#Justplay charlie brown series
“Classics On Toys” became a popular series of CD’s and ironically, many of them were licensed to use Peanuts characters on the covers with the voices to introduce the music.Įxcerpts from Columbia Records’ “Peanuts” In effect, it’s the original Peanuts play-and a landmark, for its performances and its music, which was imitated and re-purposed over the decades. It’s been part of my life for over 40 years. But my mom couldn’t stand the weirdness of this LP, so it became, in effect, my “rebellious” equivalent to those Iron Butterfly, Rolling Stones or Frank Zappa records that made so many ‘60s parents, let’s say, less than serene. When I first got the reissue of this record, it had the added title, “Good Grief, Charlie Brown!” Kaye Ballard was a big primetime star on NBC’s The Mothers-in-Law and Peanuts was reaching a fever pitch in pop culture. The liner notes frame it as a comedy album (the reissue actually read “Material by Charles Schultz (sic)” as if he were Buddy Sorrell. It has jazz powerhouse John Hammond behind it, but it’s not a jazz album. While it’s kid-friendly, with its overall adult approach to the characters, this is not quite a children’s record. To say this Peanuts album sounds strange is an understatement. Karlin would go on to win an Oscar for the song, “For All We Know” from Lovers and Other Strangers. The oddness of the music makes much more sense when the album notes reveal that Karlin worked with Raymond Scott. In addition to gathering the toys and household objects (for which he provided a humorous itemized list on the original album jacket), the musicians had to be trained to work with unconventional instruments like ashtrays, cans of hair spray, sparklers, building blocks, a rubber ball and a bongo monkey. It turned out that Karlin spent three months conceiving one of the most bizarre musical undertakings of its time. Arthur Siegel had composed songs especially for the record, but he and Ballard were disappointed to learn that an up and coming composer named Fred Karlin was doing the music. His enthusiasm about hearing his strips done in this way led to being captured in a recording studio be legendary jazz producer John Hammond, who was “instrumental” in the careers of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger George Benson, Billie Holiday and many more. Schulz was in the audience when the duo performed at San Francisco’s Hungry I. (Ballard tells the whole story in her inimitable way on her audio autobiography, My Life, In My Own Words, With My Own Mouth!.Ĭharles M. As part of their nightclub act, they acted out their favorite Peanuts strips. Ballard was an emotive, empathetic Italian who adored the relentlessly neurotic Siegel, who was a therapist’s dream come true. The late Arthur Siegel was her accompanist and best friend, as well as a talented specialty writer, performer and composer (“Love is a Simple Thing”).īoth Siegel and Ballard were huge Peanuts fans, and perhaps without realizing it, were tailor made to play Charlie Brown and Lucy. This 1962 album was the very first Peanuts record, ever.īallard was (and still is) a singer and comedienne who sang with Spike Jones, starred on Broadway (Life Magazine cover and all) and was the toast of the nightclub circuit of a bygone era of sparkling sophistication. Schulz’s comic strip until Kaye Ballard and Arthur Siegel did. But no one had ever performed any of the characters in Charles M. It’s hard to imagine a world without Peanuts cartoons, stage shows, movies and merchandise, much less a world without Peanuts.
Selections: “Introducing Charlie Brown and Lucy,” “Bugs and Birds,” Political Cartoons,” “Playthings,” “Snowflakes and Stars,” “Just Peanuts.” Reissue: Harmony Records (Columbia) HS 11200 Stereo / HL-7400 Mono / 1968)Īdapted from Original Peanuts Comic Strips by Charles M. Schulz was delighted with them all when they premiered on vinyl records.Ĭolumbia Records CS-8543 Stereo / CL-1543 Mono (12” 33 1/3 rpm / 1962)
#Justplay charlie brown tv
Who were the first people to play Charlie Brown and Lucy before the TV specials? Who played the singing Snoopy and Linus before the stage show? Charles M.
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