13 Facts About Meco

Domenico Monardo, known as Meco, was an American record producer and musician, as well as the name of his band or production team.

Meco is best known for his 1977 space disco version of the Star Wars theme from his album Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk; both the single and album were certified platinum in the US.

Meco Monardo was born in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania, United States, on November 29,1939 to parents of Italian descent.

Meco's father played the valve trombone in a small Italian band, and through him Meco got his first musical education.

Meco wanted to play the drums, but his father convinced him that the trombone was the right instrument, and at nine that was the instrument with which he was to stay.

Meco joined the high school band while still attending elementary school.

From 1974 to 1976, Meco worked as a record producer.

Meco then got the idea to make a disco version of the score by John Williams and contacted Neil Bogart at Casablanca Records to pitch the project.

Only after both the picture itself as well as the original score had become huge hits did Bogart agree to help Meco realize his idea.

Since he had developed a deep-bonded working relationship with Neil Bogart and other staff at Casablanca Records, Meco decided to move to Casablanca.

The last album that Meco made for Casablanca, his seventh, which came out in 1981, was Impressions of An American Werewolf in London, based on the soundtrack from the 1981 feature film An American Werewolf in London.

Meco's Hooked on Instrumentals was released on CD and Cassette on the K-Tel label in the US, and Mercury released a CD compilation of his greatest hits, The Best of Meco in 1997.

Meco died at his home in Tamarac, Florida on May 26,2023, at the age of 83.