Listen to never-before-heard, unearthed version of A Charlie Brown Christmas song
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It turns out that alternate versions of the famous Charlie Brown theme, "Linus and Lucy," have been discovered after being lost for more than 50 years.
EW has your exclusive first listen to one of these never-heard-before tracks, which were found within the Lee Mendelson Film Productions archives during the pandemic after the executive producer asked his children to look for the original recordings from the Peanuts scores. The alternate versions are all unique variations of the famous song, some of which even include additional instruments such as horns and flutes.
Anyone who has watched a Peanuts special or tuned the radio to the Christmas channel during the holidays has likely heard Vince Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy." The famous piano tune was first used in A Charlie Brown Christmas, but was then used in almost every Peanuts special afterward, becoming both the unofficial Charlie Brown theme and also a perennial holiday favorite.
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The alternate takes were found on their original analog reels, packed away in a box labeled "Big Pumpkin Charlie Brown" that also included detailed session notes. Now, the unheard demo takes of "Linus and Lucy" are being released in the definitive remastered soundtrack of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The album will feature seven previously unheard tracks, including "Linus and Lucy (Alternative Take 2)," which can be heard below exclusively from EW.
The full album will be released on Aug. 26 (available to pre-order here) on vinyl, CD, and digital.
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