a charlie brown christmas album download Rock Fusion Guitar. A Charlie Brown Christmas is a 1965 studio album by American composer/conductor (later credited to the jazz group the Vince Guaraldi Trio). The album was released in December 1965 in the United States by Fantasy Records. It is the soundtrack to the CBS Christmas television special of the same name. Guaraldi was contacted by television producer Lee Mendelson several years prior to compose music for a documentary on the comic strip Peanuts and its creator, Charles M. Schulz. Although the special went unaired, these selections were released in 1964 as of "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" . Coca-Cola commissioned a Christmas special based on Peanuts in 1965 and Guaraldi returned to score the special. A Charlie Brown Christmas features several originals ("", "") as well as covers of well-known Christmas songs ("The Christmas Song", "O Tannenbaum"). The score for the special was largely cut at recording sessions at Glendale, California's Whitney Studio. Much of this material was later re-recorded by Guaraldi at three sessions later in the year at Fantasy Recording Studios in San Francisco, alongside a choir of children culled from St. Paul's Episcopal Church in nearby San Rafael. The sessions ran late into the night, with the children rewarded with ice cream afterwards. Bassist Fred Marshall and drummer Jerry Granelli have been credited as performing on the album, although a host of musicians claim to have recorded the album. Released a week prior to the broadcast premiere of the special, A Charlie Brown Christmas sold well, and became increasingly famous in the ensuing decades. It is among the most popular Christmas albums in the United States, where it has been certified Triple Platinum, having shipped at least three million copies. As of November 2014, A Charlie Brown Christmas is the tenth best-selling Christmas/holiday album in 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 and added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry list of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" sound recordings. By the early 1960s, Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts had become a sensation worldwide. Television producer Lee Mendelson acknowledged the strip's cultural impression and produced a documentary on the subject, titled A Boy Named Charlie Brown . Mendelson, a fan of jazz, heard a song by Vince Guaraldi on the radio not long after completion of his documentary, and contacted the musician to produce music for the special. Guaraldi composed the music for the project, creating an entire piece, "Linus and Lucy," to serve as the theme. Despite the popularity of the strip and acclaim from advertisers, networks were not interested in the special. By April 1965, Time featured the Peanuts gang on its magazine cover, and plans for an animated half-hour Peanuts Christmas special were commissioned by The Coca-Cola Company. When Coca-Cola commissioned A Charlie Brown Christmas in spring 1965, Guaraldi returned to write the music. The first instrumentals for the special were recorded by Guaraldi at Glendale, California's Whitney Studio with bassist and drummer Colin Bailey. Recycling "Linus and Lucy" from the earlier special, Guaraldi completed two new originals for the special, "Skating", and "Christmas Time Is Here". In the weeks preceding the premiere, Mendelson encountered trouble finding a lyricist for Guaraldi's instrumental intro, and penned "Christmas Time is Here" in "about 15 minutes" on the backside of an envelope. The special opens and closes with a choir of children, culled from St. Paul's Episcopal Church in San Rafael, performing "Christmas Time Is Here" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". One of the singers, Candace Hackett Shively, went on to become an elementary school teacher, and sent a letter of gratitude to Schulz after announcing his retirement in 2000. In the letter, she recalls recording the choir at Fantasy Studios and going out for ice cream afterwards, while also noting that she tells the story to her grade-schoolers each holiday season. The recording sessions were conducted in late autumn 1965, and were cut in three separate sessions over two weeks. They often ran late into the night, resulting in angry parents, some who forbid their children from returning; as such, numerous new children were present at each session. The children were directed by Barry Mineah, who demanded perfection from the choir. Mendelson and Guaraldi disagreed, desiring the "kids to sound like kids"; they used a slightly off-key version of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" in the final cut. Children were paid five dollars for their participation. In addition, the children recorded dialogue for the special's final scene, in which the crowd of kids shout "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!". The soundtrack for the special was recorded during these sessions, with decisions regarding timing and phrasing determined quickly. Guaraldi brought in bassist Fred Marshall and drummer Jerry Granelli to record the music, and spent time later re-recording earlier tracks, including covers of "The Christmas Song" and "Greensleeves". The eventual LP release credited Guaraldi solely, neglecting to mention the other musicians; Guaraldi was notorious for never keeping records of his session players. Nearly three decades later, in an effort to correct the matter, Fantasy surmised that the recordings with Budwig and Bailey were employed in the special, while Marshall and Granelli recorded the album. Despite this, other individuals have come forward claiming to have recorded the special's music: bassists Eugene Firth and Al Obidinksi, and drummers Paul Distel and Benny Barth. Firth and Distil are noted as performers on a studio-session report Guaraldi filed for the American Federation of Musicians. Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz called on pianist extraordinaire Vince Guaraldi and his trio to compose and perform music that would reflect the humor, charm, and innocence of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the entire Peanuts gang for their 1965 Christmas TV special. It was a perfect match: Guaraldi strings together elegant, enticing arrangements that reflect the spirit and mood of Schulz's work and introduce contemporary jazz to youngsters with grace, charm, and creativity. "What Child Is This" touches on cool jazz's richly textured percussive nuances, while "The Christmas Song" reflects Christmas' relaxing, mellow moments. The renowned "Linus and Lucy" gives the Peanuts characters a fresh, energetic feel with its tantalizing meter changes, brilliant percussion, and dashing, humorous piano lines. "Christmastime Is Here," perhaps the album's most endearing and eloquent moment, is six minutes of soft, lullaby-like melodic and percussive flavors. This collection of soul-soothing melodies would not be complete without the romantic gem "Skating," which blends musical references to falling snowflakes with the dashing feel of swing. Finally, the uplifting, emotionally stirring swing tune "Christmas Is Coming" really brings the listener into the joyous light of the Christmas spirit. Fred Marshall's alluring walking basslines and drummer Jerry Granelli's hauntingly beautiful brush work give most of the album a warm foundation, while Monty Budwig and Colin Bailey shine through with eminent dexterity on bass and drums on "Greensleeves." As for Guaraldi, his penetrating improvisational phrases paint pictures of the first winter snowfall, myriad glistening trees, and powdery white landscapes. With its blend of contemporary jazz and lyrical mannerisms, A Charlie Brown Christmas is a joyous and festive meditation for the holiday season. "O Tannenbaum" (Ernst Anschütz) – 5:08 "What Child Is This" (William Chatterton Dix) – 2:25 "My Little Drum" (Vince Guaraldi) – 3:12 "Linus and 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 Tormé, Robert Wells) – 3:17. "Greensleeves" (Traditional) – 5:25 "Christmas Is Coming" (Alternate Take 1) (Guaraldi) – 4:37 "The Christmas Song" (Alternate Take 3) (Tormé, Wells) – 3:53 "Greensleeves" (Alternate Take 6) (Traditional) – 5:05 "Christmas Time Is Here" (Alternate Vocal Take) (Guaraldi) – 1:34. A Charlie Brown Christmas. Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz called on pianist extraordinaire Vince Guaraldi and his trio to compose and perform music that would reflect the humor, charm, and innocence of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the entire Peanuts gang for their 1965 Christmas TV special. It was a perfect match: Guaraldi strings together elegant, enticing arrangements that reflect the spirit and mood of Schulz's work and introduce contemporary jazz to youngsters with grace, charm, and creativity. "What Child Is This" touches on cool jazz's richly textured percussive nuances, while "The Christmas Song" reflects Christmas' relaxing, mellow moments. The renowned "Linus and Lucy" gives the Peanuts characters a fresh, energetic feel with its tantalizing meter changes, brilliant percussion, and dashing, humorous piano lines. "Christmastime Is Here," perhaps the album's most endearing and eloquent moment, is six minutes of soft, lullaby-like melodic and percussive flavors. This collection of soul-soothing melodies would not be complete without the romantic gem "Skating," which blends musical references to falling snowflakes with the dashing feel of swing. Finally, the uplifting, emotionally stirring swing tune "Christmas Is Coming" really brings the listener into the joyous light of the Christmas spirit. Fred Marshall's alluring walking basslines and drummer Jerry Granelli's hauntingly beautiful brush work give most of the album a warm foundation, while Monty Budwig and Colin Bailey shine through with eminent dexterity on bass and drums on "Greensleeves." As for Guaraldi, his penetrating improvisational phrases paint pictures of the first winter snowfall, myriad glistening trees, and powdery white landscapes. With its blend of contemporary jazz and lyrical mannerisms, A Charlie Brown Christmas is a joyous and festive meditation for the holiday season. Vince Guaraldi Sheet Music from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" Musicnotes features the world's largest online digital sheet music catalogue with over 400,000 arrangements available to print and play instantly. Shop our newest and most popular Vince Guaraldi sheet music such as "Christmas Time Is Here" , "Skating" and "Linus and Lucy (Peanuts Theme)" , or click the button above to browse all Vince Guaraldi sheet music. Download our free apps for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC and interact with your sheet music anywhere with in-app transposition, text & highlighter markup and adjustable audio/video playback. Plus, organize your music into folders and set lists and much more! A Charlie Brown Christmas Sheet Music. Musicnotes features the world's largest online digital sheet music catalogue with over 400,000 arrangements available to print and play instantly. Shop our newest and most popular sheet music such as "Für Elise" , "Linus and Lucy (Peanuts Theme) [intermediate]" and "Christmas Time Is Here" , or click the button above to browse all sheet music. Download our free apps for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC and interact with your sheet music anywhere with in-app transposition, text & highlighter markup and adjustable audio/video playback. Plus, organize your music into folders and set lists and much more! 5 Vince Guaraldi Albums Beyond A Charlie Brown Christmas. Vince Guaraldi is best known for composing and performing the jazz score to A Charlie Brown Christmas . The Charlie Brown soundtrack is terrific, and has held up for half a century. But Guaraldi (dubbed "Dr. Funk" by his friends) made a lot of music beyond the Charlie Brown songs, and it's worth your time to dig in. Here are five great albums by the San Francisco jazz legend. 1. The Latin Side of Vince Guaraldi (1964) This is your classic mid-1960s Latin-flavored dinner jazz. It's effortless, light, and fun. Put this on at your next dinner party and dim the lights just a bit. 2. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing (1957) This is the second album by Vince Guaraldi's trio. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing is great "work music" for me. It's smooth, smart, and gentle. 3. (With Bola Sete) (1964) Guaraldi often performed with Brazilian guitarist Bola Sete, collaborating on three albums: Vince Guaraldi, Bola Sete and Friends ; From All Sides ; and Live at El Matador . They're all great. The interplay between Guaraldi on piano and Sete on classical guitar is fantastic. Note that Vince Guaraldi, Bola Sete and Friends is on YouTube in its entirety. The video above is just one of many Guaraldi/Sete live performances (on Jazz Casual in 1963). 4. Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus (1962) This was Guaraldi's breakthrough album, thanks to the tune "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," which won a Grammy and went Gold. Listening to that song, you can hear the groove and style that would make the Charlie Brown music such a hit. As the name suggests, this album is a series of performances inspired by the soundtrack to the film Black Orpheus . Another brilliant song here is Guaraldi's delicate take on "Moon River": 5. Alma-Ville (1970) Guaraldi's last studio album, Alma-Ville shows him at his Latin-inspired best. On "Uno Y Uno," Guaraldi even swaps his piano for electric guitar (!). The record is straight-ahead Latin jazz, right down to the jazzy cover of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," embedded above. Lovely. All of these albums are available on streaming services, and in recent years, good CD remasters have come out. In some cases, the songs are even on YouTube (as with The Latin Side of Vince Guaraldi above). Look around, and ye shall find. Bonus points: If you like Guaraldi's Charlie Brown material, check out George Winston's 1996 album Linus and Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi , which opens with a fantastic take on "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" and just gets better from there.