What a Box Set, Charlie Brown! Rare ‘Peanuts’ Soundtracks Join Together in New CD Collection

August 13, 2025 By Mike Duquette — 1 Comment
Peanuts Collection Vol 1 covers
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Even this deep into the age of reissues and audio preservation, discoveries can happen that make you say “AUGH!” (in a good way). A few of those recent examples are about to get put into a box set, available exclusively at independent record stores.

Six recently released soundtracks to animated Peanuts television specials – composed, as always, by jazz hero Vince Guaraldi, and not available until the last two years! – are getting compiled in The Peanuts Collection, Vol. 1, available soon at participating retailers from Lee Mendelson Film Productions. Limited to just 500 copies, these discs – containing the jazzy scores to It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown (1969), You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown (1972), A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973), It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974), Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975) and You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (1975) – are identical to the programs released on CD between 2023 and just last month. The key difference is exclusive cover art for each album, with a slightly more vintage or period feel.

Next to comic strip creator Charles M. Schulz and producer Mendelson, Vince Guaraldi may be one of the most consequential humans involved in bringing good ol’ Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy and all their friends to vivid life. The “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” pianist was tasked with scoring a documentary on Peanuts that was never released, but his themes turned into the album Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown (recently expanded for its 60th anniversary). A year later, Guaraldi was brought on to score the first Peanuts animated special, the beloved A Charlie Brown Christmas, which brought his “Linus and Lucy” further to the fore (essentially the musical shorthand for all of Peanuts ever since) along with other unforgettable holiday originals. (Craft Recordings, custodian of most of Guaraldi’s discography, has annually reissued the original album without fail, and gave it a new remix and rarities-packed box set in 2023.)

Guaraldi and Charlie Brown were inseparable ever since; he’d score 14 more specials before his untimely death in 1976. But the rest of the music proved hard to come by: missing tape sources meant the second best-known special, 1966’s It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, had a soundtrack lifted from the special in 2018, complete with awkward edits and sound effects mixed in. After Mendelson’s passing in 2019, his family embarked on an extensive archiving of his works, and in the process found a generous helping of session material featuring Guaraldi and his ensembles (ranging from trios to sextets, and even occasionally swapping his piano for Fender Rhodes and even ARP synthesizers). Beyond Craft’s reissues and expansions of Great Pumpkin and A Charlie Brown Christmas, Mendelson’s family archive label has since released the six titles in this box set, all newly remixed and each featuring outtakes or interesting rarities, from jam sessions and newly created music (like a medley of themes devoted to Snoopy’s avian pal Woodstock, led by pianist and occasional Peanuts contributor David Benoit) to session oddities like music to Bicycles Are Beautiful, a 1974 short subject produced by Mendelson and scored by Guaraldi but having nothing to do with Peanuts.

If you’re a fan of Guaraldi’s Peanuts work and haven’t added these to your collection yet, this is the perfect way to do so. Quantities are limited, and this set doesn’t look to be on Amazon (although we’ll include links to the individual albums if you’re curious – as an affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases at those links), so check with your favorite indie retailer to see how you can get one for yourself. We’ve linked to Rough Trade below, who give an expected street date of October 17.

The Peanuts Collection, Vol. 1 (Lee Mendelson Film Productions, 2025)

Disc 1: Vince Guaraldi Quintet, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (Original Soundtrack Recording) (originally released as Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM02302, 2024 – original special aired 1973) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  1. Charlie Brown Blues
  2. Thanksgiving Theme
  3. Thanksgiving Theme (Reprise)
  4. Peppermint Patty
  5. Little Birdie
  6. Thanksgiving Interlude
  7. Is It James or Charlie?
  8. Linus and Lucy
  9. Fife and Drums Theme
  10. Charlie Brown Blues (Reprise)
  11. Thanksgiving Interlude (Reprise)
  12. Thanksgiving Theme (2nd Reprise)
  13. Thanksgiving Theme (3rd Reprise)
  14. Thanksgiving Theme (Alternate)
  15. Peppermint Patty (Bonus Mix)
  16. Linus and Lucy (Bonus Mix)
  17. Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate Takes 2, 4 & 6)
  18. Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate Take 10)
  19. Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate Take 14)
  20. Is It James or Charlie? (Bonus Mix with Whistling)
  21. Clark and Guaraldi

Disc 2: You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown (Original Soundtrack Recording) (originally released as Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM24NE02, 2024 – original special aired 1972) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  1. Incumbent Waltz
  2. You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown
  3. Oh, Good Grief!
  4. Cookin’ Snoopy (Fast Piano Jazz)
  5. Blue Charlie Brown
  6. Incumbent Waltz (Reprise)
  7. Linus and Lucy/Poor Charlie Brown
  8. Joe Cool (Vocal)
  9. Incumbent Waltz (2nd Reprise)
  10. Elect Linus (Dilemma)/Woodstock’s Wake Up
  11. Joe Cool (Unused Reprise)
  12. Oh, Good Grief! (Reprise)
  13. Deserted Charlie Brown
  14. You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown (Reprise)
  15. Linus and Lucy (Reprise)
  16. You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown (2nd Reprise – End Credits)
  17. Joe Cool (Alternate Take 1)
  18. Joe Cool (Alternate Rehearsal Take)
  19. Blue Charlie Brown (Alternate Take 1)
  20. African Sleigh Ride (Bonus)
  21. Cookin’ Snoopy (Fast Piano Jazz) (Alternate Takes 1, 2 & 3)
  22. Incumbent Waltz (2nd Reprise) (Alternate Take 1)
  23. Incumbent Waltz (2nd Reprise) (Alternate Take 3)
  24. Incumbent Waltz (Unused Cue)
  25. Linus and Lucy (Acoustic Piano Mix)

Disc 3: It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown (Original Soundtrack Recording) (originally released as Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM24SS02, 2024 – original special aired 1969) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  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. Freida (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 (Bossa Nova)
  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, Charlie Brown (2nd Reprise)
  27. Linus and Lucy (Alternate)
  28. Working on It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown
  29. Bus Blues (Alternate)
  30. Pebble Beach (Alternate)
  31. Masked Marvel (Alternate)
  32. Linus and Lucy (Reprise – Alternate)

Disc 4: Vince Guaraldi Trio, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (originally released as Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM25BMV02, 2025 – original special aired 1975) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  1. Heartburn Waltz
  2. Heartburn Waltz (Reprise)
  3. Linus and Lucy
  4. Valentine Interlude #1/Heartburn Waltz (2nd Reprise)
  5. Piano Sonata in G Major, Op. 49 No. 2 – I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
  6. Heartburn Waltz (3rd Reprise)
  7. Linus and Lucy (2nd Reprise)
  8. Paw Pet Overture
  9. Freddie’s Mood (Chopin’s Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2)
  10. Heartburn Waltz (4th Reprise)
  11. Never Again
  12. Music Box Dance (Bach’s Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 116)
  13. Woodstock’s Mambo
  14. Heartburn Waltz (5th Reprise)
  15. Jennie L.
  16. Heartburn Waltz (6th Reprise)
  17. Valentine Interlude #2/Heartburn Waltz (7th Reprise)
  18. There’s Been a Change
  19. Woodstock’s Revenge
  20. Charlie Brown’s Wake Up
  21. Heartburn Waltz (8th Reprise)
  22. Freddie’s Mood (Show Version)
  23. Heartburn Waltz (Bonus Mix)
  24. Jennie L. (Alternate Mix)
  25. Heartburn Waltz (Alternate Take)
  26. Woodstock’s Mambo (Bonus Mix)
  27. Heartburn Waltz (Reprise – Bonus Mix)
  28. There’s Been a Change (Alternate Take)
  29. Heartburn Waltz (5th Reprise – Bonus Mix)
  30. Last Call for Love

Disc 5: It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! (Original Soundtrack Recording) (originally released as Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM25EB02, 2025 – original special aired 1974) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  1. Peppermint Patty
  2. Easter Theme/Easter Theme (Reprise)
  3. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2 No. 3 – I. Allegro Con Brio
  4. Snoopy and Woodstock
  5. Linus and Lucy
  6. Woodstock’s Dream
  7. Snoopy’s Gumballs/Sally and Linus
  8. Woodstock’s Dream (Reprise)
  9. Marcie’s Song (Kitchen Music)
  10. Linus and Lucy (Reprise)
  11. Woodstock’s Pad
  12. Woodstock’s Dream (2nd Reprise)
  13. Music Box Dance (Bach’s Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 116)
  14. Woodstock’s Dream (3rd Reprise)
  15. Easter Egg Soup (Kitchen Music 2)
  16. Linus and Lucy (2nd Reprise)/Linus and Lucy (3rd Reprise)
  17. Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 – II. Allegreto
  18. Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 – I. Poco Sostenuto – Vivace
  19. Salting Eggs/Linus and Lucy (4th Reprise)
  20. Woodstock Medley (Woodstock’s Wake Up/Little Birdie/Woodstock’s Dream/Thanksgiving Theme/Little Birdie (Reprise)) – David Benoit

Disc 6: Vince Guaraldi Trio, You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (Original Soundtrack Recording) (originally released as Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM25GS02, 2025 – original special aired 1975) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  1. Motocross
  2. Peppermint Patty
  3. You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (Centercourt)
  4. Fanfare/Fanfare (Alternate Take)/Hospital Scene/Hospital Scene (Bonus)
  5. Bass Blues
  6. Linus and Lucy
  7. Motocross (Reprise)
  8. You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (Unused Opening Cues)
  9. The Great Pumpkin Waltz
  10. Motocross (2nd Reprise)
  11. Motocross (3rd Reprise)
  12. Motocross (4th Reprise)
  13. Motocross (5th Reprise – Extended with Additional Piano)
  14. Lunch Theme/Motocross (6th Reprise)
  15. You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (Reprise)
  16. Bicycles Are Beautiful (Reprise)
  17. Bicycle Ballad (Medley)
  18. Bicycle Bounce (and Reprise)
  19. Bicycle Wizard (and Reprise)
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Mike Duquette
Mike Duquette

Mike Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he was a teenager. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, having written at and worked for all three major catalogue music labels and contributing to Allmusic, Billboard, Discogs, City Pages and Ultimate Classic Rock. He's penned liner notes for Verve, Chess, Mondo and Soul Music Records.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with his wife, a cat named Ravioli, twin daughters and a large yet tasteful collection of music.

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