Selections from the Original Soundtrack:It's the Easter Beagle,Charlie BrownRecord Store Day cover art
It's the Easter Beagle,Charlie Brown:Original Soundtrack Recording is a soundtrack album by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi released on March 21,2025,in the U.S. by Lee Mendelson Film Productions. It is the soundtrack to the Easter-themed television special of the same name first broadcast on CBS on April 9,1974.[1][2][3]
Following the passing of producer Lee Mendelson in December 2019,his children undertook an extensive search of archival materials in hopes of locating original music score recordings from the Peanuts television specials. During the COVID-19 lockdowns,they uncovered a collection of analog session tapes,recorded by Guaraldi for several of the specials. These recordings,long believed to be lost,comprised not only all of Guaraldi's music cues but also the arrangements by John Scott Trotter,including multiple alternate takes.[4]
The session tapes preserve the complete,unedited recordings,which were originally captured and mixed in stereo. These analog recordings were carefully transferred by Penguin Recordings to high-resolution digital format at 192kHz/24-bit from the original 2-inch,16-track stereo masters.[4]
Recording
Guaraldi in January 1974
The recording sessions for It's the Easter Beagle,Charlie Brown took place at San Francisco's Wally Heider Studios on January 30 and March 1,1974,featuring Guaraldi (acoustic piano,electric keyboards,harpsichord,guitars),Seward McCain (electric bass),Robert Claire (flute) and Glenn Cronkhite and Eliot Zigmund (drums).[3] The process followed Guaraldi's established practice:themes were composed in advance,often in skeletal lead-sheet form,and then developed in studio through a semi-improvisatory approach. Sync with on-screen visuals was achieved via click tracks or timing cues,but the internal architecture of each cue was fluid,allowing for expressive latitude and spontaneous cadential gestures.[5][6]
The sessions for It's the Easter Beagle,Charlie Brown occupy a complex historical position within Guaraldi's career. His reputation as the musical voice of Peanuts was firmly established but his visibility as a jazz recording artist and live performer had waned. The once-thriving jazz club scene that had supported his earlier popularity had diminished,and he had not released a new album since Alma-Ville (1969). Though he remained active in the studio,industry disinterest and contractual barriers prevented much of this material from reaching the public. In early 1974,Guaraldi began returning to acoustic instrumentation in live performance. He encouraged Seward McCain to reacquire an upright bass,signaling a renewed interest in smaller,more intimate settings that allowed greater expressive freedom than network television scoring.[5]
Guaraldi's score for Easter Beagle exemplifies his mature style,merging West Coast jazz with European classical tradition and impressionistic harmony. A recurring feature is the use of canonical classical music,often presented in contrasting treatments. Ludwig van Beethoven's "Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major" appears in an unembellished form,consistent with Schroeder's in-universe devotion to the composer. In contrast,the second movement of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 7" is transformed into a Latin jazz arrangement,incorporating clave rhythms and revoiced harmonic textures that preserve the melodic core while introducing syncopated vitality. The symphony's first movement is later rendered in a more faithful version,reflecting Guaraldi's dual appreciation for formal tradition and stylistic adaptation.[5][6]Johann Sebastian Bach also makes an appearance in a shopping mall sequence where Snoopy dances with Peppermint Patty and Marcie. His "Minuet in G Major" is interpreted as a delicate music box piece,utilizing high-register piano timbres,restrained dynamics,and static harmonic movement to evoke a childlike dreamscape. These classical interpolations are not used as mere pastiche but serve as stylistic juxtapositions that enhance the emotional and visual landscape of the animation.[5][6]
Among Guaraldi's original compositions,"Easter Theme" is particularly notable for its fusion of classical form and jazz texture. Scored for jazz trio with flute obbligato,the piece features diatonic progressions and motivic sequencing that evoke the gallant style of the Classical period,while maintaining idiomatic jazz phrasing. Robert Claire's flute line contributes a chamber-like sonority,emblematic of the hybrid orchestration found throughout Guaraldi's later work.[5][6]
Throughout the special,Guaraldi revisits and reinterprets earlier Peanuts motifs. "Linus and Lucy" appears in multiple forms,including a brush-accented swing version,a Spanish-tinged variation with prominent percussion,and a subdued balladic arrangement featuring suspended chords and modal color. These reworkings reflect Guaraldi's commitment to thematic transformation,akin to classical variation form,where core melodies retain their identity across diverse harmonic and rhythmic contexts.[5][6]
By 1974,Guaraldi had grown more confident with the guitar,integrating it seamlessly into the ensemble texture with understated fills and rhythmic comping that complemented his keyboard work. Electric guitar plays a more prominent role in this score than in earlier Peanuts specials,signaling a subtle shift in Guaraldi's tonal palette. One of the most striking examples is the cue titled "Snoopy and Woodstock",which reimagines "Mystery Theme" from It's a Mystery,Charlie Brown (1974) with a grittier,more percussive sound. Guaraldi employs a more forceful electric guitar tone and sharper rhythmic phrasing here,giving the motif a rock-inflected edge while retaining its core melodic structure.[5][6] (A brief reprise of the cue,heard when Snoopy presents Woodstock with a new birdhouse,does not appear on the album.[5])
A central leitmotif,later referred to as "Woodstock's Dream",recurs throughout the special. Built on a progression emphasizing subtonic and subdominant functions,the theme is notable for its melodic simplicity and intervallic symmetry. Its adaptability across various scenes enhances narrative continuity and demonstrates Guaraldi's facility with modular thematic construction.[5][6]
Additional cues highlight Guaraldi's stylistic breadth. Kitchen scenes,for instance,are underscored by a stripped-down "Peppermint Patty" variation,a laid-back 12-bar blues,and a jazz waltz in 3 4 meter that utilizes rhythmic displacement for propulsion. These contrasting styles underscore Guaraldi's fluency in multiple jazz idioms and his ability to support narrative tone through musical nuance.[5][6]
"Woodstock Medley",studio reunion
The album's final track,"Woodstock Medley",was assembled in November 2021 amid the Mendelson family's COVID-19 pandemic-era rediscovery of Guaraldi's Peanuts session recordings. Conceived and arranged by pianist and longtime Guaraldi interpreter David Benoit,the medley draws material from multiple Peanuts specials —including A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,You're Not Elected,Charlie Brown,and It's the Easter Beagle,Charlie Brown —and presents them as a continuous,through-composed suite.[4][6]
The recording session took place at Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco (the successor to Wally Heider Studios),where the original 1970s sessions were recorded. The ensemble featured Benoit on acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes piano,with McCain on bass and Mike Clark on drums. This marked their first performance together since the original Charlie Brown Thanksgiving recording sessions held nearly five decades earlier. The reunion held particular significance for Sean Mendelson,son of Lee Mendelson,who described it as the realization of a lifelong dream to bring together members of his father's creative circle in a contemporary setting.[4][6]
Benoit's arrangement employs a range of compositional techniques,including thematic interpolation,contrapuntal layering,and developmental sequencing. These methods transform individual Guaraldi themes into a cohesive musical arc while preserving the harmonic language and melodic character of the original material. The medley functions as both tribute and reinvention,bridging the jazz trio format of Guaraldi's era with modern interpretive sensibilities. Its subsequent adaptation for symphony orchestra underscores the enduring formal integrity of Guaraldi's thematic material.[4][6]
Release
It's the Easter Beagle,Charlie Brown:Original Soundtrack Recording Peanuts 75th Anniversary Edition was released on March 21,2025,in CD,vinyl,and digital download formats as part of the Peanuts 75th anniversary.[1][3] A Record Store Day exclusive edition,Selections from the Original Soundtrack:It's the Easter Beagle,Charlie Brown,was released on April 12,2025. The 10-inch die-cut Easter egg-shaped vinyl was foil-stamped,numbered,and features eight selected tracks in five randomly distributed mystery colors.[7]
To minimize environmental impact,the 12" 45rpm vinyl were manufactured using BioVinyl,which replaces petroleum-based components in S-PVC with recycled cooking oil or industrial waste,eliminating CO2 emissions without compromising audio or visual fidelity.[3] The 10" Easter egg-shaped vinyl employed a bio-attributed process,resulting in a 90 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared to standard records.[7]
It's the Easter Beagle,Charlie Brown:Original Soundtrack Recording Peanuts 75th Anniversary Edition received favorable reviews from jazz and audio-focused publications,which praised its archival significance,fidelity,and Guaraldi's musical versatility.
All About Jazz described the release as "a well-curated and lovingly restored Peanuts gem",noting the breadth of Guaraldi's style across the score. Reviewer Joshua Weiner highlighted the track "Woodstock’s Pad" as "an electric harpsichord-driven soul groove that wouldn't be out of place in a blaxploitation film",and identified "Snoopy and Woodstock" as "a funk piece spotlighting Guaraldi's fuzz guitar". The review called the "Woodstock Medley" "a tasteful,heartfelt tribute".[8]Audiophile Audition emphasized the album's sonic clarity,stating,"The recording has exceptional clarity,with precise stereo imaging and a nicely balanced mix". Reviewer Robbie Gerson described the music as "a compelling mix of jazz,pop,and classical motifs",and cited "Peppermint Patty" as "a buoyant,finger-snapping opener" that sets the tone for the album.[9]Secrets of Home Theatre and High Fidelity called the release "a joyful,smartly assembled entry in the expanding Guaraldi/Peanuts discography",and praised the inclusion of classical adaptations. The review observed that the jazz rendition of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 7" "transforms a familiar orchestral piece into something playful and rhythmically fresh". The publication also noted the creativity behind the 10-inch,Easter egg-shaped vinyl edition released for Record Store Day,describing it as "a collector's item that reflects both nostalgia and novelty".[10]Sandbox World highlighted the album's significance as the first full release of the soundtrack. The review emphasized the meticulous restoration of the original recordings and praised the inclusion of previously unreleased tracks,noting that "fans will appreciate the attention to detail and the opportunity to experience Guaraldi's compositions in their full glory."[12]
Jazzwise praised the recording's sound quality and Guaraldi's melodic sensibility,calling the release "another vivid example of Guaraldi's gift for melodic invention". However,the review also noted that one of the drawbacks is the brevity of many of the cues,adding that some tracks end abruptly or feel incomplete when divorced from the animation they originally accompanied.[11]
Legacy
It's the Easter Beagle,Charlie Brown premiered on April 9,1974,and its newly restored soundtrack (issued half a century later) offered a comprehensive sonic document of Guaraldi's late-period style. The score exemplified his characteristic fusion of jazz improvisation,classical quotation,and narrative sensitivity.[5]
Track listing
All tracks written by Vince Guaraldi,except where noted.
It's the Easter Beagle,Charlie Brown:Original Soundtrack Recording— Standard edition
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