What an anniversary year it is for what experts consider to be the greatest comic strip in history! In fact, one such expert, Mark Evanier, named his new book The Essential Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz: The Greatest Comic Strip of All Time. It’s a spectacular, slip-cased volume filled with collectable artwork and lots more.

But wait, there’s more. Sean and Jason Mendelson, whose father, Lee Mendelson, produced classic Peanuts specials, series, and feature films, have produced three more TV soundtrack albums in addition to the ones we explored in a previous Animation Spin.

YOU’RE A GOOD SPORT, CHARLIE BROWN
Original TV Soundtrack Recording – 50th Anniversary Edition
Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM-25GS01 (Stereo Vinyl 45 RPM LP / Compact Disc / Digital)

Released July 11, 2025, from the Emmy-winning 1975 CBS TV special. Producers: Sean Mendelson and Jason Mendelson. Music Supervision: John Scott Trotter. Arrangements: Vince Guaraldi. Musicians: Vince Guaraldi (piano, electric piano, clavinet, ARP string ensemble, Rhythm Ace drum machine); Seward McCain (bass); Vince Lateano (drums, percussion). Recorded December 9, 17, 18, 23, and 30, 1974, at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco. Album Mixing: Terry Carleton. Restoration and Mastering: Vinson Hudson. Tape Archiving: John Strother. Liner Notes: Craig Schulz, Derrick Bang, Sean Mendelson, and Jason Mendelson. Package Layout: Megan Rible. Running Time: 42 minutes.

MUSIC: “Motocross,” “Peppermint Patty,” “You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (Centercourt),” “Fanfare,” “Fanfare (Alternate Take),” “Hospital Scene,” “Hospital Scene (Bonus),” “Bass Blues,” “Linus and Lucy,” “Motocross (Reprise),” “You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (Unused Opening Cues Not Heard on the Special),” “The Great Pumpkin Waltz,” “Motocross (2nd Reprise),” “Motocross (3rd Reprise),” “Motocross (4th Reprise),” “Pebble Beach,” “You’re In Love, Charlie Brown (Reprise),” “Motocross (5th Reprise Extended with Additional Piano),” “Lunch Theme,” “Motocross (6th Reprise),” and “You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (Reprise)” by Vince Guaraldi.
ADDITONAL MUSIC: “Bicycles Are Beautiful (Reprise),” “Bicycle Ballad (Medley),” “Bicycle Bounce (and Reprise),” and “Bicycle Wizard (and Reprise)” by Vince Guaraldi.

The newest of the three releases available is also the first Peanuts vinyl record to be pressed with a Zoetrope process that allows you to see a collection of animated scenes from the special as the record rotates.

In the special itself, from the moment Peppermint Patty zoomed onto the scene and announced that motocross is the latest thing, and the gang says “Mo-To Cross?” what followed was based on real-life events of Charles Schulz and his family (as so many of his comic strips were). In liner notes written especially for the album, Schulz’s son Craig remembers his dad attending his motocross events.

The vinyl and CD editions come with a wealth of other notes, as do all of the recent releases, along with special art from the films. The Mendel-sons wrote some of them, along with Vince Guaraldi historian Derrick Bang, author of Vince Guaraldi at the Piano.

BE MY VALENTINE, CHARLIE BROWN
Original TV Soundtrack Recording – 50th Anniversary Edition
Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM-25BMV01 (Stereo Vinyl 33 RPM LP / Compact Disc / Digital)

Released January 17, 2025, from the Emmy-nominated 1975 CBS TV special. Producers: Sean Mendelson and Jason Mendelson. Music Supervision: John Scott Trotter. Arrangements: Vince Guaraldi. Musicians: Vince Guaraldi (piano, electric piano, electric harpsichord, electric guitar); Seward McCain (bass); Robert Clare (flute), Glenn Cronkite (drums), Eliot Zigmund (drums). Recorded September 12, 18, and 19, 1974, at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco. Album Mixing: Clark Germain. Restoration and Mastering: Vinson Hudson. Tape Archiving: John Strother. Liner Notes: Derrick Bang, Sean Mendelson, and Jason Mendelson. Package Layout: Megan Rible. Running Time: 29 minutes.

MUSIC: “Heartburn Waltz,” “Heartburn Waltz (Reprise),” “Linus and Lucy,” “Valentine Interlude #1,” “Heartburn Waltz (2nd Reprise),” “Heartburn Waltz (3rd Reprise),” “Paw Pet Overture,” “Heartburn Waltz (4th Reprise),” “Never Again,” “Woodstock’s Mambo,” “Heartburn Waltz (5th Reprise),” “Jennie L,” “Heartburn Waltz (6th Reprise),” “Valentine Interlude #2,” “Heartburn Waltz (7th Reprise),” “There’s Been a Change,” “Woodstock’s Revenge,” “Charlie Brown’s Wake-Up,” “Heartburn Waltz (8th Reprise),” and “Freddie’s Mood (Show Version)” by Vince Guaraldi.
CLASSICAL MUSIC: “Piano Sonata No. 20 in G Major, Op. 49 No. 2 – 1, Allegro ma non troppo” by Ludwig van Beethoven,” “Freddie’s Mood (Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2)” by Frederic Chopin; and “Music Box Dance (Bach’s Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 116)” by Johann Sebastian Bach.

ADDITIONAL MUSIC: “Heartburn Waltz (Bonus Mix),” Jennie L. (Alternate Take),” “Heartburn Waltz (Alternate Take),” “Woodstock’s Mambo (Bonus Mix),” “Heartburn Waltz (Reprise) (Bonus Mix),” “There’s Been a Change (Alternate Take),” “Heartburn Waltz (5th Reprise) (Bonus Mix),” “Last Call for Love” by Vince Guaraldi.

If you remember watching each new Peanuts special and noticing how Guaraldi retained many of his themes and the overall jazz styles, but constantly experimented with new sounds and instrumentations, you will be transported back to 1975 the moment the record starts. All of the soundtracks combine new themes with all-time favorites. Guaraldi, music supervisor John Scott Trotter (who arranged and conducted Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”) and the musicians offer ever-changing twists on such themes as “Linus and Lucy,” as well as clever ways to work classical themes into the scores, in this case, melodies from Bach and, of course, Beethoven.

IT’S THE EASTER BEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN
Original TV Soundtrack Recording – Peanuts 75th Anniversary Edition
Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM-25EB01 (Stereo Vinyl 33 RPM LP / Compact Disc / Digital)

Released April 12, 2025, from the Emmy-nominated 1974 CBS TV special. Producers: Sean Mendelson and Jason Mendelson. Music Supervision: John Scott Trotter. Musicians: Vince Guaraldi (piano, electric piano, electric harpsichord, electric guitar); Seward McCain (bass); Robert Clare (flute), Glenn Cronkite (drums), Eliot Zigmund (drums). Recorded January 30 and March 1, 1974, at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco. Album Mixing: Clark Germain. Restoration and Mastering: Vinson Hudson. Liner Notes: Derrick Bang, Sean Mendelson, and Jason Mendelson. Package Layout: Megan Rible. Zoetrope Design: Drew Tetz. Running Time: 29 minutes.

MUSIC: “Peppermint Patty,” “Easter Theme,” “Easter Theme (Reprise),” “Snoopy and Woodstock,” “Linus and Lucy,” “Woodstock’s Dream,” “Snoopy’s Gumballs,” “Sally and Linus,” “Woodstock’s Dream (Reprise),” “Marcie’s Song (Kitchen Music),” “Linus and Lucy (Reprise),” “Woodstock’s Pad,” “Woodstock’s Dream (2nd Reprise),” “Woodstock’s Dream (3rd Reprise),” “Easter Egg Soup (Kitchen Music #2),” “Linus and Lucy (2nd Reprise),” “Linus and Lucy (3rd Reprise),” “Salting Eggs,” “Linus and Lucy (4th Reprise),” and “Freddie’s Mood (Show Version)” by Vince Guaraldi.

CLASSICAL MUSIC: “Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2 No. 3 – I. Allegro con brio,” “Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 – II, Allegreto,” “Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 – I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace” by Ludwig van Beethoven, and “Music Box Dance (Bach’s Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 116)” by Johann Sebastian Bach.

ADDITIONAL MUSIC: “Woodstock Medley (“Woodstock’s Wake-Up,” “Little Birdie,” “Woodstock’s Dream,” “Thanksgiving Theme,” and “Little Birdie (Reprise)” by Vince Guaraldi, recorded by David Benoit, Seward McCain, and Mike Clark.

It’s The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown is a personal favorite, particularly because of its unique and eclectic musical score. There’s a little bit of everything, including Guaraldi’s “Easter Theme,” an ethereal composition unlike anything in other Peanuts films. Hearing it in full stereo was something I never expected to experience.

The Easter special itself, like all of the best Peanuts films, contains “wait-for-it” sequcnces like the gang’s adventures in a department store, with Snoopy on one escalator and everyone else on the other, the exquisite music box dance, and Marcie’s recipe for egg soup.

All of these albums have striking cover designs. The front covers follow a fresh, yet traditional look, usually with the title near the top, or at least visible from the top third, with a bold image underneath. This was the way albums usually appeared, so that they could be seen immediately as people flipped through record store bins or spotted them on displays.

And there are more on the way!