Thanks for the Soundtrack Albums, Charlie Brown!

Three classic Vince Guaraldi soundtracks for Peanuts TV specials have made their debut on records, including A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

Who would have believed it? In the last year, three magnificent new Peanuts special soundtrack albums have been released Jason and Sean Mendelson, whose father was Peanuts producer Lee Mendelson, began this project during the pandemic, searching out rare recordings from decades past, carefully restoring them, and packaging them with folios containing detailed notes by the Jason, Sean, and author Derrick Bang (Vince Guaraldi at the Piano). As in The Carl Stalling Project albums, which included snippets with the composer speaking during the sessions, Vince Guaraldi can be heard on several of the tracks on the new Peanuts albums.

The three albums will be explored below in the order of their special’s first CBS broadcasts.

IT WAS A SHORT SUMMER, CHARLIE BROWN
Original TV Soundtrack
Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM-24SS01 (Mono Vinyl LP / Compact Disc / Digital)

Released in 2024, from the 1969 TV special. Producers: Sean Mendelson and Jason Mendelson. Music Supervision: John Scott Trotter. Musicians: Vince Guaraldi (piano); Monty Budwig (double bass), Jack Sperling (drums), Conti and Pete Candoli (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone), Victor Feldman (percussion), Herb Ellis (guitar), William Hood and Peter Christlieb (woodwinds). Remixing by Terry Carlson at Bones and Knives studio. Mastering: Vinson Hudson. Tape transfer: Deluxe Entertainment Services. Running Time: 27 minutes.

MUSIC: “Charlie Brown Theme,” “Linus and Lucy,” “It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown,” “Oh, Good Grief!” “You’re In Love, Charlie Brown,” “Schroeder,” “Bus Blues / Bus Blues (Reprise),” “It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown (Reprise),” “Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair),” “Oh, Good Grief! (Reprise),” “Come and Get It / Hash / Hash with Horn / AM Break / Tah Dah,” “Bon Voyage,” “Peppermint Patty,” “Love Will Come (Nova Bossa),” “He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown,” “Pebble Beach,” “You’re In Love, Charlie Brown (Reprise),” “He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown (Reprise),” “Masked Marvel,” “Air Music,” “Masked Marvel (Reprise) / Masked Marvel (2nd Reprise),” “You’re In Love, Charlie Brown (2nd Reprise),” “Linus and Lucy (Reprise)”, “Oh, Good Grief! (2nd Reprise),” “Charlie Brown Theme (Reprise),” “It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown (2nd Reprise)” by Vince Guaraldi.

ADDITIONAL TRACKS: “Linus and Lucy (Alternate),” “Working on ‘It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown,’” “Bus Blues (Alternate),” “Pebble Beach (Alternate),” “Masked Marvel (Alternate),” “Linus and Lucy (Reprise Alternate)” by Vince Guaraldi.

Hanna-Barbera enthusiasts might immediately recognize the legendary trumpeter, Pete Candoli. Among countless other sessions, his trumpet was heard during “daughter Judy” in The Jetsons theme. He also played on the landmark Camarata album, Tutti’s Trumpets, featuring some of the top musicians in Hollywood.

Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez were working on multiple projects when It Was a Short Summer came along – a CBS special called Charlie Brown and Charlie Schulz (who didn’t cherish that tie-in book?) and the first Peanuts theatrical feature, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, which is discussed in this Animation Spin. The feature film allowed Guaraldi to include more musicians in his “little big band,” and the Short Summer special benefited as well. While each Peanuts special has its own musical identity, this film marks the final one to use the “traditional” Peanuts sound, as the seventies brought with it new instruments allowing Guaraldi to experiment further.

Short Summer also features the same voice cast as the movie, including Peter Robbins as Charlie Brown and Pamelyn Ferdin as Lucy. They are not on this album, which showcases the music as never before. They were heard on a Disneyland/Vista/Charlie Brown records read-along book-and-record set, released in 1980.

One of the many highlights is the version of the “Linus and Lucy” theme during the arm-wrestling battle between Lucy and “The Masked Marvel.” Mendelson recalled that Charles M. Schulz considered this to be the best animation in any Peanuts project. Also worth listening for is the structure of this particular score. For Short Summer, Guaraldi did not want to create various cues that were to be faded in and out during scenes. Instead, this was the first special to have longer musical sections that were animated with regard to their specific length.

YOU’RE [NOT] ELECTED, CHARLIE BROWN
Original TV Soundtrack
Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM-24NE01 (Stereo Vinyl LP / Compact Disc / Digital)

Released in 2024, from the 1972 TV special. Producers: Sean Mendelson and Jason Mendelson. Music Supervision: John Scott Trotter. Musicians: Vince Guaraldi (piano, guitar, electric piano, vocals); Seward McCain (bass and flute); Tom Harrell (trumpet); Glenn Crockhite (drums); Mel Martin (woodwinds); Pat O’Hara (trombone). Remixing by Terry Carlson at Bones and Knives studio. Mastering: Vinson Hudson. Tape transfer: Deluxe Entertainment Services. Running Time: 35 minutes.

MUSIC: “Incumbent Waltz,” “You’re [Not] Elected, Charlie Brown,” “Oh, Good Grief!” “Cookin’ Snoopy (Fast Piano Jazz),” “Blue Charlie Brown,” “Incumbent Waltz (Reprise),” “Linus and Lucy / Poor Charlie Brown,” “Joe Cool (Vocal),” “Incumbent Waltz (2nd Reprise),” “Elect Linus (Dilemma) / Woodstock’s Wake Up,” “Joe Cool (Unused Reprise),” “Oh, Good Grief! (Reprise),” “Deserted Charlie Brown,” “You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown (Reprise),” “Linus and Lucy (Reprise),” “You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown (2nd Reprise – End Credits).”

ADDITIONAL TRACKS: “Joe Cool (Alternate Take 1),” “Joe Cool (Alternate Rehearsal Take),” “Blue Charlie Brown (Alternate Take 1).” “African Sleigh Ride,” “Cookin’ Snoopy (Fast Piano Jazz – Alternate Take 1, 2 &3),” “Incumbent Waltz (2nd Reprise Alternate Take 1),” “Incumbent Waltz (2nd Reprise Alternate Take 3),” “Incumbent Waltz (Unused Cue),” “Linus and Lucy (Acoustic Piano Mix)’ by Vince Guaraldi.

This special was almost finished when it was realized that the original title, You’re Elected, Charlie Brown, was incorrect as Linus was the candidate. A caret with the word “not” was quickly added to the title. As listeners will notice, the “not” was not part of the syntax of the title song.

CBS broadcast the film less than two weeks before the 1972 presidential election. It ushered in several new elements for the Peanuts series, particularly in the musical direction, which changed with Play It Again, Charlie Brown earlier that year. There was no more trio, as in the first special. Guaraldi not only added musicians and instrumentation, his playing of electric piano/harpsichord was a noticeable addition. The new sound was particularly jarring to some ears expecting the original sound, especially in Play It Again, which did not include as many familiar Peanuts themes. This is not the case with You’re Not Elected. Its music established a more comforting balance in virtually all subsequent specials scored by Guaraldi.

Most notable is the presence of Guaraldi himself, singing for the first time in a Peanuts special. Lee Mendelson had heard Guaraldi on some records earlier and was initially hesitant.

“My father was surprised and a little concerned when Vince Guaraldi approached him with the idea of singing ‘Joe Cool,’” wrote Sean Mendelson in the album notes. “But once he heard the take, he realized Guaraldi’s low, bluesy voice perfectly matched the music he wrote, as well as the character he was referencing.” Guaraldi himself played the vocal for music supervisor John Scott Trotter without saying who was singing, and Trotter had no idea who it was.

A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING
Original TV Soundtrack
Lee Mendelson Film Productions LMO-2301. (Stereo Vinyl LP / Compact Disc / Digital)

Released in 2023, from the 1973 TV special. Producers: Sean Mendelson and Jason Mendelson. Musicians: Vince Guaraldi (piano, guitar, vocals); Seward McCain (bass); Tom Harrell (trumpet and brass arrangement); Mike Clark (drums); Chuck Bennett (trombone). Remixing by Terry Carlson at Bones and Knives studio. Mastering: Vinson Hudson. Tape transfer: Deluxe Entertainment Services. Running Time: 38 minutes.

MUSIC: “Charlie Brown Blues,” “Thanksgiving Theme,” “Thanksgiving Theme (Reprise),” “Peppermint Patty,” “Little Birdie,” “Thanksgiving Interlude,” “Is It James or Charlie?” “Linus and Lucy,” “Fife & Drums Theme,” “Charlie Brown Blues (Reprise),” “Thanksgiving Interlude (Reprise),” “Thanksgiving Theme (2nd Reprise),” “Thanksgiving Theme (3rd Reprise) by Vince Guaraldi.”

ADDITIONAL TRACKS: “Thanksgiving Theme (Alternate),” “Peppermint Patty (Bonus Mix),” “Linus and Lucy (Bonus Mix),” “Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate Take 2, 4 and 6),” “Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate Take 10),” “Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate Take 14),” “Is It James or Charlie? (Bonus Mix with Whistling),” “Clark and Guaraldi” by Vince Guaraldi.

This album was the first issue of the three, released last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the special, one of the most beloved in the long-running series.

Vince Guaraldi introduced his vocal of “Little Birdie” in this score. He continued experimenting with various instruments and recording techniques such as multi-tracking. According to the notes, in one version of the “Peppermint Patty” theme, Guaraldi plays four keyboards: a grand piano, Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes, and a Hohner clavinet.

Not only do these three soundtrack albums offer additional selections, but the precision remastering also allows the presentation of musical details that were previously difficult or impossible to fully perceive. Having them on full-size vinyl albums is the sort of thing that many of us might have dreamed about but never would have thought possible. Hearing them in uncompressed vinyl or compact discs is an unparalleled treat. We definitely did not get a rock.

As a special treat, here is a Television Academy interview with Lee Mendelson about the making of A Charlie Brown Christmas. And to everyone who enjoys Animation Spin, I am extremely thankful!