| A Charlie Brown Christmas | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Original 1965 release | ||||
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | December 1965 (1965-12)[a] | |||
| Recorded | October 26, 1964[3]; March 6 – October 28, 1965[4][5] | |||
| Studio | Fantasy, San Francisco | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:53(original 1965 release) 339:15(2022 Super Deluxe edition) | |||
| Label | Fantasy | |||
| Vince Guaraldi chronology | ||||
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| Singles from A Charlie Brown Christmas | ||||
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| Alternate cover | ||||
 Fantasy 1988/2012 CD release cover art | ||||
A Charlie Brown Christmas is the eighthstudio album by the American jazz pianistVince Guaraldi (later credited to the Vince Guaraldi Trio). It was released in December 1965 byFantasy Records to coincide with the debut of the television specialA Charlie Brown Christmas featuring thePeanuts comic characters.[1][a]
Guaraldi was contacted by the television producerLee Mendelson to compose music for a documentary onPeanuts and its creator,Charles M. Schulz. Although the documentary went unaired, selections of the music were released in 1964 asJazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown. TheCoca-Cola Company commissioned aPeanuts Christmas special in 1965 and Guaraldi returned to score the special.
Guaraldi composed most of the music, though he included versions of traditional carols such as "O Tannenbaum".[6] He recorded at Whitney Studio in Glendale, California, then re-recorded parts at Fantasy Records Studios in San Francisco with a children's choir from St. Paul's Episcopal Church inSan Rafael, California. The sessions ran late into the night, with the children rewarded with ice cream afterward. Bassist Fred Marshall and drummerJerry Granelli were credited as performing on the album.[6]
A Charlie Brown Christmas was voted into theGrammy Hall of Fame and added to theNational Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. In November 2014, it was the 10thbest-selling Christmas/holiday album in the United States during theSoundScan era.[8] In 2022, it was certifiedfive times platinum for sales of 5 million copies.[9]
By the early 1960s,Charles M. Schulz's comic stripPeanuts had become a sensation worldwide.[10] Television producerLee Mendelson, a fan of jazz, heard "Cast Your Fate to the Wind", composed by the jazz pianistVince Guaraldi, and contacted him to produce music for aPeanuts documentary,A Boy Named Charlie Brown.[11] Guaraldi created the piece "Linus and Lucy" to serve as the theme.[12] Despite the popularity of the strip and acclaim from advertisers, television networks were not interested in the special and it went unaired.[12]
In April 1965,Time featuredPeanuts on its cover, highlighting its cultural impact.[10][12] That year,the Coca-Cola Company commissioned the Christmas-themed specialA Charlie Brown Christmas. Guaraldi, fresh from recordingAt Grace Cathedral with St. Paul's Church of San Rafael's 68-voice choir, returned to compose the score.[10][13]
The recording process forA Charlie Brown Christmas involved numerous sessions during late 1965. These sessions were characterized by blown takes, cross-chatter, and experimentation as Guaraldi and his musicians worked to perfect each track. Drummers and bassists were rotated frequently, contributing to the challenge of identifying which musicians were responsible for particular tracks. Despite Guaraldi's habit of not keeping detailed records of his session players, it has been established that bassistsMonty Budwig and Fred Marshall, along with drummersColin Bailey andJerry Granelli, were involved in various recording stages.[14][15] Nearly three decades later, Fantasy surmised that the recordings with Budwig and Bailey were employed in the television special while Marshall and Granelli recorded the album. Other musicians have claimed to have recorded the special's music: bassists Eugene Firth and Al Obidinski and drummers Paul Distel and Benny Barth. Firth and Distil are noted as performers on a studio-session report Guaraldi filed for theAmerican Federation of Musicians.[15]
The initial instrumentals were recorded by Guaraldi at Whitney Studio inGlendale, California, on March 6, 1965.[16] Guaraldi incorporated "Linus and Lucy" as the central theme for thePeanuts franchise, a piece originally recorded on October 26, 1964, with Budwig and Bailey for the albumJazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown. This earlier version is featured on the soundtrack album. The version used in the television special (#4, Take 1) was recorded on September 17, 1965, with Marshall and Granelli. The secondbridge section of this rendition is notably highlighted during a scene where Snoopy exuberantly dances on Schroeder's piano before halting mid-performance in embarrassment.[14]
In addition to revisiting "Linus and Lucy", Guaraldi composed two pieces for the special: "Skating" and "Christmas Time Is Here". This new music played a pivotal role in defining the tone of the production, with its instrumentation effectively conveying the whimsical yet introspective nature of thePeanuts characters and their world.[14]
The recording of "Skating" showcased the scrupulous nature of Guaraldi's jazz compositions. The trio experienced difficulties in the initial session, particularly with the syncopation and characteristic keyboard "cascade effect." Several takes were needed to refine the structure and feel of the piece, with Guaraldi eventually guiding the group to the final version after numerous attempts. The take (#3, Take 7), noted for its subtle energy, was included in the soundtrack with a fade-out to conclude the track.[14]
The recording process for "Christmas Time Is Here", originally titled "Snow Waltz," was characterized by meticulous attention to detail as Guaraldi and his trio worked through multiple takes to achieve a balance between the song's inherent melancholy and a warm, inviting tone. The final instrumental version (#6, Take 2), which lasted six minutes, was selected for the soundtrack album. Later, a choral rendition featuring lyrics hastily penned by producer Lee Mendelson in approximately 15 minutes was recorded by the St. Paul's Episcopal Church choir.[17] This choir, under the direction of Barry Mineah, had previously collaborated with Guaraldi during his 1965 jazz mass performance at Grace Cathedral. The choir's role in the special, which included performances of "Christmas Time Is Here" andFelix Mendelssohn's "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", was integral to the authenticity of thePeanuts universe.[14]
The recording sessions, held at Fantasy Studios in late autumn 1965, spanned three sessions over two weeks and often extended late into the night, leading to the involvement of different children at each session due to some parents' refusal to allow their children to return. Mineah's pursuit of perfection contrasted with Mendelson and Guaraldi's desire for a more natural sound, resulting in the use of a slightly off-key version of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" in the final cut. In addition to their musical contributions, the children recorded dialogue for the special's closing scene, joyfully exclaiming, "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!"[18] The children were compensated with five dollars each for their participation. One choir member, Candace Hackett Shively, became an elementary school teacher and fondly recalled the recording sessions, including post-session ice cream outings, which she shared with her students every holiday season.[19][20]
The version of the German carol "O Tannenbaum", approximately five minutes long (#2, Take 1), maintained the carol's structure while allowing Guaraldi's piano to explore its harmonic potential within a jazz framework. Several shorter takes were also recorded, including an up-tempo version that was ultimately set aside as it did not fit the mood of the television special. One of these brief interpretations (#2, Take 5) was used during a pivotal scene, adding emotional depth as Charlie Brown exits the school theater carrying his small Christmas tree.[14]
"Christmas Is Coming" began life as a track entitled "Track Meet" which was recorded on July 29, 1965 and was subsequently released on the 1998 albumCharlie Brown's Holiday Hits.[21] Recording the track for the Christmas special and subsequent album posed unique challenges, with the trio making several attempts to capture the lively energy of the piece. During the first session, Guaraldi and his group encountered rhythm disruptions and issues with the keyboard bridge, resulting in multiple abandoned takes. However, by the end of the session, they produced a version that, while not perfect, showed promise. In a subsequent session, they refined the arrangement, eventually producing the final take used on the soundtrack. The bright, bossa nova-inflected track showcases Guaraldi's ability to balance jazz improvisation with the structured demands of an animated special.[14]
Additional music was later added to the special for future broadcasts, including songs like "Charlie Brown Theme" and "Happiness Theme" fromJazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown, as well as "Air Music (Surfin' Snoopy)" fromCharlie Brown's All Stars!. These tracks were not included in the original soundtrack release. Furthermore, while tracks such as "What Child Is This/Greensleeves", "My Little Drum", and "The Christmas Song" were recorded for the album, they were not featured in the special itself.[22]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [6] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[23] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |   [24] |
On May 10, 2022, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album quintuple platinum for sales of 5 million copies,[9] making it the second-best-selling jazz album in history, behindMiles Davis'Kind of Blue (1959).[25]
A Charlie Brown Christmas first appeared on aBillboard magazine music sales chart on the week of December 19, 1987, when it debuted and peaked at No. 13 on theBillboard Christmas Albums sales chart.[26] The album charted on theBillboard Christmas Albums chart every Christmas/holiday season from 1988 through 2003, peaking as high as No. 8 in both 2001 and 2002.[26] The album also charted on theBillboardTop Pop Catalog Albums chart during the Christmas/holiday season every year from 1991 through 2003, peaking as high as No. 6 in 2001.[26] In November 2014, it was the 10thbest-selling Christmas/holiday album in the United States during theSoundScan era.[8]
It became the first jazz soundtrack album to reach the Top 10 outside of a specialty album chart (i.e. Christmas Albums, Top Pop Catalog Albums, Kids Albums) when, in January 2021, it reached No. 10 in theBillboard 200 chart.[27] Derrick Bang, Guaraldi historian and author ofVince Guaraldi at the Piano, noted the significance of such a "huge" accomplishment, with Guaraldi sharing top spots withTaylor Swift,Paul McCartney andEminem.[28]
A Charlie Brown Christmas was also the 10th best-selling holiday album of 2011, a year that marked the sixth time since 2001 that the album had ranked among the year's top 10 Christmas albums.[29] It was also the ninth best-selling album of 2013.[30] On November 18, 2021, it was ranked as the No. 1 Greatest Holiday 200 album of All Time byBillboard.[31] The American singer-songwriterAimee Mann citedA Charlie Brown Christmas as an influence on her 2006 Christmas albumOne More Drifter in the Snow, saying it captured the "mellow and sometimes sad mood" of the holiday season.[32]
Guaraldi showed how a piano, bass and drums can capture a feeling and character in living color, particularly if those feelings are complex, conflicted or even simply too beautiful for words. It's the kind of realization that, even unconsciously, opens the door for later discoveries inBill Evans,Thelonious Monk,Robert Glasper and everything beyond, to say nothing of all the other sounds and ensembles waiting to be heard with jazz at its pulse.
AllMusic reviewer Shawn M. Haney called it "joyous and festive meditation for the holiday season"[6] writing, "Guaraldi strings together elegant, enticing arrangements that reflect the spirit and mood of Schulz's work."[6] Dominique Leone atPitchfork called the songs "small, observant miracles...If there's a muted quality to a lot of this music, it's smiling nonetheless."[23]
The soundtrack toA Charlie Brown Christmas has been considered "one of the most beloved holiday albums recorded."[33] Chris Barton of theLos Angeles Times asserts that the soundtrack introducedjazz to an entirely new generation, having been heard by more individuals than the work of the genre's most influential players, includingMiles Davis andJohn Coltrane.[33] The score influenced dozens of young aspiring musicians, among themDavid Benoit[34] andGeorge Winston.[1] Haney wrote that the record "introduce[d] contemporary jazz to youngsters with grace, charm, and creativity."[6] In 2019, it was ranked the fourth greatest Christmas album of all time byRolling Stone.[35]
A Charlie Brown Christmas was voted into theGrammy Hall of Fame in 2007.[29] In 2012 the album was added to theLibrary of Congress'sNational Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[36][37]
In 2022,Craft Recordings embarked on a majorreissue campaign in a variety of expanded, deluxe editions. These sets feature a new stereo mix completed by Paul Blakemore, the original 1965 stereo mix, and up to 50 previously unreleased outtakes from five separate recording sessions. The three editions are a single LP vinyl edition, comprising the original 1965 stereo release offered in gold foil sleeved with embossing details (released September 22, 2022); two-disc LP vinyl and CD expanded editions, containing the 2022 stereo mix and 13 outtakes from the original recording sessions (released December 2, 2022); and a five-disc super deluxe edition, which adds three CDs of complete Autumn 1965 recording sessions and a Blu-ray audio disc containinghigh-resolution audio andDolby Atmos mixes (released December 2, 2022).[38]
All tracks are written byVince Guaraldi, except where noted[14]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "O Tannenbaum" | Ernst Anschütz | 5:08 |
| 2. | "What Child Is This" | William Chatterton Dix | 2:25 |
| 3. | "My Little Drum" | 3:12 | |
| 4. | "Linus and Lucy" | 3:06 | |
| 5. | "Christmas Time Is Here" (instrumental) | 6:05 | |
| Total length: | 19:56 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Christmas Time Is Here" (vocal) |
| 2:47 |
| 7. | "Skating" | 2:27 | |
| 8. | "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" | 1:55 | |
| 9. | "Christmas Is Coming" | 3:25 | |
| 10. | "Für Elise" | Ludwig van Beethoven | 1:06 |
| 11. | "The Christmas Song" | 3:17 | |
| Total length: | 14:57 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "O Tannenbaum" (2022 Stereo remix) | Ernst Anschütz | 5:08 |
| 2. | "What Child Is This" (2022 Stereo remix) | William Chatterton Dix | 2:25 |
| 3. | "My Little Drum" (2022 Stereo remix) | 3:12 | |
| 4. | "Linus and Lucy" (2022 Stereo remix) | 3:06 | |
| 5. | "Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)" (2022 Stereo remix) | 6:05 | |
| 6. | "Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)" (2022 Stereo remix) |
| 2:47 |
| 7. | "Skating" (2022 Stereo remix) | 2:27 | |
| 8. | "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (2022 Stereo remix) |
| 1:55 |
| 9. | "Christmas Is Coming" (2022 Stereo remix) | 3:25 | |
| 10. | "Für Elise" (2022 Stereo remix) | Ludwig van Beethoven | 1:06 |
| 11. | "The Christmas Song" (2022 Stereo remix) |
| 3:17 |
| 12. | "O Tannenbaum" (original 1965 Stereo mix) | Ernst Anschütz | 5:08 |
| 13. | "What Child Is This" (original 1965 Stereo mix) | William Chatterton Dix | 2:25 |
| 14. | "My Little Drum" (original 1965 Stereo mix) | 3:12 | |
| 15. | "Linus and Lucy" (original 1965 Stereo mix) | 3:06 | |
| 16. | "Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)" (original 1965 Stereo mix) | 6:05 | |
| 17. | "Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)" (original 1965 Stereo mix) |
| 2:47 |
| 18. | "Skating" (original 1965 Stereo mix) | 2:27 | |
| 19. | "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (original 1965 Stereo mix) |
| 1:55 |
| 20. | "Christmas Is Coming" (original 1965 Stereo mix) | 3:25 | |
| 21. | "Für Elise" (original 1965 Stereo mix) | Ludwig van Beethoven | 1:06 |
| 22. | "The Christmas Song" (original 1965 Stereo mix) |
| 3:17 |
| Total length: | 69:46 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#1, Take 1) | 2:13 |
| 2. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#1, Take 2) | 2:52 |
| 3. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#1, Take 3) | 3:53 |
| 4. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#1, Takes 4–5) | 3:07 |
| 5. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#1, Take 6) | 3:24 |
| 6. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#1, Take 7) | 2:49 |
| 7. | "Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)" (#2, Takes 1–2) | 3:02 |
| 8. | "Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)" (#2, Take 3) | 2:26 |
| 9. | "Skating" (Unnumbered) | 2:18 |
| 10. | "Skating" (#3, Takes 1–2) | 3:36 |
| 11. | "Skating" (#3, Take 3) | 3:19 |
| 12. | "Skating" (#3, Takes 4–6) | 1:32 |
| 13. | "Skating" (#3, Take 7) | 2:44 |
| 14. | "Linus and Lucy" (#4, Take 1) | 3:30 |
| 15. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#5, Take 1) | 5:19 |
| 16. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#5, Take 2) | 2:58 |
| 17. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#5, Take 3) | 3:53 |
| 18. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#5, Take 4) | 3:33 |
| 19. | "Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)" (#6, Take 1) | 1:10 |
| 20. | "Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)" (#6, Take 2) | 6:14 |
| Total length: | 63:52 | |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#1, Take 1) | 3:54 | |
| 2. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#1, Take 2) | 3:29 | |
| 3. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#1, Take 3) | 3:05 | |
| 4. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#1, Takes 4–6) | 1:37 | |
| 5. | "Christmas Is Coming" (#1, Take 7) | 3:05 | |
| 6. | "O Tannenbaum" (#2, Take 1) | Ernst Anschütz | 5:36 |
| 7. | "O Tannenbaum" (#2, Take 2) | Ernst Anschütz | 1:04 |
| 8. | "O Tannenbaum" (#2, Take 3–4) | Ernst Anschütz | 1:11 |
| 9. | "O Tannenbaum" (#2, Take 5) | Ernst Anschütz | 1:03 |
| 10. | "Jingle Bells" (#3, Takes 1–4) | James Lord Pierpont | 1:42 |
| 11. | "Goin' Out of My Head" (Unnumbered) | 0:24 | |
| 12. | "Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)" (#6, Take 3) | 7:21 | |
| 13. | "Skating" (#7, Take 1) | 4:20 | |
| 14. | "Skating" (#7, Take 2) | 4:05 | |
| 15. | "Für Elise" (Takes 1–2) | Ludwig van Beethoven | 1:52 |
| 16. | "Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)" (#1, Take 1) |
| 1:32 |
| 17. | "Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)" (#1, Takes 2–3) |
| 0:37 |
| 18. | "Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)" (#1, Take 4) |
| 1:32 |
| 19. | "Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)" (#1, Take 5) |
| 1:35 |
| 20. | "Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)" (Rehearsal) |
| 0:24 |
| 21. | "Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)" (#1, Take 6) |
| 1:00 |
| 22. | "Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)" (#1, Take 7) |
| 2:55 |
| Total length: | 53:23 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Greensleeves" (Take 1) | Traditional English; arr. by Vince Guaraldi | 1:30 |
| 2. | "Greensleeves" (Takes 2–4) | Traditional English; arr. by Vince Guaraldi | 1:02 |
| 3. | "Greensleeves" (Take 5) | Traditional English; arr. by Vince Guaraldi | 6:07 |
| 4. | "Greensleeves" (Take 6) | Traditional English; arr. by Vince Guaraldi | 5:41 |
| 5. | "Greensleeves" (Take 7) | Traditional English; arr. by Vince Guaraldi | 5:36 |
| 6. | "Greensleeves" (Take 8) | Traditional English; arr. by Vince Guaraldi | 5:40 |
| 7. | "Greensleeves" (Takes 9–10) | Traditional English; arr. by Vince Guaraldi | 1:24 |
| 8. | "Greensleeves" (Take 11) | Traditional English; arr. by Vince Guaraldi | 2:42 |
| 9. | "Greensleeves" (Take 12) | Traditional English; arr. by Vince Guaraldi | 2:30 |
| 10. | "The Christmas Song" (Take 1) |
| 3:28 |
| 11. | "The Christmas Song" (Takes 2–3) |
| 4:11 |
| 12. | "The Christmas Song" (Takes 4–7) |
| 1:40 |
| 13. | "The Christmas Song" (Take 8) |
| 1:51 |
| 14. | "The Christmas Song" (Take 9) |
| 3:20 |
| 15. | "The Christmas Song" (Take 10) |
| 3:12 |
| 16. | "The Christmas Song" (Take 11) |
| 3:19 |
| Total length: | 53:13 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Charlie Brown Christmas (2022 Stereo Mix) (High-resolution audio)" | 31:46 |
| 2. | "A Charlie Brown Christmas (2022Dolby Atmos Mix)" | 31:46 |
| Total length: | 63:32 | |
Vince Guaraldi Trio
Original production
Production
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[86] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Other top artist XMas LP's by ... Guaraldi's 'Charlie Brown' ...
