Six decades after Vince Guaraldi Trio’s gentle piano and brushed percussion first accompanied Charlie Brown’s Christmas troubles, A Charlie Brown Christmas has become the best-selling jazz album of all time, certified 6X Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The achievement marks six million album sales and streaming equivalents in the US.
The milestone follows the 60th anniversary of the holiday special and last year’s 75th anniversary celebrations for Peanuts.
It’s the latest accolade for an album that has already been inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, and added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.
The 1965 soundtrack is a holiday staple, thanks to Guaraldi’s blend of original themes such as ‘Linus and Lucy’ and ‘Christmas Time Is Here’, alongside jazz interpretations of seasonal standards including ‘O Tannenbaum,’ ‘What Child Is This,’ and ‘Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.’ And its popularity continues to grow…
The 1965 soundtrack has become a holiday staple, thanks to Guaraldi’s blend of original themes and jazz interpretations of seasonal standards…
A Charlie Brown Christmas vinyl editions
For collectors eager to hear the record in premium audio quality, Craft Recordings Original Jazz Classic series will reissue the album on 180‑gram vinyl on October 9. This new audiophile pressing has been cut from the original master tapes using an all-analogue chain, with lacquers cut by Matthew Lutthans and pressed at Quality Record Pressings . It comes in a Stoughton tip-on jacket and is available to order from Amazon, priced £39.99.
Craft has also announced a slew of new retailer exclusives.
Out this week is a Silver Emerald vinyl edition (a Walmart exclusive). On September 25, Barnes & Noble will offer a picture disc reproducing the album artwork, while Target will receive an Iridescent Snow-coloured LP, with an exclusive poster.
Urban Outfitters follows on October 2 with a Sapphire-coloured pressing. The Walmart, Target and Urban Outfitters editions will come in a special blue foil jacket.
The most unusual release lands on November 6. Craft is producing a liquid-filled ‘Snow Globe’ LP containing floating snowflakes, with just 300 copies being made. Put it on your Christmas pressie list.
From forgotten TV score to best-selling jazz album
This upcoming vinyl snowstorm is the latest chapter for an album whose origins can be traced to a TV project that never actually aired.
In 1964, producer Lee Mendelson began filming A Boy Named Charlie Brown, a documentary about Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, and his enormously successful comic strip.
Mendelson recruited Bay Area jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi to compose the music. Guaraldi had recently enjoyed GRAMMY-winning success with Cast Your Fate to the Wind.
The documentary was never broadcast, but Guaraldi’s score made an impression on Mendelson. When A Charlie Brown Christmas was commissioned the following year, he returned to Guaraldi.
The resulting soundtrack established a musical vocabulary for Peanuts that remains instantly recognisable today.
Guaraldi recorded with bassist Fred Marshall and drummer Jerry Granelli, creating a set of original pieces that included ‘Linus and Lucy’, ‘Skating’ and ‘Christmas Is Coming’.
The trio also approached traditional seasonal music with a West Coast jazz sensibility. ‘O Tannenbaum’, ‘Hark, the Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘What Child Is This’ were given arrangements that fitted naturally alongside Guaraldi’s original compositions.
The origins of Peanuts
The Peanuts story began in 1950, when Charles M. Schulz introduced Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang in his comic strip. The characters went on to become fixtures of popular culture, appearing in comic strips, TV specials, films, merchandise, live experiences and cultural events around the world.
The property is now owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 80 per cent owned by Sony Group and 20 per cent by the Schulz family.
When A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired, it became an immediate cultural event. The half-hour animated special attracted almost half of the American television audience that night and would go on to receive Emmy and Peabody awards.
Guaraldi continued to score Peanuts specials until his death in 1976, giving the characters a musical identity that extended well beyond the original Christmas programme.
The British Museum is bringing two thousand years of Korean art to London in a major exhibition supported by Samsung Electronics, and drawn from the celebrated Lee Kun-Hee Collection. The consumer electronics giant, along with the British Museum, hosted a gala yesterday to mark the opening of Korea, a major presentation of works from the…
Ever wished you could go back to 1986 and see Freddie Mercury command a stadium in his absolute prime? London is about to offer the next best thing. On Saturday 3 October, Camden’s Roundhouse will transform into a giant Queen gig for Queen Budapest: The Concert Film Experience, an immersive screening of the band’s legendary…
Tom Cruise took a trip through more than four decades of Hollywood history at BAFTA this week, sharing stories from some of his most famous films and revealing what makes him want to keep making movies. Cruise was in London for the premiere of his new film Digger, when he joined BAFTA for an extended…
Six decades after Vince Guaraldi Trio’s gentle piano and brushed percussion first accompanied Charlie Brown’s Christmas troubles, A Charlie Brown Christmas has become the best-selling jazz album of all time, certified 6X Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The achievement marks six million album sales and streaming equivalents in the US.
The milestone follows the 60th anniversary of the holiday special and last year’s 75th anniversary celebrations for Peanuts.
It’s the latest accolade for an album that has already been inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, and added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.
The 1965 soundtrack is a holiday staple, thanks to Guaraldi’s blend of original themes such as ‘Linus and Lucy’ and ‘Christmas Time Is Here’, alongside jazz interpretations of seasonal standards including ‘O Tannenbaum,’ ‘What Child Is This,’ and ‘Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.’ And its popularity continues to grow…
A Charlie Brown Christmas vinyl editions
For collectors eager to hear the record in premium audio quality, Craft Recordings Original Jazz Classic series will reissue the album on 180‑gram vinyl on October 9. This new audiophile pressing has been cut from the original master tapes using an all-analogue chain, with lacquers cut by Matthew Lutthans and pressed at Quality Record Pressings . It comes in a Stoughton tip-on jacket and is available to order from Amazon, priced £39.99.
A collectible zoetrope edition, originally issued last Christmas, remains available from Amazon priced £35. There’s also a green vinyl release, and a black vinyl in gold foil sleeve edition.
Craft has also announced a slew of new retailer exclusives.
Out this week is a Silver Emerald vinyl edition (a Walmart exclusive). On September 25, Barnes & Noble will offer a picture disc reproducing the album artwork, while Target will receive an Iridescent Snow-coloured LP, with an exclusive poster.
Urban Outfitters follows on October 2 with a Sapphire-coloured pressing. The Walmart, Target and Urban Outfitters editions will come in a special blue foil jacket.
The most unusual release lands on November 6. Craft is producing a liquid-filled ‘Snow Globe’ LP containing floating snowflakes, with just 300 copies being made. Put it on your Christmas pressie list.
From forgotten TV score to best-selling jazz album
This upcoming vinyl snowstorm is the latest chapter for an album whose origins can be traced to a TV project that never actually aired.
In 1964, producer Lee Mendelson began filming A Boy Named Charlie Brown, a documentary about Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, and his enormously successful comic strip.
Mendelson recruited Bay Area jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi to compose the music. Guaraldi had recently enjoyed GRAMMY-winning success with Cast Your Fate to the Wind.
The documentary was never broadcast, but Guaraldi’s score made an impression on Mendelson. When A Charlie Brown Christmas was commissioned the following year, he returned to Guaraldi.
The resulting soundtrack established a musical vocabulary for Peanuts that remains instantly recognisable today.
Guaraldi recorded with bassist Fred Marshall and drummer Jerry Granelli, creating a set of original pieces that included ‘Linus and Lucy’, ‘Skating’ and ‘Christmas Is Coming’.
The trio also approached traditional seasonal music with a West Coast jazz sensibility. ‘O Tannenbaum’, ‘Hark, the Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘What Child Is This’ were given arrangements that fitted naturally alongside Guaraldi’s original compositions.
The origins of Peanuts
The Peanuts story began in 1950, when Charles M. Schulz introduced Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang in his comic strip. The characters went on to become fixtures of popular culture, appearing in comic strips, TV specials, films, merchandise, live experiences and cultural events around the world.
The property is now owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 80 per cent owned by Sony Group and 20 per cent by the Schulz family.
A Charles M. Schulz documentary, Who Are You, Charlie Brown?, can be seen on Apple TV.
When A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired, it became an immediate cultural event. The half-hour animated special attracted almost half of the American television audience that night and would go on to receive Emmy and Peabody awards.
Guaraldi continued to score Peanuts specials until his death in 1976, giving the characters a musical identity that extended well beyond the original Christmas programme.
British Museum brings 2,000 years of Korean art to London with Samsung-backed Korea exhibition
The British Museum is bringing two thousand years of Korean art to London in a major exhibition supported by Samsung Electronics, and drawn from the celebrated Lee Kun-Hee Collection. The consumer electronics giant, along with the British Museum, hosted a gala yesterday to mark the opening of Korea, a major presentation of works from the…
The Roundhouse is turning into a giant Queen gig – and it’s the closest you’ll get to seeing Freddie Mercury live
Ever wished you could go back to 1986 and see Freddie Mercury command a stadium in his absolute prime? London is about to offer the next best thing. On Saturday 3 October, Camden’s Roundhouse will transform into a giant Queen gig for Queen Budapest: The Concert Film Experience, an immersive screening of the band’s legendary…
From Taps to Digger, Tom Cruise reflects on four decades of cinema at BAFTA’s A Life in Pictures
Tom Cruise took a trip through more than four decades of Hollywood history at BAFTA this week, sharing stories from some of his most famous films and revealing what makes him want to keep making movies. Cruise was in London for the premiere of his new film Digger, when he joined BAFTA for an extended…
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