Underscore

When reviewing the century-long tradition of music in cinema, the American Film Institute's selection for 'greatest film score of all time' came as little surprise; it was of course John Williams' score to George Lucas' STAR WARS. For us, this 1977 score is something of a modern miracle - a work whose colossal popularity is matched only by its outstanding quality. Nowhere is that combination more apparent than in the very first piece of underscore, the unforgettable Main Title. Arguably the crown jewel of film music cues (whose original recording broke into the '77 Billboard top 10 [yes, the pop charts!]), this dazzling opening number presents a definitive rendition of the main theme and unequivocally proclaims the tone of the film that follows.We recently had the great fortune to speak with audio legend Alan Snelling, assistant engineer on STAR WARS (as well as THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, RETURN OF THE JEDI, SUPERMAN, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and many others). Here he provides a vivid account of the debut perfor