eric's little black star » Lapti Nek & Ewok Celebration – Weird-Ass Star Wars Music for YOU!

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eric on Feb 5th 2009 at 3:41 am Listen, Music

Lapti Nek & Ewok Celebration – Weird-Ass Star Wars Music for YOU!

In one of my recent trips to Jive Time, I stumbled across a 12″ Single for the song “Lapti Nek” by Urth. Now, any true Star Wars fan knows that “Lapti Nek” is the song sung by Sy Snootles and the Max Rebo Band in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.¹ I picked it up (for a buck) and took it home.

I guess 1983 was a weird year in music. Disco was all but gone and the remix was gaining much more acceptance. For whatever reason George Lucas must have thought it would be a good idea to have this song get some exposure. Urth, from what I can figure out, was a band made just for this single. They had no releases before or after. The vocals (and I’m betting much of the music) was done by Joseph Williams, son of John Williams (who did the score for all of the Star Wars films). Joseph was also lead singer for the band Toto.

What i didn’t know until a bit of research was that same year, Lucas officially sanctioned a remix of the film version of “Lapti Nek” and released it as a single. I picked up a copy on Ebay. It is available as a “Club Mix” on Side A and a “Dub Mix” on Side B. It was remixed by Steve Thompson, who was mainly a disco remixer prior to working on the “Lapti Nek” mixes. After, however, his career took off doing remixes for Ultravox, Talk Talk, Aretha Franklin, Madonna and later going on to mix Metallica’s And Justice for All and Anthrax’s “God the Time” and Guns & Roses’ “Sweet Child o’ Mine.” Quite a career!

But that wasn’t it for “Lapti Nek.” Following all of the Star Wars movies, Meco (born Domenico Monardo from Johnsonburg, PA) would release an album of Star Wars songs disco-fied. If you’ve ever heard the Star Wars main theme set to disco music, you can blame this guy.

On his album Ewok Celebration, he recorded his own wacky version of “Lapti Nek.”

And speaking of Ewok Celebration, when I was a kid, a local radio station would play a rap version of the song “Ewok Celebration” from Return of the Jedi.² Looking back, I thought it was just something the local station threw together for fun. But no. This rap version of “Ewok Celebration” was done by Meco. The rap is (from what I can tell) a line-by-line recitation of the story that C-3PO tells to the ewoks. Weird huh? Yes. Very much so. This song was also remixed and released as a 12″ single. I’ve not found a reason to buy it just yet. It was either the remix or the original version that featured the rap stylings of Duke Bootee, member of The Furious Five (they did “The Message” and “White Lines”).

And now you’ll get a chance to hear them all. Ready?

Lapti Nek

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Film Version

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Urth (with vocals by Joseph Williams)

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Official release Lapti Nek (Club Mix)

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Official release Lapti Nek (Dub Mix)

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Meco – Lapti Nek

Ewok Celebration

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Ewok Celebration (Film Version)

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Meco – Ewok Celebration (with rap)

And just for fun, Meco’s Star Wars theme as disco.

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This is the original edition – the new, evil “special editions” take out this song and replace it with… well, it’s just horrible. [↩]
This song was also replaced by a huge pile of crap on the Special Edition. [↩]

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27 responses so far

27 Comments

Comment by DJ

2009-02-05 15:56:06

Sorry I can’t listen to those samples. My computer is shitte. But I’ve had the Ewok song from the end of Jedi in my head for like two weeks now.

Comment by eric

2009-02-05 16:13:04

Hm, that’s odd. It’s just basic Adobe Flash Player. Maybe update your flash? Hm.

With the Special Editions, it’s sad… now kids will get some OTHER ewok song stuck in their heads for weeks at a time. Very sad.

Yub Nub, DJ!

Comment by Ryan Beggar

2009-02-05 18:05:32

Can I be the trillionth person the internets to say how grandly the special editions suck?
Yes. Yes I can.

Comment by eric

2009-02-05 23:08:36

the rifftrax bits about the SE were fun. ugh.. lucas….

Comment by DJ

2009-02-07 06:32:06

It is a ten year old computer without speakers.

Comment by eric

2009-02-07 07:31:12

All you’ve got is excuses, boy! hehe

Comment by lori

2009-02-08 10:56:35

Wow – Sending you big props & much thanks for posting. My sister & I tediously memorized all of the rap portion of Ewok celebration when we were kids. This is a really hard recording to find! I just called and played it to her through my laptop speakers – how else can I find this gem? Just glanced at your site and see you are are a devotee of Bhagavad-gita & yoga – are you also a fan of Kirtan? Have you participated in chant?

ThanksAgain!

Comment by eric

2009-02-08 22:37:15

Hey! No problem at all. You can find it on Ebay as a record, but most folks don’t have record players. If you’d like the MP3 of it, I can email it to you.

I’m a devotee of Bhagavad-gita, yep. A gaudia-vaisnava. All we do is chant. Kirtana, bhajana, mantra meditation – it’s our thing. :)

Comment by Joe

2009-02-15 22:49:03

Hi Eric, I found your blog by searching for the song, Lapti Nek. I can’t believe it that you have this version by Meco. I’ve been looking for it since I was a teenager. This song was so popular in Thailand back then that it was played at the clubs a few times everynight or at least the nights I went…ha ha ha. Believe it or not…I still have a cassette tape of this song and yet I don’t have a cassette player anymore. With that said, can you please email me the mp3 of this song by Meco? I would really appreciate it. I just left my email before leaving a reply & am not sure if I’m supposed to leave it here again or not. Just let me know if I do. Please excuse my Eng….I’ve tried my best. Many thanks in advance!!!

Comment by eric

2009-02-16 07:24:08

It’s all yours! Check the email.

Comment by Joe

2009-02-16 09:45:15

I got it. Thanks a lot….Eric!!!

Comment by urbanomega

2009-04-07 12:15:33

my goodness what a find i stumbles across this too… if its not too much trouble could you email me these 3 i cant seem to find em anywhere
wow simply wow

Urth (with vocals by Joseph Williams)
Meco – Lapti Nek
Meco’s Star Wars theme as disco.

Comment by MinLShaw

2009-04-10 16:04:19

Any chance I could trouble you for .mp3s of the club & dub mixes of “Lapti Nek?”

Comment by NJ

2009-04-30 16:48:48

Hey Eric,

Wow. I was looking for the Lapti Nek song for some time now and didn’t know the title until I searched on wikipedia. I have heard the 1st Lapti Nek version in the video game Star Wars Battlefront II. Is there any way you can send me the mp3? :) You do not have a site you have uploaded them all on?

Comment by eric

2009-05-02 08:09:51

Ohhh Zap!

Comment by Sean

2009-05-12 20:55:50

Hi eric I have stumbled upon your website because ive been looking for the “Ewok Celebration” rap song for my son he is 10 and very much into star wars, I have the 45rpm
on vinal but he does’n't know what those are, im sure you get a ton of people asking for you to e-mail the mp3 well Im another one ,,,,,if you could or have time e-mail me that one I would appreciate it,,,

thanks

Sean

Comment by Jason

2009-05-13 14:04:03

Hello Eric!

I have been trying to locate a copy of Lapti Nek for my home Hookah/Cigar bar, and low and behold I find it here on your site! Any way you could send it my way via E-mail? I tried to click on your “ZAP” but I only have the net at work and not home and they blocked that page :( If you could hook me up that would be great!

Thanks

Comment by Ult Two

2009-06-10 17:05:03

Hello my name is Ult2 and I was wondering if you could send me the ewok celebration, Lapti nek dubbed, and club mix, and the Urth Lapti Nek file in exchange for four songs that I own. please contact me if possible thank you very much

Comment by Ult Two

2009-06-11 16:52:27

Oh I almost forgot to mention your (zap)sw(2).zip seems to be corrupted and my antivirus software keeps scanning every time I try opening it any help is much appreciated thanx

Comment by eric

2009-06-11 19:09:16

Hm. Not sure. I just unzipped it in both linux and windows and it’s clean and working. I originally zipped it with linux, I think, so it’s possible that your antivirus thing is having a problem with it. But it’s definitely clean.
Do you use Soulseek?

Comment by Ult Two

2009-06-12 09:22:29

No I do not use Soulseek. I am going to check out my antivirus software, thanx for the advice. But what do you suggest I do to open it so its clean like on your computer? Thank you any help would be greatly appreciated.

Comment by Ult Two

2009-06-12 09:26:25

Oh I’m sorry I forgot to mention this, but you have Windows Vista right?
and I do not have a linux. and thank you because I just found 36 virus’s while checking and I got rid of them before they caused any damage. I’m using Avast antivirus by the way if it helps. Thank you very much

Comment by eric

2009-06-12 10:26:05

that’s odd. I’m using Avast too. I created all the mp3s myself on linux, so there’s no chance it’s contaminated.

I use WinRAR to unzip and unrar files. WinZIP also works.

I don’t have vista, only XP. Vista might be throwing some false warnings at you.

But the file is definitely clean.

Comment by Ult Two

2009-06-13 09:21:03

Thank you I am currently unzipping the file with Win Zip and they are working absolutely perfect as you have stated earlier. Thank you so much

Comment by George

2009-07-02 07:51:43

Hello I am a friend of Ult Two’s and today while were hanging out he wanted to show me the songs that are on your page here but when he tried opening it his Win Zip I think its called failed and shut down and he didn’t want to bother you again so I asked him if he wanted me to send a message to you I am still at his house cause I slept over and I just wanted to know if theres anyway you can get my bud the songs in an easier way, thank you sir :), and yes I am aware I’m using his computer

Comment by eric

2009-07-02 08:55:05

No idea. It works for me in XP and Linux and others with Mac and Vista. Try the rar file here. WinZip should work, but there are other freeware programs you can download to unzip/unrar as well.

Comment by Ult Two

2009-07-05 13:51:47

Thank you. I’m sorry it took me a while to get back but I finally have the files working with the rar file Thank you and I am sorry for the bother.

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