Fred, Ed and 'Charlie' Deemed National Treasures

News broadcasts collected by iconic CBS Newsman and later CBS News President Fred Friendly have been added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry to be preserved as “cultural, artistic and/or historical treasures for generations to come.”In 1948, Friendly collected speech and news excerpts into a compilation record narrated by another iconic CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow. The record was a hit and generated sequels and a TV spin-off, See It Now. Friendly “spent months locating and copying 100 hours of broadcast disc recordings, using newly introduced magnetic recording tape to create compelling montages,” said the Library in announcing the selections. The

Hear It Now was among 25 recordings selected from nominations by the public and the Library’s National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB).

Also among the 25 new treasures is the TV soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas, performed primarily by the Vince Guaraldi Trio and credited to Guaraldi and TV producer Lee Mendelson, hailed for helping introduce jazz to millions of TV families.  “Best remembered is the “Linus and Lucy” theme, originally composed by Guaraldi for an earlier “Peanuts” project, which remains beloved by fans of the popular television specials, those devoted to the daily newspaper comic strip and music lovers alike,” said the Library.

Ditto from this perch. Few pieces of music evoke such immediate nostalgia for boomers as does that piece of music, or the image of Snoopy dancing with his muzzle in the air and his eyes blissfully closed.

It brought jazz to the masses in a way few other vehicles have.