It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown soundtrack wide release coming July 5, 2024

Initially released as a limited edition "camp green" vinyl release on Record Store Day in April (see earlier post), Lee Mendelson Film Productions has announced that Vince Guaraldi's complete soundtrack to the 1969 Peanuts animated special It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown will receive a wide release on July 5, 2024.

The album will be available in multiple formats - CD, digital, a regular black vinyl (available at all retailers), and a Record Store Day Indie Exclusive "summer night blue" vinyl.

The CD, digital, and black vinyl are available to pre-order now from Amazon and other retailers, and the RSD Indie Exclusive is pre-orderable from record stores.

(The blue vinyl is a limited edition, so if you're interested in it, you should make your order sooner rather than later.  The green variant sold out quickly.)

Update July 5: the CD, digital, and summer blue vinyl are available on the release date as expected; the black vinyl has been delayed a few weeks due to production delays.  But it's definitely still coming!

The album's 31 tracks are the complete original recording of Guaraldi's score from the special, plus six bonus alternate takes. This is the first time the score has been available (outside of last month's RSD exclusive).

In It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown and the gang recount their time at summer camp, where the "boys camp" and "girls camp" compete against each other in swimming, softball, and other events. After several poor showings, the boys get out their secret weapon - the "Masked Marvel" - to battle Lucy in an arm-wrestling contest.

The soundtrack features the first appearance of Vince Guaraldi's distinctive "Masked Marvel" theme, together with swinging new takes on familiar established Peanuts musical themes, performed by a larger jazz combo than in most other Peanuts TV specials.

The tracks are mastered from the original session tapes and sound terrific. You can stream three sample tracks here.

Physical copies of the album include liner notes with track-by-track analysis by Guaraldi historian Derrick Bang, and notes from Sean Mendelson and Jason Mendelson, sons of Peanuts special producer Lee Mendelson and co-producers of the record.

The full track list is below; you can find the full press release and additional details on the Mendelson Productions website.

If you'd like more background about the It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown soundtrack, check out these two new interviews with Jason and Sean Mendelson: WCB Jazz Vinyl and Cereal at Midnight (the latter is also available as a podcast).

It may be a long summer for us while we wait for this release to come out - but it'll be worth it to have another complete, new Peanuts soundtrack in our hands!

It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown track list:

A1. Charlie Brown Theme
A2. Linus And Lucy
A3. It Was A Short Summer, Charlie Brown
A4. Oh, Good Grief!
A5. You’re In Love, Charlie Brown
A6. Schroeder
A7. Bus Blues / Bus Blues (Reprise)
A8. It Was A Short Summer, Charlie Brown (Reprise)
A9. Frieda (With The Naturally Curly Hair)
A10. Oh, Good Grief! (Reprise)
A11. Come And Get It / Hash / Hash With Horn / Am Break / Tah Dah
A12. Bon Voyage
A13. Peppermint Patty
A14. Love Will Come (Nova Bossa)
A15. He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown

B1. Pebble Beach
B2. You’re In Love, Charlie Brown (Reprise)
B3. He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown (Reprise)
B4. Masked Marvel
B5. Air Music
B6. Masked Marvel (Reprise) / Masked Marvel (2Nd Reprise)
B7. You’re In Love, Charlie Brown (2Nd Reprise)
B8. Linus And Lucy (Reprise)
B9. Oh, Good Grief! (2Nd Reprise)
B10. Charlie Brown Theme (Reprise)
B11. It Was A Short Summer, Charlie Brown (2Nd Reprise)

Bonus Content:
B12. Linus And Lucy (Alternate)
B13. Working On “It Was A Short Summer, Charlie Brown”
B14. Bus Blues (Alternate)
B15. Pebble Beach (Alternate)
B16. Masked Marvel (Alternate)
B17. Linus And Lucy (Reprise Alternate)

It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown soundtrack vinyl for Record Store Day 2024

Following on the success of last year's A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving album, Lee Mendelson Film Productions has announced the release of another classic Vince Guaraldi Peanuts soundtrack.

It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown will be issued on an exclusive "camp green" vinyl LP for Record Store Day on April 20, 2024.

The original soundtrack recording for this special has never been available before, and this album contains six bonus tracks as well.

If you missed the "camp green" vinyl, the album is receiving a wide release in more formats on July 5, 2024.  It will be available on CD, digital, and black vinyl; plus also a "summer night blue" vinyl only available from independent record stores.  See this blog post for more details.

Here's the full press release:

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Available for the first time ever!

Vince Guaraldi’s complete soundtrack for 1969's It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown

Limited release in celebration of the special's 55th anniversary

Available exclusively on "Camp Green" Vinyl (12-inch, 45 RPM) 

for Record Store Day, April 20th

    “This entire score is can’t-be-played-often-enough ear candy. It’s as fresh and vibrant today — and as swinging — as when it was laid down 55 years ago: yet another captivating display of Guaraldi’s compositional genius and keyboard wizardry. Summer never sounded so sweet.”

— From the liner notes by Derrick Bang, Author, Vince Guaraldi at the Piano

Stream sample tracks from It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown

Lee Mendelson Film Productions (LMFP) is thrilled to announce the release of Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown, the sixth animated Peanuts special, from writer/creator Charles Schulz, director Bill Melendez and producers Melendez and Lee Mendelson. The special originally aired on CBS-TV on September 27, 1969, and currently can be streamed on Apple TV+.

 

The album includes the original recordings that comprise the special's song cues, plus six bonus and alternative tracks that never have been released or heard before.

Guaraldi lovingly created the soundtrack for the summer camp adventure that finds Charlie Brown and his gang facing off against the girls’ camp members, led by Peppermint Patty. The album's large jazz combo also delivers the best rendition of Guaraldi's classic tune, “Love Will Come (Nova Bossa),” and features his first use of additional percussion supplied by Victor Feldman.

 

The recording features Guaraldi (piano), Monty Budwig (double bass), Jack Sperling (drums), Conti and Pete Candoli (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone), Feldman (percussion), Herb Ellis (guitar), William Hood and Peter Christlieb (woodwinds), with John Scott Trotter as orchestra leader. The album was produced by Sean and Jason Mendelson, sons of Peanuts producer Lee Mendelson, and restored and re-mastered by Vinson Hudson.

 

The album will be available exclusively at participating retail outlets starting April 20, 2024, as part of Record Store Day. Store locations and additional information is available at recordstoreday.com. 

 

The 12" 45 RMP LP will come in "camp green" and includes liner notes and a track-by-track analysis by Derrick Bang (author of Vince Guaraldi at the Piano) and Sean Mendelson (son of Peanuts producer Lee Mendelson and album co-producer).  The package also boasts images from the special, and of the recently re-discovered original tape boxes (which led to this release).  

 

For an extended version of the press release and more information, click here. 

Track list:

A1. CHARLIE BROWN THEME

A2. LINUS AND LUCY

A3. IT WAS A SHORT SUMMER, CHARLIE BROWN

A4. OH, GOOD GRIEF!

A5. YOU’RE IN LOVE, CHARLIE BROWN

A6. SCHROEDER

A7. BUS BLUES / BUS BLUES (REPRISE)

A8. IT WAS A SHORT SUMMER, CHARLIE BROWN (REPRISE)

A9. FRIEDA (WITH THE NATURALLY CURLY HAIR)

A10. OH, GOOD GRIEF! (REPRISE)

A11. COME AND GET IT / HASH / HASH WITH HORN / AM BREAK / TAH DAH 

A12. BON VOYAGE

A13. PEPPERMINT PATTY

A14. LOVE WILL COME (NOVA BOSSA)

A15. HE’S YOUR DOG, CHARLIE BROWN

B1. PEBBLE BEACH

B2. YOU’RE IN LOVE, CHARLIE BROWN (REPRISE)

B3. HE’S YOUR DOG, CHARLIE BROWN (REPRISE)

B4. MASKED MARVEL

B5. AIR MUSIC

B6. MASKED MARVEL (REPRISE) / MASKED MARVEL (2ND REPRISE) 

B7. YOU’RE IN LOVE, CHARLIE BROWN (2ND REPRISE)

B8. LINUS AND LUCY (REPRISE)

B9. OH, GOOD GRIEF! (2ND REPRISE)

B10. CHARLIE BROWN THEME (REPRISE)

B11. IT WAS A SHORT SUMMER, CHARLIE BROWN (2ND REPRISE) 

Bonus content:

B12. LINUS AND LUCY (ALTERNATE)

B13. WORKING ON “IT WAS A SHORT SUMMER, CHARLIE BROWN” 

B14. BUS BLUES (ALTERNATE)

B15. PEBBLE BEACH (ALTERNATE)

B16. MASKED MARVEL (ALTERNATE)

B17. LINUS AND LUCY (REPRISE ALTERNATE)

 

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Most excellent news - and remember, good sales of this album will make more soundtrack releases likely in the future.

Demand for Record Store Day exclusives can be high, and usually you must go to the store in person to get them - so plan accordingly for April 20!