What Makes It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown So Magical

The Vince Guaraldi Trio, which consisted of Guaraldi on piano and assorted keyboard instruments, bassist Monty Budwig, drummer Colin Bailey, recorded the soundtrack to the Charlie Brown Halloween special at Desilu’s Gower Street Studio in Hollywood. They were joined at the sessions by Emmanuel “Mannie” Klein on trumpet, John Gray on guitar, and Ronald Lang on woodwinds. Production was done a few weeks ahead of the airdate, and overseen by John Scott Trotter, a composer, arranger, and conductor who worked as musical director for Bing Crosby for 30 years.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown premiered on Oct. 27, 1966, was nominated for an Emmy, and can be seen any time on Apple TV+. But much of the music has not been as accessible. The Great Pumpkin sessions had been considered lost to time. Before his death in 2019, Mendelson asked his children to find the original analog reels from the Peanuts scores. They found boxes, which included alternate takes and unedited live performances. They all contain the magic of Guaraldi’s immortal sonics.

Bang, who also wrote Vince Guaraldi at the Piano, 50 Years of Happiness: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz, and Charles M. Schulz: Li’l Beginnings, spoke with Den of Geek about Great Pumpkins, cool jazz, and working for Peanuts. This interview has been edited for length.

Den of Geek: When you first saw the Great Pumpkin as a kid, did you identify with Schroeder?

Derrick Bang: No, as far as the Peanuts characters are concerned, I have always identified more with Linus, I was drawn to his quiet philosophizing. As far as Schroeder’s character was concerned, in both Charlie Brown Christmas and the specials that followed, All Stars and then Great Pumpkin, I began to pretty quickly identify Schroeder with Vince Guaraldi. I was very disappointed when I got older and found out that the two really had nothing to do with each other.

Does that early impression still color how you see Vince Guaraldi?