‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ 60th Anniversary Soundtrack Vinyl Has a Strange Twist That Fans Will Love
It’s not officially Christmas season without A Charlie Brown Christmas, nor is it truly the holiday season without hearing the special’s iconic soundtrack by jazz legend Vince Guaraldi. The quintessential Christmas special turns 60 this year, and to celebrate, there’s a new edition of the soundtrack that you have to see—literally.
Craft Recordings announced on Aug. 5 that, to mark the 60th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas (as well as the 75th anniversary of Charles M. Schulz‘s PEANUTS), they will release a zoetrope pressing of the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s soundtrack on Sept. 12.
courtesy of Craft Recording
A zoetrope is an optical, pre-animation device that, when spun, produces a continuous animation loop. Think of it as cartoons before there were cartoons.
Side A of the zoetrope pressing features five snowy scenes, each animating a moment from the holiday special as the record spins. Side B, which features Lucy, Schroeder, and Snoopy, pays homage to the iconic dance scene.
Not only will this record be an excellent soundtrack for your holiday party, but guests and families will be dazzled as they watch the scenes play out. You may keep flipping the record over and over again, until the clock strikes 12:00 on December 25.
Craft Recordings will also release a black vinyl pressing of the album in an anniversary holographic foil jacket. Fans can also obtain limited-edition pressings of the holographic edition, including Red & Gold Tinsel-colored vinyl (at Walmart), Neon Green (at Best Buy), Ultra-Clear Glitter (over at CraftRecordings.com), and Blizzard-Swirl (at Urban Outfitters, available Oct. 17th).
If that wasn’t enough, Barnes & Noble will offer their new 2025 annual exclusive picture disc of the soundtrack on Sept. 26, featuring the skating scene from the holiday special on one side, and the now-iconic album cover image on the other. Target will also feature a deluxe holographic foil edition with Christmas tree-colored vinyl and an emerald green collectible 4” tiny vinyl. This mini version will play “Linus & Lucy” and “Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal)” at 33.3 rpm.
Click here for all the details and pre-orders.
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