May the 4th Spin Be With You: The Galaxy’s Weirdest Vinyl Records
Tech Hifi- May 4
- 3 min read
At Tech Hifi and Strawberries Records, we’re all about celebrating the force of vinyl—even when it’s light-years ahead of the ordinary. For Star Wars Day, we’re blasting off into the cosmos to explore the quirkiest, most otherworldly records ever pressed. From Wookiee-sized oddities to Leonard Nimoy’s Vulcan poetry, buckle up for a hyperdrive journey through vinyl’s strangest frontiers.
1. The Golden Record: A Mixtape for E.T.
The Ultimate Space Odyssey In 1977, the same year Star Wars hit theaters, NASA launched the Voyager 1 and 2 probes carrying gold-plated copper records. Curated by Carl Sagan, these “Golden Records” include Earth’s greatest hits: Bach, Chuck Berry, whale songs, and even greetings in 55 languages. Only 10 replicas exist on Earth—rarer than a mint-condition Star Wars action figure.
Fun Fact: In 2022, Ozma Records pressed a vinyl edition of the Golden Record. Perfect for Jedi who want to phone home.
2. Meteorite Vinyl: Music Made of Stardust
When the Vinyl IS the Asteroid
British band The Nightingales released a 7” single in 2021 pressed with real meteorite dust. The Meteorite EP is a cosmic collision of punk rock and space debris. Meanwhile, Third Man Records’ “Lunar Spray” series uses moon dust simulant for vinyl that’s truly out of this world.
3. Star Wars Soundtracks: The Dark Side of the Groove
John Williams’ Masterpiece, Pressed in the Outer Rim No Star Wars Day is complete without the iconic scores. Limited editions like the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back picture disc (featuring Vader’s menacing mug) or Mondo’s Return of the Jedi splatter vinyl are collector gold. Pro tip: Pair these with a Tech Hifi turntable to feel the Force in every bassline.
4. Leonard Nimoy’s Two Sides: Spock’s Secret Groove
Live Long, Prosper, and Drop the Needle Before lightsabers dominated pop culture, Leonard Nimoy (aka Mr. Spock) released Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy (1968)—a campy spoken-word album mixing Vulcan-esque monologues (“I Am Not Spock”) and folk oddities (“The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins”). It’s a Star Trek relic so delightfully weird, even Han Solo would raise an eyebrow.
Psst… We’ve got a signed copy at Strawberries Records. Yes, signed by Nimoy himself. May the 4th be the day you add this Trekkie treasure to your collection.
5. Soviet Space Vinyl: Communist Bops in Orbit
The Dark Side of the Moon… RocketDuring the Cold War, the USSR pressed propaganda vinyl celebrating cosmonaut feats. Hunt for titles like Music for the Stars (1986)—a synth-heavy tribute to Yuri Gagarin’s spaceflight. These rare discs are the vinyl equivalent of finding a Tauntaun on Tatooine.
6. Glow-in-the-Dark Alien Vinyl
For the Rebel Scum in All of Us
Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds (1978): Glow-in-the-dark vinyl depicting Martian tripods. Perfect for battling Imperial walkers.
The Flaming Lips’ Peace Sword (2013): Glowing green vinyl inspired by Ender’s Game. Ideal for Jedi-in-training.
7. The Chocolate Record: A Sweet Distraction
Edible, But Don’t C-3POh-No! In 2022, British band The 1975 teased a chocolate vinyl single. It melts at room temperature (and skips like a malfunctioning droid), but it’s proof that vinyl can be as tempting as the Dark Side.
8. Star Wars Dubplate Mysteries
The Bootleg Side of the Force Rumor has it a Jamaican sound engineer once cut a dubplate of Star Wars blaster sounds over a reggae riddim. While its existence is debated, we’re keeping our comlinks open.
Why Collect Space Vinyl?
These records aren’t just music—they’re cultural lightsabers slicing through time, space, and imagination. Whether it’s Nimoy’s nerdy charm, a meteorite punk single, or John Williams’ galactic fanfares, they prove vinyl is the ultimate starship for creativity.
Celebrate Star Wars Day with Us
At Strawberries Records, we’ve got the goods to make your May the 4th legendary:
Signed Leonard Nimoy vinyl (because even Sith Lords need Spock).
Rare Star Wars soundtracks for your cantina-themed listening party.
Turntables at Tech Hifi powerful enough to handle Imperial March bass drops.
Drop by to browse, geek out, and may the 4th spin be with you!
Explore our cosmic collection in-store or online—no hyperspace required.
Comments