You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown: Original Soundtrack Recording is an upcoming album by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, scheduled for U.S. release on July 11, 2025, by Lee Mendelson Film Productions. It is the soundtrack to the motocross-themed television special of the same name first broadcast on CBS on October 28, 1975.
Background.
Following the passing of producer Lee Mendelson in December 2019, his children undertook an extensive search of archival materials in hopes of locating original music score recordings from the "Peanuts" television specials. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, they uncovered a collection of analog session tapes, recorded by Guaraldi for several of the specials. These recordings, long believed to be lost, comprised not only all of Guaraldi's music cues but also the arrangements by John Scott Trotter, including multiple alternate takes.
The session tapes preserve the complete, unedited recordings, which were originally captured and mixed in stereo. These analog recordings were carefully transferred by Deluxe Entertainment Services to high-resolution digital format at 192 kHz/24-bit from the original 2-inch, 16-track stereo masters.
Release.
"You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown: Original Soundtrack Recording – 50th Anniversary Extended Edition" will be released on July 11, 2025, in CD, digital, and vinyl formats to commemorate the "Peanuts" 75th anniversary. The vinyl edition will be issued as a 45 RPM Zoetrope Eco Mix LP picture disc, the first in the "Peanuts" catalogue to employ synchronized optical animation, creating a stroboscopic visual effect when played at proper speed.
Recording.
The recording sessions for "You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown" took place at San Francisco's Wally Heider Studios on September 12, 18, and 19, 1975. Guaraldi performed using piano, electric piano, clavinet, ARP String Ensemble, and a Rhythm Ace drum machine. He was accompanied by Seward McCain on electric bass and Mark Rosengarden on drums and guiro. John Scott Trotter served as music supervisor. This was the final "Peanuts" special supervised by Trotter, and penultimate with music by Guaraldi.
The album also includes four bonus tracks from "Bicycles Are Beautiful", a 1974 short film produced by Lee Mendelson Film Productions and starring Bill Cosby. Guaraldi recorded the music for that film on April 2, 1974, also at Wally Heider Studios.
Track listing.
The album includes 14 tracks from the original 1975 television special, a bonus track combining two unused opening cues, and four additional selections from "Bicycles Are Beautiful".