In the years following producer Lee Mendelson death in December 2019, his family began reviewing archival materials related to the Peanuts television specials. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period, the Mendelsons located a number of previously unreleased analog session tapes recorded by composer Vince Guaraldi. Among these were tapes for It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown, including music cues by Guaraldi and orchestrations by John Scott Trotter, as well as alternate takes.
Upon discovery, the session tapes were reportedly well preserved and included complete takes with detailed labeling, facilitating efficient post-production.[8] These materials, originally recorded in monaural (the final Peanuts television soundtrack to be recorded in this format), had long been presumed lost.[1] The ¼-inch reel-to-reel tapes were subsequently digitized by Deluxe Entertainment Services, transferred at 192 kHz/24-bit resolution to preserve the integrity of the original recordings.[9][10]
Recording
The soundtrack for It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown was recorded over two days, September 11–12, 1969. The sessions occurred simultaneously with Guaraldi's work on the Peanuts feature film A Boy Named Charlie Brown and his final studio album Alma-Ville (1969). Many of the same musicians contributed to all three projects, lending a stylistic consistency across Guaraldi's late-1960s output.[9]
The Short Summer recordings were completed under a tight schedule, as the special was set to premiere that same month. Guaraldi's ensemble for the special consisted of ten musicians, a notable expansion from the smaller combos used in earlier Peanuts scores. This decet featured prominent West Coast jazz artists, including trumpeters Conte Candoli and Pete Candoli, trombonist Frank Rosolino, saxophonist Pete Christlieb, woodwind player William Hood, guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Monty Budwig, drummer Jack Sperling, and percussionist Victor Feldman.[1][10]
Conductor and arranger John Scott Trotter returned to oversee orchestration, maintaining his long-standing collaboration with the Mendelson-Guaraldi team. His contributions provided structural cohesion across cues, particularly in more elaborate arrangements requiring brass and woodwind integration.[9]
Musical structure
The score combined established musical themes from earlier Peanuts specials with new compositions tailored to the story's summer camp setting. Familiar motifs such as "Linus and Lucy" were re-arranged to accommodate a larger ensemble, with notable dialogue between piano and guitar. Other recurring cues, including "Oh, Good Grief!," were expanded with additional brass instrumentation, contributing to a more layered harmonic palette.[9][10]
Guaraldi's new material for the special displayed a broader use of orchestration and a more prominent role for ensemble players. For instance, the cue "Masked Marvel," written for Snoopy's wrestling persona, emphasized driving rhythms and featured dynamic interplay between piano, horns, and percussion.[8] Another track, "Bus Blues," employed playful rhythms and syncopation to reflect the scene's lighthearted tone.[1][10]
Trotter's orchestration was particularly evident on tracks such as "Love Will Come (Bossa Nova)," where added sections enhanced the scene's emotional nuance. The Mendelsons later cited this piece as an example of how orchestration shaped the score's expressive qualities.[9][10]
Throughout the recording, Guaraldi reportedly assumed a more collaborative approach. Rather than consistently taking the melodic lead, his piano parts often served to support or complement brass and reed passages. Several cues featured extended solos by Christlieb and Rosolino, indicating a greater role for improvisation and individual interpretation than in earlier specials.[9][10][1]
Release
It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown: Original Soundtrack Recording 55th Anniversary Edition debuted as a Record Store Day exclusive in 12" 45 RPM vinyl LP format on April 20, 2024. It was subsequently released to the general public on July 5, 2024, in CD and digital download formats. Additional "Camp Green" and "Summer Night Blue" vinyl color variants were also issued as Record Store Day Indie exclusives.[11] The Mendelson brothers reported that fan enthusiasm exceeded expectations, with many stores selling out of the release quickly on Record Store Day. They also noted a growing appreciation for Guaraldi's work among jazz listeners, beyond the traditional Peanuts audience.[8]
Critical reception
Jazzwise critic Simon Spillett wrote that "the chance to hear [Guaraldi's] music for Peanuts in a larger ensemble than his previous trio recordings, and the presence of some of Hollywood's finest studio and session players, makes this quite a plateful of tiny treats."[5] Jason Mendelson later commented that he was pleased to see critics and jazz fans finally acknowledge the compositional sophistication behind even the briefest Guaraldi cues.[8]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Vince Guaraldi, except where noted.
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