Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials is a compilation soundtrack album by Vince Guaraldi released by D & D Records (Guaraldi’s label) in 2007. The album consists of select music cues featured on several Peanuts television specials produced between 1972 and 1975.[1]
Background
In the mid-2000s, Dave Guaraldi discovered recordings from seven 1970s-era Peanuts television specials composed by his father, Vince Guaraldi. He curated select tracks to compile the first of two volumes of previously unreleased musical cues, sourced from his father's personal recording session reel-to-reel tapes.[2]
Dave collaborated with sound engineer Michael Graves at Osiris Studio in Atlanta, Georgia, to restore and remaster the recordings for release.[1]
The songs chosen for this volume were featured in the following Peanuts television specials:
Sound Insights author Doug Payne noted that the release of Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials was notable due to the fact that almost none of Guaraldi's Peanuts soundtrack work was made available for public consumption. Despite scoring 16 Peanuts television specials and one feature film, only two official soundtracks were released during Guaraldi's lifetime: Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown (an unaired television documentary) and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials did much to fill a significant gap in this respect.[3]
Chris Holmes of the nostalgia-themed website grayflannelsuit.net commented that "although some songs are quite brief, they paint a good picture of Guaraldi’s music near the end of his life; whimsical, funky, and always impeccably performed."[4]
T. Ballard Lesemann of the Charleston City Paper called "Little Birdie" the "best Thanksgiving theme," commenting the "anti-worry/positive sentiment and snuffy singing style somehow matches the vibe of the season. Guaraldi sings lead, just barely in front of a great-sounding brass section and some funky electric piano."[5]
^[a] Liner notes erroneously state that "Peppermint Patty" (Track 5) was featured in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; this version did not appear in any Peanuts television special.[1]
^[b]The vocal version of "Joe Cool" is a composite of three separate recordings from different specials.[1]
^Bang, Derrick (August 2, 2023). "Thanksgiving comes early this year!". impressionsofvince.blogspot.com. Retrieved September 7, 2024. The D&D label has been moribund for years, and I don't expect it to return. Although both volumes of the "Lost Cues" albums have some 'Thanksgiving' cues, they were mastered from Guaraldi's personal session reel-to-reel recording, as opposed to the higher-quality studio recording; you'll definitely notice the difference on this new album.
