Max Rebo Band

In both versions of the film, the group follows the singing number with festive instrumental tunes, during which only Max is shown up close. The fate of the trio is unclear following the explosion of Jabba's sail barge after his attempted execution of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca.

Other versions of the song "Lapti Nek" exist, including a 12-inch club mix, a

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.^[6]

Comics

In the 2000 Dark Horse release A Hot Time in the Cold Town Tonite!, Jabba sends the puzzled trio to the frozen planet

Max Rebo appears in the first, second, and fourth episodes of the television series The Book of Boba Fett, which takes place five years after Return of the Jedi.^[9] He was shown to have survived the destruction of Jabba's sail barge.

Other

The original band has made minor appearances in other Star Wars media. The unfinished 1982 David Tomblin mockumentary Return of the Ewok showed them in Jabba's palace, and they briefly appeared in an October 1985 episode of the animated series Star Wars: Droids titled "The Lost Prince", in which they performed in Doodnik's Café on the mining planet of Tyne's Horky.^[10] The trio also featured in the video games Star Wars: Demolition (2000) and Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005).

In May 2003, nearly six years after the rerelease of Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Insider published brief biographies of the band's new members for an article called "Jabbapalooza: Who's Who in the Max Rebo Band."^[2]

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."^[11]

The original band members—Max, Sy, and Droopy—were puppets designed by

In addition to the new characters, "Lapti Nek" was replaced with "Jedi Rocks."[4]^[15] Lucas insisted that the revised sequence added more atmosphere and quality to the film.^[11]

Original band members

Max Rebo is the stage name of Siiruulian Phantele, a stocky

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.^[18]

Sy Snootles is a robust female Pa'lowick who is the lead vocalist and original member of the band. She had an affair with her Yuzzum groupie, Clayton. She is angered at Max's acceptance of Jabba's contract, and after attempts to rework the deal prove futile, Sy resorts to secretly spying for over a dozen of Jabba's enemies to earn credits, but then works as a double agent by giving them false information provided by

She teams up with Max as the Max Rebo Duo following Jabba's death and Droopy's departure from the band. Following a brief gig for Lady Valarian, Sy dissolves her relationship with Max and begins her solo career, but her subsequent recordings sell poorly and she is relegated to touring

During production, Sy Snootles' nickname was "Ms. Snooty."[19] 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),^[20] and was even the recipient of a 1983 Apex Award.^[21] For close-up shots, Sy's mouth was articulated using a nearly-invisible wire connected to a microphone stand.^[19][22] The puppet was replaced with a computer-generated image for the Special Edition re-release.^[23] The CGI was spliced in with shots of the original puppet and created a continuity error with the puppet Sy's headdress feather appearing and disappearing during the film's first act.

In the Star Wars: The Clone Wars series, she is voiced by Nika Futterman.

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.^[24] 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.^[6] 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.^[2][16]

Droopy was played by Deep Roy in a full bodysuit for both versions of Return of the Jedi.

Special Edition band members

The following characters were added to the 1997 Special Edition version of the film.

Ak-rev is a leathery-faced

According to the Star Wars Databank, his musical style is derived from the Japanese art of Taiko.^[25] His Special Edition actor was David Gonzalez.^[26]

Doda Bodonawieedo is a green-skinned

Nelson Hall played Doda in the Special Edition, but was not included in the credits.[26]

Barquin D'an is a

Barquin was portrayed by Don Bies in an uncredited role.[26]

Greeata Jendowanian is a female Rodian dancer and backup vocalist for the Max Rebo Band. She gets her start playing the Kloo horn on a luxury starship called the Kuari Princess, where she befriends Sy Snootles.^[2] They become a duo and eventually join up with Max Rebo. After Jabba the Hutt's death and the band's escape into the desert, Greeata and fellow singer Lyn Me come to the band's rescue by driving off a group of Tusken Raiders and stealing their Banthas, which they ride to Mos Eisley.^[29]

Greeata was played by Smuin Ballet creative director Celia Fushille in a Rodian bodysuit and mask for the Special Edition.^[26][30]

Lyn Me is a blue-skinned

Lyn Me was portrayed by ballet dancer Dalyn Chew.[26]^[33]

Rappertunie is the stage name of Rapotwanalantonee Tivtotolon, a frog-like, potbellied

Rappertunie was an 0.3 meter (0.98 foot)-tall puppet digitally composited into new and existing footage of the film, and was nicknamed "Jedi Rapper" by the filmmakers during production.[34]

Rystáll Sant is a colorful female "near-human" singer and dancer from Coruscant. Her mother was human, and her father a

Rystáll was portrayed by Canadian dancer Mercedes Ngoh in full-body makeup, which took four hours to apply for her lone day of shooting.[26]^[36]

Umpass-stay is a

Like Ak-rev, Umpass-stay's drumming was inspired by Taiko.[37] His Special Edition actor was uncredited.^[26]

Joh Yowza is the stage name of J'ywz'gnk Kchhllbrxcstk Et'nrmdndlcvtbrx, a short, furry

While watching Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers perform at a cafe, he sings along. Impressed with his voice, Orbus signs Yowza, who performs for food and shelter, while Sy gives him his new stage name. After Orbus's death, Yowza joins the band on Tatooine after a successful audition for Jabba. The group disbands after Jabba's death and Yowza travels to Mos Eisley, where he finds a job on a small passenger liner and performs with its house band in exchange for free food and transportation throughout the Outer Rim.[38]

Joh Yowza appeared as a computer-generated image, but his voice actor was uncredited.^[26] The Yuzzums were originally slated to appear as a second race on Endor in the original version of the film, but were axed due to high production costs. Only one Yuzzum puppet was constructed, and was included in the background of Jabba's palace.^[38]

Expanded Universe band members

Evar Orbus is an eight-tentacled, beak-mouthed

Citations