minutes of previously unreleased music.[12][13]

Solo: A Star Wars Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack/Deluxe Edition)
Film score by
John Powell and John Williams
ReleasedNovember 20, 2020 (2020-11-20)
Studio5 Cat Studios
GenreSoundtrack
Length2:03:45
LabelWalt Disney
ProducerJohn Powell, Batu Sener
Solo: A Star Wars Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack/Deluxe Edition)
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Meet Han (1M1)"John Powell & John Williams2:21
2."Bunk / Proxima (1M2-3)"John Powell3:09
3."Corellia Chase (1M4-5)" (includes "Star Wars Main Theme" by John Williams)John Powell3:34
4."Spaceport (1M6-7)"John Powell4:09
5."Gonna Be a Pilot (1M8)"John Williams0:30
6."Empire Recruitment (1M9)" (Includes "The Imperial March" by John Williams, arranged by John Powell)John Powell & John Williams0:32
7."Mimban Battle (1M10A-B)" (Includes "The Imperial March" by John Williams)John Powell2:04
8."Blackmail (1M11)"John Powell1:32
9."The Beast (2M12)"John Powell2:36
10."Chewie Untamed (2M13)"John Powell3:33
11."Surveying Conveyex (2M14)"John Powell1:01
12."Deluxe Train Heist (2M15-16A-B-C)" (Includes "Imperial/Stormtrooper Motif" from A New Hope by John Williams)John Powell10:21
13."Walk to Dryden's (3M17)"John Powell2:14
14."Chicken in the Pot (3M18S)" (feat. vocals by Baraka May & Reid Bruton)John Powell2:09
15."Han & Qi'Ra Reunite (3M19)"John Powell1:12
16."Stormtrooper JP-054 Karaoke" (feat. vocals by John Powell)John Powell2:09
17."Dryden's Patience Is Tested (3M21-22-23)"John Powell5:30
18."Card Room (3M24)"John Powell1:09
19."Sabacc Game (3M25)"John Powell2:35
20."L3 & Millennium Falcon (3M26)" (Includes "Star Wars Main Theme" by John Williams)John Powell3:17
21."Family Stories (4M27)"John Powell & John Williams2:00
22."Lando's Closet (4M28)"John Powell2:11
23."Trust No One (4M29)"John Powell1:17
24."Oksana Floren, yadda yadda yadda (4M30A)"John Powell4:28
25."Extra Deluxe Mine Mission (4M30B-5M30C-31)" (Includes "Rebel Fanfare" by John Williams)John Powell10:23
26."Kessel Run in Less Than 12 Parsecs (5M32-33A-B-C)" (Includes "Death Star Motif", "Rebel Fanfare", "TIE Fighter Attack", "The Asteroid Field", and "Star Wars Main Theme" by John Williams)John Powell & John Williams11:00
27."Savareen Tent (6M34)"John Powell2:00
28."Enfys' Stand-Off (6M35)"John Powell4:25
29."Qi'Ra Knows a Bit More Than Han (6M36-37-38)"John Powell2:14
30."Double-Double Cross (6M39-40)"John Powell4:47
31."Dryden's Long, Long Fight (6M41-42)"John Powell4:51
32."Maul's Call / Parting Ways (7M43-44-45)" (Includes "Duel of the Fates" by John Williams)John Powell & John Williams5:39
33."Lando's Jungle Room (7M46S)"John Powell1:03
34."Sabacc Rematch / To Tatooine (7M47-48)" (Includes "Rebel Fanfare" by John Williams)John Powell1:53
35."Super Extra Deluxe End Credits Suite (7MEC)" (Includes "Star Wars Main Theme" and "Rebel Fanfare" by John Williams)John Powell & John Williams9:57
Total length:123:45

Vinyl release

On November 25, 2020, Mondo has announced a four-disc LP album, pressed on 180-grams "hyperspace" and "gram-black" vinyl, featured artwork by César Moreno and additional liner notes.[14] The four-disc set were priced $35.00 and pre-orders for the sets began on December 2, before being published on January 1, 2021. The vinyl discs, contain scores from the original soundtrack, while the additional cues were not featured, though being featured in the deluxe edition of the soundtrack. A press release from Mondo said:[14]

"The origin story of science-fiction's greatest rogue is a Star Wars story through and through: a rollicking adventure, full of humor and suspense - and in the grand tradition of franchise, features an epic sweeping score worthy of the biggest screen (or, in this case, speakers) imaginable. John Williams' new 'The Adventures of Han Theme' kicks things off in a spectacular fashion, setting the tone for a fantastic original score by John Powell, only the third composer to ever tackle the film series in its 40+ year legacy, to enter the Star Wars canon."[14]

Chart performance

Chart (2016–17) Peak

position

Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[15] 41
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 41
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[17] 29
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[18] 131
French Albums (SNEP)[19] 118
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[20] 38
Scottish Albums (OCC)[21] 25
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[22] 11
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 36
UK Albums (OCC)[24] 43
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[25] 3
US Billboard 200[26] 190
US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[27] 34

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
International Film Music Critics Association Awards February 21, 2019 Film Music Composition of the Year John Powell Won [28]
Grammy Awards February 10, 2019 Best Instrumental Composition John Powell, John Williams ("Mine Mission") Nominated [29]

References

  1. ^ a b "Solo: A Star Wars Story Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Available May 25th". Burbank, California: Walt Disney Records. PR Newswire. May 23, 2018. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  2. ^ "Solo: A Star Wars Story - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2XLP". Mondo. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Burlingame, Jon (May 24, 2018). "'Solo' Composer John Powell Reveals His Process for Tackling a 'Star Wars' Movie". Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  4. ^ Liptak, Andrew (July 26, 2017). "Bourne Identity composer John Powell will score the upcoming Han Solo movie". The Verge. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  5. ^ Burlingame, Jon (December 30, 2017). "'Solo' Locks in Key 'Star Wars' Veteran (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 30, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  6. ^ Kaufman, Gil (May 24, 2018). "'Solo' Composer John Powell Talks Channeling Han & Working With John Williams". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  7. ^ "Filmtracks: Solo: A Star Wars Story (John Powell/John Williams)". www.filmtracks.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  8. ^ "Solo: A Star Wars Story soundtrack review | John Powell | movie-wave.net". June 3, 2018. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  9. ^ Zanobard (May 25, 2018). "Solo: A Star Wars Story – Soundtrack Review". Zanobard Reviews. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  10. ^ @TheLegacyofJW (November 20, 2020). "John Powell also revealed which cues include JW's own pieces he composed to picture as "demos":" (Tweet). Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ Powell, John (November 20, 2020). "Solo: Deluxe Edition – Album Credits". Facebook. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  12. ^ "'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Deluxe Edition Soundtrack Album Details | Film Music Reporter". Film Music Reporter. October 20, 2020. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  13. ^ Feature.fm. "Solo: A Star Wars Story (Deluxe Edition)". smartlink. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  14. ^ a b c "Solo: A Star Wars Story Soundtrack Getting Limited Edition Vinyl Release Through Mondo". Star Wars. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  15. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Soundtrack / John Powell – Solo - A Star Wars Story" (in German). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  16. ^ "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack / John Powell – Solo - A Star Wars Story" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  17. ^ "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack / John Powell – Solo - A Star Wars Story" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  18. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Soundtrack / John Powell – Solo - A Star Wars Story". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  19. ^ "Lescharts.com – Soundtrack / John Powell – Solo - A Star Wars Story". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  20. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Soundtrack – Rogue One Archived April 24, 2022, at the Wayback Machine" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  21. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  22. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Soundtrack / John Powell – Solo - A Star Wars Story". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  23. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Soundtrack / John Powell – Solo - A Star Wars Story". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  24. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  25. ^ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  26. ^ "Soundtrack Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  27. ^ "Soundtrack Chart History (Soundtrack Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  28. ^ "2018 IFMCA Awards". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association. February 6, 2020. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  29. ^ "Grammys 2019 Nominees: The Complete List". Billboard.com. December 7, 2018. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
Categories