A Charlie Brown Christmas features several originals ("Christmas Time Is Here", "Linus in addition to Lucy") every bit good every bit covers of well-known Christmas songs ("The Christmas Song", "O Tannenbaum"). The score for the particular was largely cutting at recording sessions at Glendale, California's Whitney Studio. Much of this textile was after re-recorded past times Guaraldi at iii sessions after inwards the twelvemonth at Fantasy Recording Studios inwards San Francisco, with a choir of children culled from St. Paul's Episcopal Church inwards nearby San Rafael. The sessions ran belatedly into the night, with the children rewarded with H2O ice cream afterwards. Bassist Fred Marshall in addition to drummer Jerry Granelli pick out been credited every bit performing on the album, although a host of musicians claim to pick out recorded the album.
Released a calendar week prior to the broadcast premiere of the special, A Charlie Brown Christmas sold well, in addition to became increasingly famous inwards the ensuing decades. It is amongst the most pop Christmas albums inwards the United States, where it has been certified Triple Platinum, having shipped at to the lowest degree iii meg copies. As of Nov 2014, A Charlie Brown Christmas is the 10th best-selling Christmas/holiday album inwards the United States during the SoundScan era of music sales tracking (March 1991 – present), having sold 3,410,000 copies according to SoundScan.
The Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas has been voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in addition to added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry listing of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" audio recordings.
By the early on 1960s, Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts had learn a sensation worldwide. Television producer Lee Mendelson acknowledged the strip's cultural impression in addition to produced a documentary on the subject, titled A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Mendelson, a fan of jazz, heard a vocal past times Vince Guaraldi on the radio non long after completion of his documentary, in addition to contacted the instrumentalist to create music for the special. Guaraldi composed the music for the project, creating an entire piece, "Linus in addition to Lucy," to serve every bit the theme. Despite the popularity of the strip in addition to acclaim from advertisers, networks were non interested inwards the special.
By Apr 1965, Time featured the Peanuts gang on its magazine cover, in addition to plans for an animated half-hour Peanuts Christmas particular were commissioned past times The Coca-Cola Company. When Coca-Cola commissioned A Charlie Brown Christmas inwards boundary 1965, Guaraldi returned to write the music.
The starting fourth dimension instrumentals for the particular were recorded past times Guaraldi at Glendale, California's Whitney Studio with bassist Monty Budwig in addition to drummer Colin Bailey. Recycling "Linus in addition to Lucy" from the before special, Guaraldi completed 2 novel originals for the special, "Skating", in addition to "Christmas Time Is Here". In the weeks preceding the premiere, Mendelson encountered problem finding a lyricist for Guaraldi's instrumental intro, in addition to penned "Christmas Time is Here" inwards "about xv minutes" on the backside of an envelope.
The particular opens in addition to closes with a choir of children, culled from St. Paul's Episcopal Church inwards San Rafael, performing "Christmas Time Is Here" in addition to "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". One of the singers, Candace Hackett Shively, went on to learn an simple schoolhouse teacher, in addition to sent a alphabetic quality of gratitude to Schulz after announcing his retirement inwards 2000. In the letter, she recalls recording the choir at Fantasy Studios in addition to going out for H2O ice cream afterwards, patch likewise noting that she tells the storey to her grade-schoolers each vacation season. The recording sessions were conducted inwards belatedly autumn 1965, in addition to were cutting inwards iii carve upwards sessions over 2 weeks. They oftentimes ran belatedly into the night, resulting inwards angry parents, some who preclude their children from returning; every bit such, numerous novel children were acquaint at each session. The children were directed past times Barry Mineah, who demanded perfection from the choir. Mendelson in addition to Guaraldi disagreed, desiring the "kids to audio similar kids"; they used a slightly off-key version of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" inwards the in conclusion cut. Children were paid 5 dollars for their participation. In addition, the children recorded dialogue for the special's in conclusion scene, inwards which the crowd of kids yell "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!".
The soundtrack for the particular was recorded during these sessions, with decisions regarding timing in addition to phrasing determined quickly. Guaraldi brought inwards bassist Fred Marshall in addition to drummer Jerry Granelli to tape the music, in addition to spent fourth dimension after re-recording before tracks, including covers of "The Christmas Song" in addition to "Greensleeves". The eventual LP loose credited Guaraldi solely, neglecting to call the other musicians; Guaraldi was notorious for never keeping records of his session players. Nearly iii decades later, inwards an attempt to right the matter, Fantasy surmised that the recordings with Budwig in addition to Bailey were employed inwards the special, patch Marshall in addition to Granelli recorded the album. Despite this, other individuals pick out come upwards forrard claiming to pick out recorded the special's music: bassists Eugene Firth in addition to Al Obidinksi, in addition to drummers Paul Distel in addition to Benny Barth. Firth in addition to Distil are noted every bit performers on a studio-session written report Guaraldi filed for the American Federation of Musicians.
Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz called on pianist extraordinaire Vince Guaraldi in addition to his trio to compose in addition to perform music that would reverberate the humor, charm, in addition to innocence of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, in addition to the entire Peanuts gang for their 1965 Christmas TV special. It was a perfect match: Guaraldi strings together elegant, enticing arrangements that reverberate the spirit in addition to mood of Schulz's run in addition to innovate contemporary jazz to youngsters with grace, charm, in addition to creativity. "What Child Is This" touches on cool jazz's richly textured percussive nuances, patch "The Christmas Song" reflects Christmas' relaxing, mellow moments. The renowned "Linus in addition to Lucy" gives the Peanuts characters a fresh, energetic experience with its tantalizing meter changes, vivid percussion, in addition to dashing, humorous pianoforte lines. "Christmastime Is Here," maybe the album's most endearing in addition to eloquent moment, is half-dozen minutes of soft, lullaby-like melodic in addition to percussive flavors. This collection of soul-soothing melodies would non endure consummate without the romantic jewel "Skating," which blends musical references to falling snowflakes with the dashing experience of swing. Finally, the uplifting, emotionally stirring swing melody "Christmas Is Coming" actually brings the listener into the joyous calorie-free of the Christmas spirit. Fred Marshall's alluring walking basslines in addition to drummer Jerry Granelli's hauntingly beautiful brush run hand most of the album a warm foundation, patch Monty Budwig in addition to Colin Bailey polish through with eminent dexterity on bass in addition to drums on "Greensleeves." As for Guaraldi, his penetrating improvisational phrases pigment pictures of the starting fourth dimension wintertime snowfall, myriad glistening trees, in addition to powdery white landscapes. With its blend of contemporary jazz in addition to lyrical mannerisms, A Charlie Brown Christmas is a joyous in addition to festive meditation for the vacation season.
Track listing
"O Tannenbaum" (Ernst Anschütz) – 5:08
"What Child Is This" (William Chatterton Dix) – 2:25
"My Little Drum" (Vince Guaraldi) – 3:12
"Linus in addition to Lucy" (Guaraldi) – 3:06
"Christmas Time Is Here" (Instrumental) (Guaraldi) – 6:05
"Christmas Time Is Here" (Vocal) (Guaraldi) – 2:47
"Skating" (Guaraldi) – 2:27
"Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" (Charles Wesley) – 1:55
"Christmas Is Coming" (Guaraldi) – 3:25
"Für Elise" (Ludwig van Beethoven) – 1:06
"The Christmas Song" (Mel Torm̩, Robert Wells) Р3:17
bonus tracks
"Greensleeves" (Traditional) – 5:25
"Christmas Is Coming" (Alternate Take 1) (Guaraldi) – 4:37
"The Christmas Song" (Alternate Take 3) (Torm̩, Wells) Р3:53
"Greensleeves" (Alternate Take 6) (Traditional) – 5:05
"Christmas Time Is Here" (Alternate Vocal Take) (Guaraldi) – 1:34
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