Return of the Jedi (1983)

For those of you working on my biography, please note I found employment at the local Burger King while in high school (it wasn't a difficult job to land). It was a minimum wage job, which, at the time, was $3.35/hr.  I was fortunate and didn't have to work; my parents provided me with everything I needed. However, I wanted to buy a new trumpet for college, had a burgeoning record buying habit to support, and all my other friends were working part-time jobs, so why not?

A few of the buttons I wore on my Burger King uniform, ca. 1983-84

As you can guess, it's fairly easy to move up quickly in such a turnover-rich environment. So,within a matter of months I had progressed from stock boy to cook to the choice non-management job position: drive-thru cashier.

Burger King drive-thru: The dream job of children everywhere.

What's all that got to do with Return of the Jedi? With purchase of a Coca-Cola drink, Burger King customers in late May/early June 1983 received a Return of the Jedi promotional glass like the ones below for an additional fee (I'm think it was around 50¢ but who the hell knows?). A different glass each week. I grabbed my glasses out of the boxes in the drive-thru area on my way out the door, wrapped them in newspaper, stuck them in a box and forgot about them. Until my recent move. (It's a good thing I never used them as they're allegedly tainted with lead or cadmium or some such.)

Having hauled these around for 35 years and never displaying them, I decided to unload them on eBay (I know you're wondering: I started the bidding at $4 for the set and the auction ended at $29.13. All proceeds go to the MFD Forever Home Construction Costs Foundation).

But isn't this (allegedly) a music blog?

John Williams wrote a song for the Ewoks which appeared at the end of the film:

The Meco version peaked at #60 on the Billboard chart in 1983:

Rap on this track credited to Duke Bootee, who produced and rapped on "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five in 1982.

---

But there was more to May, 1983 than the release of a Star Wars movie. Here's a reminder as to what was topping the Billboard charts on May 28, 1983.

	Top LP Thriller Michael Jackson
	Hot 100 "Flashdance...What a Feeling" Irene Cara
	Soul Album Thriller Michael Jackson
	Soul Single "Save the Overtime (For Me)" Gladys Knight & The Pips
	Rock Album Cargo Men at Work
	Rock Single "She's a Beauty" The Tubes
	Dance "Let's Dance" David Bowie
	Country Album The Closer You Get Alabama
	Country Single "You Take Me for Granted" Merle Haggard
	Adult Contemporary  "My Love" Lionel Richie
	Jazz Jarreau Al Jarreau
	Inspirational Age to Age Amy Grant
	Videogame Centipede Atari
	Videocassette Jane Fonda's Workout Jane Fonda

---

Here's what was playing on MTV around the time of The Return of the Jedi's release. I remember seeing the movie with some friends at a mall theater in southwest Houston, but don't think I've seen it since. Sorry, Billy Dee.

Cashbox, May 28, 1983, p. 17