New York, NY (Top40 Charts) You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown, the 14th animated Peanuts special, will receive its first-ever release of Vince Guaraldi's complete soundtrack, including a Zoetrope vinyl. Originally airing fifty years ago on October 28th, 1975, on CBS-TV, the special went on to win the Emmy for Outstanding Children's program. The special is currently available for streaming on Apple TV+.
The full soundtrack album includes the original 16 cues that comprise the score of the special - mixed into 14 tracks - plus a bonus track melding two of the intended opening cues left off the special. Additionally, the album features four bonus tracks from Bicycles are Beautiful, a film that Guaraldi scored for LMFP in 1974. Vince Guaraldi composed all 19 tracks on the album.
This is the first time Peanuts animation has appeared on a Zoetrope album. When the record plays at 45RPM, scenes from the special come to life. The action from the cartoon plays right along with the music on your turntable.
Highlights of the album include the title track, and fresh takes on classics like "Peppermint Patty" and "Linus and Lucy." "Motocross" is the special's central theme, and all its variations from the show can be heard on this album. The melodies can be fully appreciated on their own, not hidden underneath dialogue or effects from the special.
The album features Guaraldi (piano, electric piano, clavinet, ARP String Ensemble, and Rhythm Ace Drum Machine), Seward McCain (bass), Mark Rosengarden (drums and guiro), and John Scott Trotter as the music supervisor. The Bicycles are Beautiful bonus material features Guaraldi on electric keyboard, McCain (bass) and
Glenn Cronkhite (drums). Both soundtracks were originally recorded at Wally Heider Studio, in San Francisco: Good Sport on
September 12, 18-19, 1975, and Bicycles Are Beautiful on April 2, 1974. The soundtrack was produced by Sean Mendelson and Jason Mendelson; mixed at WonderWorld Studio by Grammy and Emmy Award-Winning mixing engineer Clark Germain, and restored and re-mastered by Vinson Hudson (who has mastered all the LMFP releases).
The physical copies include liner notes that give a track-by-track analysis by album producer Sean Mendelson, and notes from album producer, Jason Mendelson, sons of legendary Peanuts producer Lee Mendelson. Derrick Bang, Guaraldi biographer and author of Vince Guaraldi at the Piano, continues the tradition of providing an historical essay for both the special and the soundtrack. Plus, Charles Schulz' son
Craig Schulz adds an essay about the special's inspiration. The liner notes (vinyl: 4 page and CD: 12-page booklet) contain images from the special, rare photographs and a Peanuts comic strip. The 28-minute album will be available July 11th, 2025, on 12" 45 RPM Zoetrope Eco Mix LP Picture Disc, and on CD, and digitally. Pre-Order here now
Charles M. Schulz first introduced the world to Peanuts in 1950, when the comic strip debuted in seven newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have made an indelible mark on popular culture. In addition to enjoying beloved Peanuts shows and specials on Apple TV+, fans of all ages celebrate the Peanuts brand worldwide through thousands of consumer products, as well as amusement park attractions, cultural events, social media, and comic strips available in all formats, from traditional to digital. In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students.
