Was the Charlie Brown themesong written for the movies, or did they just find it somewhere and use it?

It was written by Dave Brubeck for the TV program.

Wasn’t it done by Vince Guaraldi?

Oops, I’m just thinking about the music from the Charlie Brown Christmas special

Ooops, bingo! How did Brubeck get in my head?

OK cool.

I found this story on the radio a couple of weeks ago:

“Filmmaker Lee Mendelson was looking to make a documentary about Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz. One day, Mendelson was traveling across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and heard Guaraldi’s minor hit “Cast Your Fate To The Wind [on the radio].”

“Well, as jazz hits go, it was a smash,” Ramsey says. “But in the overall pop scene, it made its mark.”

So Mendelson contacted Ralph J. Gleason, a jazz critic in San Francisco, who put him in touch with Guaraldi. It was the beginning of a long partnership that resulted in commissions for many animated Peanuts specials.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120892574

@pdworkin‘s Ooops, bingo! How did Brubeck get in my head?

Because Peanuts’ music is spare and Brubeck-esque (sax+piano+drums).

Thanks, it’s kind of you to give me an excuse.

I’m wondering if it wasn’t the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s version of “Greensleeves” you heard, @ChocolateReigns. That’s a traditional English tune that many musicians have done versions of.

@pdworkin Thanks, it’s kind of you to give me an excuse.

De nada

The Charlie Brown Christmas Special: The only one with class…

@jaytkay It was that story on NPR and the playing of Guaraldi’s piece that sparked my recent interest in learning more about jazz.

The theme song most people associate with Peanuts specials is titled ‘Linus and Lucy’ by Guaraldi and I believe he wrote it for the show.

@pdworkin: ”How did Brubeck get in my head?”

It’s because he’s awesome, too. And you’re “old.” <3

@pdworkin Maybe you need to “take 5.”