CHRISTMAS CAR TUNES:"CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE" CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

What new Christmas song was on your Mustang fastback AM radio in 1965? This song-it debuted on the Charlie Brown Christmas TV Special just before Christmas in 65.

There was no way that this show could miss because the Charlie Brown comic strip was the hottest item in the “funny” pages back in 1965.

Add a huge dollop of baby boomer kids, combine it with primetime TV and you had an instant hit.

This was the proverbial home run and 46 years later, A Charlie Brown Christmas is still hot property.

'Christmas Time is Here' simply couldn’t fail and now it has become a legend in the world of holiday music thanks to a roundheaded, bald, unpopular kid with a strange dog.

The song was actually done by the Vince Guaraldi Trio-the guy behind every Charlie Brown soundtrack.

He kept the theme pretty basic “Christmas time is here, Happiness and cheer, Fun for all that children call, Their favorite time of the year, Snowflakes in the air, Carols everywhere, Olden times and ancient rhymes, Of love and dreams to share”.

Snow, fun, kids, tradition-Vince hit the high points with this one and it worked well.

The big message in Charlie Brown is of course, peace on earth, so that’s why Charlie and his crappy tree get a big thumbs up from the Peanuts gang. You know that Dec. 26 is going to be the same old “backhand Charlie” program but in true Yuletide spirit, Charlie gets that one break a year from social pariah-hood.

That’s how 'Christmas Time is Here' ends-“Christmas time is here, We'll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see, Such spirit through the year”. 

With the hope that Charlie doesn’t get whacked around so much in the New Year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3aAfTUEBs

Jerry Sutherland