Article Contributed by Craft Recordings
Published on 2026-06-10
60 years ago this October, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown aired on televisions across America, becoming an instant Halloween classic. The animated special—which marked the third installment from the hugely popular PEANUTS® franchise—featured another engaging jazz score by Vince Guaraldi, including favorites like “The Great Pumpkin Waltz,” “Graveyard Theme,” and, of course, the iconic “Linus and Lucy.” After its first official release in 2018, and rerelease upon the discovery of the original master tapes in 2022, Guaraldi’s captivating soundtrack returns to vinyl in its entirety, alongside a selection of rare outtakes.
Arriving August 7th and available to pre-order today, this anniversary reissue comes pressed on an eye-catching 45 RPM zoetrope LP, featuring memorable scenes from the special on each side, plus a new essay from Sean Mendelson. Additionally, a variety of limited-edition treats can be found at exclusive retail partners, including an Orange 4-inch Tiny Vinyl (Target) available from July 17th, featuring “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” on Side A and “Graveyard Theme” on Side B. Pumpkin-shaped pressings will also be available in exclusive colorways from August 21st, including Electric Pumpkin Patch (Barnes & Noble), Pumpkin Spice (Walmart), Ghost White (Target), and Candy Corn (Craft Recordings). Additionally, the Orange Pumpkin pressing will be back by popular demand at all major retailers.
In 1966, Vince Guaraldi was in the early years of a long-running, highly successful creative partnership with Lee Mendelson—a Bay Area TV producer who initially sought out the local jazz musician to score a documentary about Charles M. Schulz, creator of the popular PEANUTS® comic strip. While the film, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, never aired, the duo reconvened a year later for A Charlie Brown Christmas. The 1965 animated special, written by Charles Schulz, animated by Bill Melendez, and produced by Mendelson was an instant hit—as was its best-selling soundtrack. The following year, Mendelson tapped Guaraldi to score two more specials: Charlie Brown’s All-Stars!, which aired in June, and October’s It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
Recorded just weeks ahead of its airdate at Desilu’s Gower Street Studio in Hollywood, the Halloween special marked a new era in PEANUTS® scores, with the addition of seasoned composer, arranger, and conductor John Scott Trotter. While music for the first two specials was managed entirely by Guaraldi, Trotter—who was best known for his three-decade run as Bing Crosby’s music director—brought a sense of order to the sessions, helping the jazz musician better tailor his music into short, TV-friendly cues. Joining Guaraldi were his trio members (bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey), plus Emmanuel “Mannie” Klein (trumpet), John Gray (guitar), and Ronald Lang (woodwinds), who added warm textures to the autumnal score.
What didn’t change was the striking quality of Guaraldi’s cues. At the core of the special is the sophisticated and evocative “Great Pumpkin Waltz” theme, inspired by Linus’ steadfast belief in the mysterious gourd. Other standout tracks include the eerie “Breathless” as well as more whimsical selections, like “The Red Baron.” Additionally, evergreen favorites “Charlie Brown Theme” and the instantly recognizable “Linus and Lucy” are also soundtrack highlights.
In liner notes for a previous edition of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, PEANUTS® historian Derrick Bang wrote, “By this point, Guaraldi had a strong sense of how music could—and should—be employed to maximize the viewing audience’s emotional response.” He continued, “Guaraldi emphatically established the PEANUTS® ‘musical personality’ with this third outing, and all subsequent prime-time specials owed much to the groovin’ atmosphere that is so prevalent in Great Pumpkin.” Lee Mendelson also contributes an introductory note written before his passing in 2019.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown debuted on October 27, 1966, capturing an astonishing 49 percent of the audience share, as well as an Emmy nomination. Unlike A Charlie Brown Christmas, however, the special did not have a companion soundtrack release. While select tracks were added to compilations over the decades, a comprehensive collection of music from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown wasn’t released until 2018, and then re-released in 2022 to include even more from the original session recordings.
Vince Guaraldi, meanwhile, would score subsequent PEANUTS® specials—a total of 15—until his passing in 1976. Leaving behind a mighty legacy, Guaraldi’s beloved themes have become touchstones of American culture, introducing generations of children to the joys of jazz music. His most popular title, A Charlie Brown Christmas, remains one of the best-selling holiday releases of all time.
Click here to pre-order or stream It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown tracklist
Side A:
1. Linus and Lucy
2. Graveyard Theme
3. Snoopy and the Leaf/Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)
4. The Great Pumpkin Waltz
5. Linus and Lucy (Reprise)
6. Charlie Brown Theme/Charlie Brown Theme (Minor Theme)/Graveyard Theme (Reprise)
7. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (Reprise)
8. The Red Baron/Military Drum March
9. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (2nd Reprise)/The Great Pumpkin Waltz (3rd Reprise)
10. Graveyard Theme (Trick or Treat) (2nd Reprise)
11. Fanfare/Breathless/
12. Charlie Brown Theme (Reprise)
Side B:
1. Breathless (2nd Reprise)
2. It's a Long Way to Tipperary/There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding/Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag/Roses of Picardy
3. Graveyard Theme (Trick or Treat) (4th Reprise)
4. Linus and Lucy (2nd Reprise)/Linus and Lucy (3rd Reprise)
5. Charlie Brown Theme (2nd Reprise)
6. Linus and Lucy (Alternate Take 1)
7. Graveyard Theme (Alternate Take 1)
8. Charlie Brown Theme (Alternate Reprise Take 1)
9. Linus and Lucy (Alternate Take 2)
10. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (Alternate Take 2)
11. Linus and Lucy (Alternate Reprise Take 1)
12. Charlie Brown Theme (Alternate Reprise Take 2)
