Content deleted Content added
No edit summary |
UpdateNerd (talk | contribs) ce Tags: Visual edit Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit |
||
| (26 intermediate revisions by 18 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{copyediting|reason=general cleanup and proper citation formatting|date=September 2024}}
{{Short description|Fictional alien band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}
[[File:MaxReboBandConcept.jpg|right|thumb|Concept art of the original Max Rebo Band by [[Ralph McQuarrie]]. From left to right: Max Rebo, Droopy McCool, and Sy Snootles]]
The '''Max Rebo Band''' is a fictional [[Extraterrestrials in fiction|alien]] [[pop music]] band in the ''[[Star Wars]]'' franchise, first appearing in the 1983 film ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' as
The group are classified as
▲The '''Max Rebo Band''' is a fictional [[Extraterrestrials in fiction|alien]] [[pop music]] band in the ''[[Star Wars]]'' franchise, first appearing in the 1983 film ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' as in-house performers for crime lord [[Jabba the Hutt]]. The lineup originally seen in the film consists of the blue-skinned [[List of Star Wars races (K-O)#Ortolan|Ortolan]] keyboardist '''Max Rebo''', a plump [[Kitonak]] [[woodwind]] player named '''Droopy McCool''', and the sexy [[Pa'lowick]] lead singer '''Sy Snootles''', while additional members were inserted into the later-edited [[Changes in Star Wars re-releases#Return of the Jedi|Special Edition of the film]]. A great deal of further information about the band and the personal histories of its members is found in various literature of the now-noncanonical [[Star Wars expanded to other media|''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe]].
Max and Droopy were portrayed by actors in bodysuits, while
▲The group are classified as Jizz-wailers, which, according to the ''[[Star Wars Encyclopedia]]'', refers to a "musician who plays a fast, contemporary, and upbeat style of music."<ref>"Jizz-wailer," ''Star Wars Encyclopedia,'' Stephen J. Sansweet (New York: Del Rey, 1998), p. 152, {{ISBN|0-345-40227-8}}.</ref>
▲Max and Droopy were portrayed by actors in bodysuits, while Sy was operated by two puppeteers who were stationed above and beneath the set. The new members seen in the 1997 Special Edition re-release of ''Return of the Jedi'' were computer-generated, as was Sy Snootles in said version.
==Appearances==
<!-- Please help keep this section brief. Every detail about the plot of Star Wars or the Max Rebo Band does not need to appear here. -->
{{anchor|Lapti Nek|Jedi Rocks}}
===Film===
{{further|Return of the Jedi (soundtrack)}}
{{see also|Captain EO}}<!--The 1983 Urth version of "Lapti Nek" implicitly channels Michael Jackson at his peak of popularity. -->
The Max Rebo Band made their debut in ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' during the scenes set in [[Jabba's Palace|Jabba's palace]] on [[Tatooine]]. In the original version, the trio performs a [[Hutt (Star Wars)|Huttese-language]] pop song titled "Lapti Nek" (Huttese for "Work It Out"); the English lyrics (by composer [[John Williams]]'s son [[Joseph Williams (musician)|Joseph Williams]]) are about dancing; ''[[Hardware Wars]]'' creator [[Ernie Fosselius]] helped arrange the song.<ref name="Jabbapalooza">"Jabbapalooza: Who's Who in the Max Rebo Band," ''Star Wars Insider'' 67, May 2003</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Traynor|first1=Cian|date=December 15, 2016|title=Jabba the Hutt's favourite disco song|url=https://lwlies.com/articles/lapti-nek-star-wars-song-joseph-williams/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-25|website=Little White Lies}}</ref> The track was [[Changes in Star Wars re-releases#Max Rebo Band|replaced in the Special Edition]] with "Jedi Rocks", written by [[jazz]] musician [[Jerry Hey]] and described in the [[Star Wars Databank|''Star Wars'' Databank]] as a "less-dated piece of music".<ref name="MaxReboBandBTS">Max Rebo Band at [https://www.starwars.com/databank/organization/maxreboband/?id=bts The Star Wars Databank] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215053115/http://starwars.com/databank/organization/maxreboband/?id=bts |date=2006-12-15 }}</ref>{{efn|"Lapti Nek" can also be heard as background music in canon audiobooks.}}▼
▲The Max Rebo Band made their debut in ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' during the scenes set in [[
In both versions of the film, the song is performed shortly after [[C-3PO]] and [[R2-D2]] are given to Jabba. The group thereafter plays festive instrumental tunes, during which Max was the only band member who appears onscreen. The fate of the trio is unclear following the explosion of Jabba's sail barge after the unsuccessful execution attempt of [[Luke Skywalker]], [[Han Solo]], and [[Chewbacca]].▼
▲In both versions of the film, the
Other versions of the song "Lapti Nek" exist, including a 12-inch club mix, a [[Dub music|dub]] mix, and a cover by [[Meco]]—as well as a later recording by vocalist/lyric writer Joseph Williams as Urth, which incorporates lyrics he wrote for ''Return of the Jedi''{{'}}s "[[Ewok Celebration]]".<ref name="MaxReboBandBTS"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Traynor |first=Cian |title=Jabba the Hutt's favourite disco song |url=https://lwlies.com/articles/lapti-nek-star-wars-song-joseph-williams/ |website=Little White Lies |date=December 15, 2016 |access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref>
Line 22 ⟶ 26:
The original members of the Max Rebo Band make several appearances in ''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe literature. Max, Droopy, and Sy are featured in [[John Gregory Betancourt]]'s short story ''And the Band Played On: The Band's Tale,'' from the 1995 anthology ''[[Tales from Jabba's Palace]]''. According to the story, the band begins as a quartet called "[[Evar Orbus]] and His Galactic Jizz-wailers." They arrive on Tatooine in three years after the Battle of [[Yavin]] depicted in ''[[A New Hope]]'', one year before the events of ''Return of the Jedi'', for a gig at the [[Mos Eisley]] cantina, but regular in-house band, [[Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes|the Modal Nodes]], objects to the presence of a second group, and Orbus is killed by Nodes leader Figrin D'an following a scuffle aboard an airbus.
Droopy and Sy elect Max as their new bandleader, and the trio secures an audition with Jabba the Hutt, who is pleased with their performance of "Lapti Nek". He offers the band a lifetime contract paid in food instead of money, much to Max's delight and Sy's disdain. However, the execution of Han, Luke, and Chewbacca at the Great Pit of Carkoon descends into chaos as Jabba is fatally strangled by [[Princess Leia]], and the band escapes from Jabba's barge sans instruments just before it explodes. Droopy quits the group on the spot after wandering off into the desert to join fellow Kitonaks he hears playing in the distance, and Sy and Max join forces as the Max Rebo Duo. The book's epilogue describes the pair splitting up; Sy flops as a solo act while Max joins up with the Rebellion and uses his musical talents to entertain the troops.<ref name="Betancourt">[[John Gregory Betancourt]], "And the Band Played On: The Band's Tale," in [[Kevin J. Anderson]], ed., ''Tales from Jabba's Palace'' (paperback; New York: Bantam Spectra, 1995), p. 209, {{ISBN|0-553-56815-9}}.</ref>
===Comics===
In the 2000 Dark Horse release ''A Hot Time in the Cold Town Tonite!,'' Jabba sends the puzzled trio to the frozen planet [[Hoth]] to play for a rival crime lord, Bingo Mehndra, who threatens to feed the band to his pet [[Wampa]] if he suspected any kind of trickery. The group soon discovers that Jabba is actually using them as pawns in an assassination attempt against Bingo after they discover explosives hidden inside their speakers. They make their getaway by superimposing holograms of themselves from a past performance onto the stage, which Bingo realizes just as the explosives detonate. Though Jabba had blatantly endangered their lives, the band nonetheless chooses to avoid his wrath by returning to Tatooine.<ref>[[Ian Edginton]], "A Hot Time in the Cold Town Tonite!", ill. [[Mark Martin (cartoonist)|Mark Martin]] and Rick Neilsen; ''Star Wars Tales'' 6 (Dark Horse, December 2000).</ref>
In [[Dave Cooper]]'s ''Stop That Jawa!'' (part of ''[[Star Wars Tales 2]]'' published by [[Dark Horse Comics]] in 2000), the trio has their instruments "salvaged" by [[List of Star Wars races (F-J)#Jawa|Jawa]] scavengers outside the Mos Eisley cantina. They are then pursued by a droid bounty hunter who earlier overheard Sy badmouthing Jabba in the cantina. The bounty hunter is revealed at the conclusion to be a Derfian musician named Tik Tali Talosh, who pressures the Jawas into returning the instruments before proclaiming his adoration of the group and requesting an audition.<ref name="cooper">[[Dave Cooper]], "Stop That Jawa!", in ''Star Wars Tales'' 2 (Dark Horse Comics, January 2000).</ref>
===Television===
Max Rebo appears in the first, second, and fourth episodes of the television series ''[[The Book of Boba Fett]]'', which takes place
▲Max Rebo appears in the first, second, and fourth episodes of the television series ''[[The Book of Boba Fett]]'', which takes place at least five years after ''Return of the Jedi''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Russell|first=Bradley|date=December 29, 2021|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-book-of-boba-fett-max-rebo-cameo/|title=A classic Star Wars character returned in The Book of Boba Fett and fans are loving it|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|accessdate=December 30, 2021}}</ref>
===Other===
Line 40 ⟶ 43:
==Concept and creation==
''Star Wars'' creator [[George Lucas]] stated that the scene featuring the band was intended to be an elaborate production, but the crew "never really had the time" to film it. Lucas commented, "I thought [it] would be funny [to have a musical number] in the middle of a Star Wars film."<ref name="LucasVHS">[[George Lucas]], commentary to ''Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'', Special Edition (VHS, 20th Century Fox, 1997).</ref>
The original band members—Max, Sy, and Droopy—were puppets designed by [[Phil Tippett]] of [[Industrial Light and Magic]]'s Creature Shop. [[Timothy D. Rose]] was the puppeteer for Sy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-wars/38603/star-wars-the-changing-face-of-sy-snootles-the-rebo-band|title=Star Wars: the changing face of Sy Snootles & the Rebo band|last=Lambie|first=Ryan|date=January 22, 2016|website=Den of Geek!|access-date=July 20, 2017}}</ref> Lucas was not entirely pleased with the scene, saying that the puppets were too static and motionless.<ref name="LucasVHS"/> Special Edition producer [[Rick McCallum]] concurred that the requirements of the scene were too complex, even for [[Audio-Animatronics|animatronic]]s.<ref>[[Rick McCallum]], commentary to ''Return of the Jedi'', Special Edition, VHS.</ref>
For the 1997 rerelease of ''Return of the Jedi'', Sy Snootles was recreated entirely in [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] and nine new musicians and dancers were added, while Max and Droopy's screen time during the segment was reduced in comparison to the original film. Visual effects supervisor [[Dave Carson]] described the process of creating Sy and new character [[Joh Yowza]] as similar to sculpting clay models, adding that CGI characters were more like puppets than cartoons and that animators "constantly find limitations: [the] characters don't bend right, or their mass isn't right," problems he claimed that confronted puppeteers.<ref>[[Dave Carson]], commentary to ''Return of the Jedi'', Special Edition, VHS.</ref>
In addition to the new characters, "Lapti Nek" was replaced with "Jedi Rocks."<ref name="MaxReboBandBTS"/><ref name="WhatChanged">{{cite web
Line 58 ⟶ 61:
==Original band members==
{{Infobox character
| name = Max Rebo<br
| image = File:Max Rebo - Ortolan.jpg
| caption = Siiruulian Phantele performing as Max Rebo
Line 74 ⟶ 77:
}}
'''Max Rebo''' is the stage name of '''Siiruulian Phantele''', a stocky [[List of Star Wars races (K-O)#Ortolan|Ortolan]] keyboardist and eponymous leader of the Max Rebo Band. He plays a Red Ball Jett keyboard, which is similar to a circular [[reed organ]] with [[clavinet]] characteristics.
Like other Ortolans, Max is a [[gluttony|glutton]]; he ecstatically accepts a lifetime contract from Jabba that is paid in endless meals instead of money, which angers the rest of the group. With their contract terminated following Jabba's demise, Max and Sy team up as the Max Rebo Duo in the wake of Droopy's departure. After performing for [[Lady Valarian]], the pair splits. Max joins the [[Rebel Alliance]] to entertain the troops, one reason being that "the Rebellion has the best food."<ref name="Anderson"/> After the [[Galactic Civil War]], he quits the music business and opens a chain of successful restaurants throughout the galaxy. He retires to a life of wealth and luxury on [[Coruscant]].<ref name="mrdatabank">Max Rebo at the [https://www.starwars.com/databank/character/maxrebo/?id=eu Star Wars Databank]</ref>
In a nod to his physical appearance, Max's real name, Siiruulian Phantele, is a play on the words "[[cerulean]] elephant." He was portrayed by Simon Williamson in both versions of ''Return of the Jedi,'' and the character was a puppet constructed from the waist up by ILM.<ref name="documentary">''From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga'', narrated by [[Mark Hamill]] (1985; VHS, CBS Fox Video, 1992).</ref>
{{Infobox character
Line 93 ⟶ 96:
| affiliation = {{unbulleted list|Hutt Clan|Max Rebo Band}}
| portrayer = {{Plainlist|
* Mike Quinn (puppeteer; ROTJ 1983 theatrical cut)
* Tim Rose (puppeteer; ROTJ 1983 theatrical cut)
}}
Line 108 ⟶ 111:
During production, Sy Snootles' nickname was "Ms. Snooty."<ref name="sydatabank"/> In the original version of the film, the character was a [[marionette]]-like puppet operated by puppeteers Mike Quinn and Tim Rose; Quinn was stationed on scaffolding and controlled her upper body, while Rose moved her legs from beneath the set. The character's oversized ruby lips were suggested by George Lucas, who referred to them as "[[Mick Jagger]] lips."
Sy was voiced in the original version of ''Jedi'' by Lucasfilm sound engineer Annie Arbogast, who also wrote the Huttese-language lyrics to "Lapti Nek." The track was recorded at Lucasfilm's Sprocket Systems (currently [[Skywalker Sound]]),<ref>[[Ben Burtt]], commentary to ''Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'', Special Edition (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004).</ref> and was even the recipient of a 1983 [[Alex Awards|Apex Award]].<ref name="SWAD">[http://www.nerf-herders-anonymous.net/AnnieArbogast.html ''Lapti Nek'' lyrics (Huttese)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105103232/http://www.nerf-herders-anonymous.net/AnnieArbogast.html |date=2009-01-05 }} - nerf-herders-anonymous.net</ref> For close-up shots, Sy's mouth was articulated using a nearly-invisible wire connected to a microphone stand.<ref name="sydatabank"/><ref name="blueharvest">[http://blueharvest.net/images/barge.shtml The Tatooine Sail Barge Set] - BlueHarvest.net</ref> The puppet was replaced with a computer-generated image for the Special Edition re-release.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.businessinsider.com/return-of-the-jedi-sy-snootles-performance-2015-11
| title = Why this scene in 'Return of the Jedi' is the most disappointing from all of the 'Star Wars' special editions
Line 121 ⟶ 124:
{{Infobox character
| name = Droopy McCool
| series = [[Star Wars]]
| first = ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983)
Line 135 ⟶ 138:
}}
'''Droopy McCool''' is the stage name of a slow-minded Kitonak musician and original member of the Max Rebo Band. He plays a chidinkalu horn, an instrument that resembles a [[clarinet]]. Droopy's actual birth name is a series of unpronounceable flute-like whistles, but he was renamed '''Snit''' by Orbus, who purchased him as a slave and forced him to join his band due to Snit's musical talents.<ref name="dmcdatabank">Droopy McCool at the [https://www.starwars.com/databank/character/droopysnitmccool/?id=eu Star Wars Databank] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930031604/http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/droopysnitmccool/?id=eu |date=2007-09-30 }}</ref> Following Orbus's death, he is freed and given his familiar stage name by bandmate Sy Snootles. After the band flees Jabba's barge following his death, Droopy quits the group and wanders off alone into the desert to search for other members of his race.<ref name="Betancourt"/> He is never seen again, but rumors among Tatooine's moisture farmers claim that the sound of Kitonak pipes have been heard from the far reaches of the desert.<ref name="Jabbapalooza"/><ref name="Anderson">[[Kevin J. Anderson]], "Epilogue: Whatever Became Of...?," ''Tales from Jabba's Palace'', p. 417.</ref>
Droopy was played by [[Deep Roy]] in a full bodysuit for both versions of ''Return of the Jedi.''
Line 155 ⟶ 158:
}}
'''Ak-rev''' is a leathery-faced [[Weequay]] skiff guard and drummer from the planet Sriluur. He had played the [[Sacred drum|sacred drums]] in a monastery devoted to the Weequay god of thunder before moving to Tatooine to serve as one of Jabba's skiff guards, simply in order to mingle with other members of his race. He becomes a part-time drummer for the Max Rebo Band, and after Jabba's death, Ak-rev and fellow percussionist Umpass-stay attempt to flee to Mos Eisley, but the pair is ambushed by [[Tusken Raiders]] and Ak-rev is beaten to death.<ref name="akdatabank">Ak-rev at the [https://www.starwars.com/databank/character/akrev/?id=eu Star Wars Databank] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215055326/http://starwars.com/databank/character/akrev/?id=eu |date=2006-12-15 }}</ref>
According to the ''Star Wars Databank'', his musical style is derived from the Japanese art of [[Taiko]].<ref name="akdatabank"/> His Special Edition actor was David Gonzalez.<ref name="jedicast"/>
{{Infobox character
| name
| series
| first
| last
| creator
| species
| gender
| lbl21
| data21
| affiliation = Max Rebo Band
| portrayer
}}
Line 177 ⟶ 180:
{{Infobox character
| name
| series
| first
| last
| creator
| species
| gender
| lbl21
| data21
| affiliation = Max Rebo Band
| portrayer
}}
Line 194 ⟶ 197:
Barquin was portrayed by Don Bies in an uncredited role.<ref name="jedicast"/>
{{Infobox character
| name
| series
| first
| last
| creator
| species
| gender
| affiliation = Max Rebo Band
| portrayer
}}
Line 209 ⟶ 212:
Greeata was played by [[Michael Smuin|Smuin Ballet]] creative director Celia Fushille in a Rodian bodysuit and mask for the Special Edition.<ref name="jedicast"/><ref name="smuin">[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/12/DDGCSIPCDK1.DTL Celia Fushille-Burke retires a star at Smuin] - SFGate.com, 5/12/06</ref>
{{Infobox character
| name
| series
| first
| last
| creator
| species
| gender
| affiliation = Max Rebo Band
| portrayer
}}
Line 242 ⟶ 245:
| series = [[Star Wars]]
| first = ''[[Return of the Jedi]]''
| last = ''[[The Mandalorian]]''
| creator = [[George Lucas]]
| species = Human-[[List of Star Wars races (P-T)#Theelin|Theelin]] hybrid
Line 270 ⟶ 273:
{{Infobox character
| name = Joh Yowza<br
| series = [[Star Wars]]
| first = ''[[Return of the Jedi]]''
Line 304 ⟶ 307:
| name = Brennan Tik Tali Talosh
| series = [[Star Wars]]
| first = ''[[Star Wars Tales]]''
| species = Defrian
| gender = Male
| |||