Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded one of their best-selling singles, Pennsylvania 6-5000. April 28, 1940. It was released in June and rose to Top 5 on the Billboard charts. It became a big band standard and was covered by many other artists including the Andrews Sisters and Meco. The Carol Burnett Show included it in her tribute to Glenn Miller in a 1976 episode. It was featured in an episode of the Muppet Show in 1979.
Meco, born Domenico Monardo November 29, 1939 in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania, is best known for his 1977 disco version of the Star Wars theme. The single and the album Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk were certified platinum.
He started out playing trombone and went on to become a studio musican, doing horn arrangments as well as recording for artists such as Diana Ross. Meco worked as a record producer and was part of the team that produced Gloria Gaynor's Never Can Say Goodbye.
After seeing Star Wars four times in one day, he got the idea to make a disco version of the score. With his producer friends, they arranged and recorded Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk. The album got a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Pop Performer in 1977, but John Williams won that year for the original soundtrack album.
Meco went on to "Meco-ize" more soundtracks. In November 1980, he released Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album, which features the all-time favorite classic, What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)?
An American Werewolf in London" was released August 21, 1981 and is the first movie to win an Academy Award (1982) for Best Makeup, the first year for the award. This is probably the first werewolf movie I've ever seen, so it's still my favorite. I remember seeing it as part of a double feature at a drive-in movie. The first was My Bloody Valentine (not worth the time) and then An American Werewolf in London, which ended just as a huge thunderstorm broke. We didn't miss anything.
There wasn't an official soundtrack released since Elmer Berstein's original music was only 7-8 minutes. So my band Meco was called in to record music for the soundtrack, which became Impressions of An American Werewolf in London.
Although the movie was campy, it's still a Halloween staple for me.
"Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco reached #1 of the Hot 100 September 29, 1977! The single was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance at the 20th Grammy Awards Ceremony held on February 23, 1978, but lost to John Williams and the London Symphony for "Star Wars".
