Good grief! It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown to receive first-ever vinyl release

Michael Roffman

Peanuts fans can start dancing like Snoopy because It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is finally heading to vinyl. Craft Recordings will release composer Vince Guaraldi’s legendary soundtrack on August 30th.

The announcement arrives on the eve of Guaraldi being honored with the American Eagle Award by the National Music Council. What’s more, the Grammy-winning pianist turns 91st today, making this also a birthday treat.

It’s a treat, indeed, as the package itself will include the titular pumpkin as an etching on Side B, an introduction by executive producer Lee Mendelson, and liner notes by Peanuts historian Derrick Bang.

“This is the quintessential Vince Guaraldi for our Peanuts’ specials … some of his best atmospheric jazz,” Mendelson stated in a press release. “Vince’s score carries the gang with the autumn leaves, through the scary and cold Halloween night. This music comforts the indomitable faith of Linus, still waiting for his hero since 1966 — forever in our ears, hearts and memories.”

“Guaraldi had a strong sense of how music could — and should — be employed to maximize the viewing audience’s emotional response,” writes Bang. “[He] emphatically established the Peanuts ‘musical personality’ with this third outing, and all subsequent prime-time specials owed much to the groovin’ atmosphere that is so prevalent in Great Pumpkin. Guaraldi had a gig for life … and his legacy lives on, expand[ing] by the year, thanks in great part to the jazz swagger given to an insecure blockhead and his lovably crazy beagle.”

Die-hards of Snoopy and co. will want to be on the prowl for a special limited edition copy that’s being pressed on glow-in-the-dark vinyl. They’ll have to be sharp, though, as Craft is only releasing 500 copies.

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown debuted on October 27, 1966 with a staggering 49 percent audience share. In other words, 49 percent of the people watching TV during those 25 minutes were hanging with Charlie Brown.

Pre-orders are currently on-going. Stream the album in full below and check out both the cover artwork and tracklisting shortly after. Hell, we even tossed in a vintage clip for nostalgia’s sake.

It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Tracklisting:
01. Linus and Lucy
02. Graveyard Theme
03. Snoopy and the Leaf/Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)
04. The Great Pumpkin Waltz
05. Linus and Lucy (Reprise)
06. Charlie Brown Theme/Happy Linus
07. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (Reprise)
08. The Red Baron/Military Drum March
09. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (2nd Reprise)
10. Trick or Treat
11. Fanfare/Breathless/Trick or Treat (Reprise)
12. Charlie Brown Theme (Reprise)
13. Breathless
14. It’s a Long Way to Tipperary/There’s a Long, Long Trail A-Winding/Pack up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag/Roses of Picardy
15. Trick or Treat (2nd Reprise)
16. Linus and Lucy (2nd Reprise)
17. Charlie Brown Theme (2nd Reprise)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1AxyNhJX4A?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent&w=806&h=454]

Good grief! It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown to receive first-ever vinyl release
Michael Roffman