Music

A Charlie Brown Christmas is the eighth studio album by the American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi (later credited to the Vince Guaraldi Trio). It was released in December 1965 by Fantasy Records to coincide with the debut of the television special A Charlie Brown Christmas featuring the Peanuts comic characters. Guaraldi was contacted by the television producer Lee Mendelson to compose music for a documentary on Peanuts and its creator, Charles M. Schulz. Although the documentary went unaired, selections of the music were released in 1964 as Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown. The Coca-Cola Company commissioned a Peanuts 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". 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 in San Rafael, California. The sessions ran late into the night, with the children rewarded with ice cream afterward. Bassist Fred Marshall and drummer Jerry Granelli were credited as performing on the album. A Charlie Brown Christmas was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. In November 2014, it was the 10th best-selling Christmas/holiday album in the United States during the SoundScan era. In 2022, it was certified five times platinum for sales of 5 million copies. Tracklist: 1. "O Tannenbaum" 0:00 2. "What Child Is This" 5:06 3. "My Little Drum" 7:31 4. "Linus and Lucy" 10:44 5. "Christmas Time Is Here" (instrumental) 13:51 6. "Christmas Time Is Here" (vocal) 19:58 7. "Skating" 22:44 8. "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" 25:11 9. "Christmas Is Coming" 27:07 10. "Für Elise" 30:32 11. "The Christmas Song 31:38 12. "Greensleeves" (alternate take of "What Child Is This") 34:56 Personnel Vince Guaraldi Trio Vince Guaraldi – piano, bandleader, Hammond organ on "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" Fred Marshall – double bass Monty Budwig – double bass ("Linus and Lucy", "Greensleeves") Jerry Granelli – drums Colin Bailey – drums ("Linus and Lucy", "Greensleeves") Children's chorus for the songs "Christmas Time Is Here", "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" and when the kids all shout "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown" was the Children's choir of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in San Rafael, California. Several months before the making of Charlie Brown Christmas this choir was featured on the recording Vince Guaraldi at Grace Cathedral.