In celebration of the 55th anniversary of the timeless 6th animated Peanuts® special, It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown, the entire soundtrack [along with some never-before-heard Bonus Tracks not used in the Special] will be available exclusively at a participating record store starting April 20th, 2024 as part of Record Store Day.

This new extended version now comes complete with not only classic Peanuts themes and songs made directly for this special, but now includes 6 never-before heard takes that were not used in the special.

Guaraldi lovingly created the soundtrack for the summer camp adventure where Charlie Brown and his gang face off against the girls’ camp lead by Peppermint Patty. The large jazz combo album also includes the best rendition of Guaraldi classic, “Love Will Come (Nova Bossa)” as well as the first use of additional percussion in Victor Feldman.

The recording features Guaraldi (piano), Monty Budwig (double bass), Jack Sperling (drums), Conti and Pete Candoli (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone), Victor Feldman (percussion), Herb Ellis (guitar), Willian Hood and Peter Christlieb (woodwind), and John Scott Trotter as the orchestra leader. The soundtrack was produced by Sean Mendelson and Jason Mendelson and restored and re-mastered by Vinson Hudson.

This quite brilliantly organized special soundtrack opens on the beloved Charlie Brown Theme, the renowned Linus and Lucy piece and then we get the jaunty, titular run of It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown, the fun, playful Oh Good Grief, the romantically-charmed You’re In Love, Charlie Brown, the free-flowing Schroeder, and then we get the aptly-named Bus Blues (and reprise) thereafter.

Along next is a reprise of the titular It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown, the cute Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair) and a short reprise of Oh Good Grief, and then comes a cute collective: the more adamant Come and Get It, a most wondrous Hash and then Hash with Horn, before we are brought forth the perky AM Break and the upbeat Tah Dah.

A resonant Bon Voyage and a romanticized Peppermint Patty are up next and in turn backed by an endearing Love Will Come (Nova Bossa), and then come a perkily emphatic He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown, the smooth Pebble Beach, a short reprise of both You’re In Love, Charlie Brown and He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown, and they are then themselves backed by a dashing Masked Marvel and the fluctuating Air Music.

Continuing the musical adventure, along next are two more reprise’s of Masked Marvel and a reprise of Linus and Lucy, which are followed by a second reprise of Oh Good Grief, a short reprise of the Charlie Brown Theme, and a second reprise of It Was a Short Summer, this delightful musical flashback to a time less stressful, ending on the six bonus tracks: the lovely alternative take of Linus and Lucy, an interesting Working on It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown, the recording rounding out on alternative takes on Bus Blues, Pebble Beach, Masked Marvel Music and Linus and Lucy.

1. Charlie Brown Theme 2. Linus and Lucy 3. It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown 4. Oh Good Grief 5. You’re In Love, Charlie Brown 6. Schroeder 7. Bus Blues / Bus Blues (Reprise) 8. It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown (Reprise) 9. Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair) 10. Oh Good Grief (Reprise) 11. Come and Get It / Hash / Hash with Horn / AM Break / Tah Dah 12. Bon Voyage 13. Peppermint Patty 14. Love Will Come (Nova Bossa) 15. He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown 16. Pebble Beach 17. You’re In Love, Charlie Brown (Reprise) 18. He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown (Reprise) 19. Masked Marvel 20. Air Music 21. Masked Marvel (Reprise) / Masked Marvel (2nd Reprise) 22. You’re In Love, Charlie Brown (2nd Reprise) 23. Linus and Lucy (Reprise) 24. Oh Good Grief (2nd Reprise) 25. Charlie Brown Theme (Reprise) 26. It Was a Short Summer (Reprise 2) 27. Linus and Lucy (Alternate Take) 28. Working on It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown 29. Bus Blues (Alternate Take) 30. Pebble Beach (Alternate Take) 31. Masked Marvel Music (Alternate Take) 32. Linus and Lucy (Reprise Alternate Take)

The 12” 45 RPM LP comes in Camp Green and will have liner notes that give a track-by-track analysis by Derrick Bang and notes from Sean Mendelson, son of Peanuts® producer Lee Mendelson and co-producer of the record. The release includes images from the special and from the original tape boxes recently re-discovered that led to this release.

Watch “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” 1975

Watch “A Charlie Brown Valentine” 2002