Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits

Last updated
Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits
CBHolidayHits-cover.jpg
Compilation album by
Vince Guaraldi
ReleasedSeptember 8, 1998 (1998-09-08)
RecordedOctober 1964-December 1974, 1983, 1998
Genre
Length37:07
Label Fantasy
Vince Guaraldi chronology
Greatest Hits
(1980)		Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits
(1998)		 Jazz Casual: Paul Winter/Bola Sete and Vince Guaraldi
(2001)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
All About Jazz Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]
Five Cents PleaseStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]

Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits is a compilation album by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi (credited to the Vince Guaraldi Trio) released by Fantasy Records in 1998. The album was the first of several posthumous releases containing a mix of previously released material in addition to nine previously unavailable songs featured in prime-time animated television specials based on the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. [4]

Contents

Background

Vince Guaraldi died of a sudden heart attack on February 6, 1976, at age 47, having composed music scores for 16 Peanuts television specials and the feature film A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Despite the wealth of material Guaraldi recorded for these specials, only three album's worth of Peanuts songs were released during his lifetime: Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964), A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and Oh Good Grief! (1968).

After the 1996 tribute album Linus and Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi by New Age pianist George Winston sparked renewed interest in Guaraldi's music, Fantasy Records assembled a compilation album in 1998, 22 years after Guaraldi's final Peanuts project ( It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown (1976)). [3]

Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits contains a mix of previously released material featured on the Fantasy releases Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas plus unreleased music cues from the latter as well as It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966), A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) and Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975). Several music cues were sourced directly from the television audio tracks and were licensed for inclusion from Lee Mendelson Film Productions. [3]

Fantasy also inadvertently included one non-Guaraldi track ("Joe Cool"), a composite of two music cues composed by Ed Bogas and Desirée Goyette for The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show (CBS, 1983-85). [3] [1] The title bears no relation to the multiple renditions of "Joe Cool" composed by Guaraldi during his lifetime. [3]

Critical reception

Guaraldi historian Derrick Bang commented that the newly released material "is a joy, although some of these cuts are a bit 'muddy', and they lack the polish and studio perfection of Fantasy's earlier releases; they have an unsweetened quality, and display the uneven volume, jump starts and slow fades that betray their probable origins from television audio tracks." [3] AllMusic critic Cub Koda said the wealth of unreleased material was a "true goldmine" for fans. [1]

Track listing

All songs written by Vince Guaraldi except where noted. Proper titles appear with mistitled tracks in parentheses. [1] [3]

No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Joe Cool [a] [tv] "
 2:07
2."Air Music [b] [tv] " (aka "Surfin' Snoopy")  1:11
3."Heartburn Waltz [c] [tv] "  2:38
4."Track Meet [d] [e] "  2:40
5."Camptown Races [d] " Stephen Foster; arranged by Vince Guaraldi 2:25
6."Oh, Good Grief [f] " (aka "Schroeder")  2:00
7."Charlie Brown Theme"
  • Vince Guaraldi
  • Lee Mendelson
 Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964)2:00
8."Schroeder" Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown1:54
9."Charlie's Blues [g] [tv] " (aka "Charlie Brown Blues/"Play It Again, Charlie Brown")  1:22
10."Great Pumpkin Waltz [h] [tv] "  2:29
11."Thanksgiving Theme [g] [i] [tv] "  2:02
12."Linus and Lucy" Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)		3:07
13."Christmas Time Is Here" (vocal)
  • Vince Guaraldi
  • Lee Mendelson
A Charlie Brown Christmas2:46
14."Christmas Time Is Here" (instrumental) A Charlie Brown Christmas6:03
Total length:37:07 [tv]

Notes
^[a] non-Guaraldi track; song is a composite of two untitled music cues composed by Ed Bogas and Desirée Goyette for The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show [3]
^[b] sourced from television soundtrack of Charlie Brown's All Stars! (1966)
^[c] sourced from television soundtrack of Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975) [3]
^[d] recorded July 29, 1965 [5]
^[e] re-recorded for A Charlie Brown Christmas as "Christmas Is Coming" [3]
^[f] vocal number sung by members of Glenn Mendelson's (son of Lee Mendelson) sixth-grade class; song is titled "Oh, Good Grief" but melody is taken from "Schroeder" [3]
^[g] sourced from television soundtrack of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) [3]
^[h] composite edit of versions 2 and 3
^[i] sourced from television soundtrack of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) [3]
^[tv] Tracks 1−3 and 9−11 are sourced directly from their respective television soundtracks and appear in mono. [3]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince Guaraldi</span> American jazz pianist (1928–1976)

Vincent Anthony Guaraldi was an American jazz pianist best known for composing music for animated television adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip. His compositions for this series included their signature melody "Linus and Lucy" and the holiday standard "Christmas Time Is Here". He is also known for his performances on piano as a member of Cal Tjader's 1950s ensembles and for his own solo career. His 1962 composition "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" became a radio hit and won a Grammy Award in 1963 for Best Original Jazz Composition. He died of a sudden heart attack on February 6, 1976, at age 47, moments after concluding a nightclub performance in Menlo Park, California.

<i>Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown</i> 1966 animated Halloween television special

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a 1966 American animated Halloween television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. The third Peanuts special, and the second holiday-themed special, to be created, it was written by Schulz along with director/animator Bill Melendez and producer Lee Mendelson. The cast included Peter Robbins as Charlie Brown, Christopher Shea as Linus Van Pelt, Sally Dryer as Lucy Van Pelt, and Melendez as Snoopy. The special features music composed by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, whose contributions include the theme song "Linus and Lucy". It aired on broadcast television every year from its debut in 1966 until 2020 when it became an Apple TV+ exclusive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linus and Lucy</span> 1964 single by Vince Guaraldi

"Linus and Lucy" is a popular instrumental jazz standard written by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. It serves as the main theme tune for the many Peanuts animated specials and is named for the two fictional siblings, Linus and Lucy Van Pelt. The jazz standard was originally released on Guaraldi's album Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown in 1964, but it gained its greatest exposure as part of A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack the following year. It is one of the most recognizable pieces by Guaraldi and has gained status as the signature melody of the Peanuts franchise.

<i>A Charlie Brown Christmas</i> (soundtrack) 1965 soundtrack album by Vince Guaraldi

A Charlie Brown Christmas is the eighth studio album by the American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. Coinciding with the television debut of the Christmas special of the same name, the album was released in the first week of December 1965 by Fantasy Records.

<i>A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving</i> 1973 television special

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is the tenth prime-time animated television special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on the CBS network on November 20, 1973, and won an Emmy Award the following year. It was the third holiday special after A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965 and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown in 1966.

<i>Youre Not Elected, Charlie Brown</i> 1972 animated Peanuts television special

You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown is the eighth prime-time animated TV special produced based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz, and the 10th one to air. It originally aired on CBS on October 29, 1972, nine days before the 1972 United States presidential election between incumbent Richard Nixon (R-CA) and Senator George McGovern (D-SD). It was the first new Peanuts special to air since the spring of 1971.

<i>It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown</i> 1969 television special

It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown is the sixth prime-time animated television special based on the popular comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. It was directed by Bill Melendez and originally aired on CBS on September 27, 1969.

<i>Charlie Browns All Stars!</i> American TV series or program

Charlie Brown's All Stars! is the second prime-time animated television special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was the second such TV special to be produced by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez, and originally aired on CBS on June 8, 1966, with annual re-airings on CBS through 1971.

<i>Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown</i> 1975 animated television special

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown is the 13th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. In the United States, it debuted on CBS on January 28, 1975.

<i>Its the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown</i> 1974 animated television special by Phil Roman

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! is the 12th prime-time animated TV special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. In the United States, it debuted on CBS on April 9, 1974 at 8 PM.

<i>Youre a Good Sport, Charlie Brown</i> 1975 animated television special

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown is the 14th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on October 28, 1975. In this special, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Peppermint Patty participate in a motocross race.

<i>Its Arbor Day, Charlie Brown</i> 1976 animated television special

It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown is the 15th prime-time animated television special based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. The subject of the special is Arbor Day, a secular holiday devoted to planting trees. It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown premiered on the CBS network on March 16, 1976, which is near the dates in which most U.S. states observe Arbor Day. This is the first special to feature the character Rerun van Pelt, who had debuted in the Peanuts comic strip in March 1973.

<i>Its Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown</i> 1992 animated Christmas television special

It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown is the 36th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on CBS on November 27, 1992.

<i>Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown</i> 1964 soundtrack album by Vince Guaraldi

Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown is the sixth studio album by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, released in the U.S. by Fantasy Records in December 1964. It is the soundtrack to the unreleased television documentary film entitled A Boy Named Charlie Brown.

<i>Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials</i> 2007 compilation album by Vince Guaraldi

Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials is a compilation soundtrack album by Vince Guaraldi released by D & D Records in 2007. The album consists of select music cues featured on several Peanuts television specials produced between 1972 and 1975.

<i>Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials, Volume 2</i> 2008 compilation album by Vince Guaraldi

Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials, Volume 2 is a compilation album by Vince Guaraldi released by D & D Records in 2008. The album is a follow-up to the 2007 release, Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials, which consisted of previously unreleased music cues featured on several Peanuts television specials produced in the 1970s.

<i>Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown</i> (soundtrack) 2018 soundtrack album by Vince Guaraldi

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Original Soundtrack Recording is a soundtrack album by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi released on October 12, 2018 in the U.S. by Craft Recordings/Concord. A reissue containing original recordings and alternate takes sourced from the master reels was released on August 26, 2022.

<i>The Definitive Vince Guaraldi</i> 2009 compilation album by Vince Guaraldi

The Definitive Vince Guaraldi is Fantasy/Concord Records compilation album of songs by American jazz pianist/composer Vince Guaraldi released on November 3, 2009. It contains 31 tracks over two CDs, highlighting Guaraldi's Peanuts work as well his collaborations with guitarist Bola Sete.

<i>Peanuts Portraits</i> 2010 compilation album by Vince Guaraldi

Peanuts Portraits is the fifth compilation album by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi released by Fantasy/Concord Records on April 20, 2010. The album contains a mix of previously released material plus alternate and extended versions of songs featured in prime-time animated television specials based on the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz.

The 1969 animated film A Boy Named Charlie Brown, based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts, had two different soundtrack albums. These albums were released individually in 1970 and 2017.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Koda, Cub. Review of Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits at AllMusic . Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  2. ↑ Payne, Douglas (October 1, 1998). "Vince Guaraldi Trio: Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits". All About Jazz . Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD: Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Vince Guaraldi at concord.com. Retrieved 5 April 2020
  5. ↑ Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi Timeline: 1965". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.