It’s remarkable how the “Charlie Brown Christmas” TV special endures. The tone is often wistful and melancholic, the animation is rough and amateurish by today’s CGI standards, synching is sometimes off, and the “true meaning of Christmas”involves a hushed reading from the King James Bible. Perhaps this all seemed very ground-breaking when it aired 50 years ago. Lucky families with color TVs in 1965 simply marveled at how their favorite Sunday comics section characters came to life on their extra-deluxe 24” screens, no matter how stiffly they talked and walked.
You would think a show like this would be relegated to the archives of American television. But, year after year, millions of people continue to enjoy this classic program on TV and other media formats.
I blame it on the music. Vince Guaraldi Trio’s casually cool jazz score added a breezy, careless air to the show. The soundtrack to “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is the perfect example of the best in children’s music. The jaunty “Linus and Lucy,” cool syncopation of “O Tannenbaum,” and the improvisational style of “Christmastime Is Here” manage to evoke all of the confused and intense feelings of the holidays. We click on these songs each year, and they are as fresh and memorable as they were when our grandparents first dropped a needle on the original LP.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the TV show and album, Concord Music Group has just released a couple of special editions of the multi-platinum selling “A Charlie Brown Christmas” album. An adorable and affordable choice is the “Snoopy Doghouse Edition.” The remastered CD includes 3 bonus tracks that did not appear on the original 1965 LP plus a 20-page booklet filled with iconic images from the program and in-depth liner notes by Guaraldi historian Derrick Bang. The CD sleeve folds out to form a replica of Snoopy’s colorfully decorated domicile and comes with cut-outs of the Peanuts gang – Linus, Lucy, Snoopy, and Charlie Brown himself – with stands for each figure. The album is available from Amazon: http://smarturl.it/snoopydoghouse. Another special edition of the album, which includes 2 discs of Vince Guaraldi music, a colorful storybook and postcards, is available exclusively at Wal-Mart stores this season, too.
The holidays are a special time in Portland. Many of the local kindie stars, including Red Yarn, Mo Phillips, Tallulah’s Daddy and The Alphabeticians, are planning all-ages sing-along shows. I can’t think of a better stress-busting way to enjoy the season with your family.
To add to your listening pleasure, I’ve gathered a playlist of happy holiday tunes by artists ranging from Lisa Loeb to Seattle’s The Not-Its! Simply click over and enjoy the music HERE.
December all-ages shows:
Red Yarn
“Winter in the Deep Woods” shows at various locations: Dec 16, 10 am at Village Ballroom; Dec 17, 5 pm at Mississippi Pizza; and Dec 18, 10 am at Warehouse Cafe.
Tallulah’s Daddy with Paul Brainerd:
“Fun Machine Christmas” show: Dec 22, 5 pm at Mississippi Pizza. The Baldwin Fun Machine is a “delightfully cheesy” console organ from the 1970s.
Beth Blenz-Clucas
Sugar Mountain PR
www.sugarmountainpr.com
