The Peanuts are getting some real music education. In Apple TV+’s upcoming Peanuts special, Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin, fans will get to explore the origin story of one of the squad’s most beloved members, Franklin.
The special will follow Franklin and how he approaches making new friends since his dad has a military job and his family moves often. In a clip shared exclusively with Billboard, Franklin teaches Charlie Brown about his favorite artists. “My favorites are Stevie Wonder, Little Richard and, of course, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown,” Franklin tells Charlie, before jokingly asking him if he’s related to the icon given their shared last name.
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“Here’s what I’m into lately,” Franklin continues, before putting a John Coltrane vinyl on the record player. “Listen closely, Charlie Brown. Jazz has harmonies that stay consistent, but pay attention. It has other parts that are always being improvised.”
Charlie Brown quickly gets into the groove, as the duo end up dancing together. Franklin’s inclusion in the Peanuts squad is historic and one to be celebrated, as he was the first Black Peanuts character to be introduced in the comics in 1968. That year, following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, the series’ creator Charles M. Schulz received a letter from schoolteacher Harriet Glickman expressing concern about the lack of diversity in the Peanuts comic strip. Soon after, Schulz created Franklin.
In addition to the special, out on Apple TV+ starting on Feb. 16, Apple Music has released a full collection of Franklin’s favorite songs. Snoopy Presents: Franklin’s Record Collection features tracks from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Bill Withers, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke and beyond.
See below for the full Franklin’s Record Collection track list, and watch the exclusive clip from the special above.
Snoopy Presents: Franklin’s Record Collection
01 – Billy Preston “Nothing from Nothing”
02 – Chuck Berry “Johnny B. Goode”
03 – Stevie Wonder “Happier Than the Morning Sun”
04 – John Coltrane “Lazy Bird (Remastered)”
05 – Clarence “Frogman” Henry “Ain’t Got No Home”
06 – Sam & Dave “Soul Man”
07 – Little Richard “Good Golly Miss Molly”
08 – John Coltrane “One Up, One Down (Take 1)”
09 – Bobby McFerrin “Drive”
10 – Bill Withers “I Wish You Well”
11 – Four Tops “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)”
12 – The Three Degrees “When Will I See You Again”
13 – Funkadelic “Can You Get To That”
14 – The Staple Singers “I’ll Take You There”
15 – Ben E. King “Stand By Me”
16 – Bo Diddley “Pretty Thing”
17 – Barrett Strong “Money (That’s What I Want) [Single]”
18 – Sly & The Family Stone “Everybody Is a Star (Single Version)”
19 – John Coltrane “Giant Steps”
20 – Ella Fitzgerald “Blue Skies”
21 – Ray Charles “Georgia on My Mind (Original Master Recording)”
22 – Herbie Hancock “Watermelon Man”
23 – Elvin Jones “Midnight Walk”
24 – Otis Redding “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”
25 – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
26 – Etta James “Don’t Cry Baby (Single Version)”
27 – John Coltrane “Moment’s Notice (Remastered)”
28 – Sam Cooke “A Change Is Gonna Come”
29 – Sam & Dave “Hold On, I’m Comin’”
30 – Baby Huey & The Baby Sitters “Hard Times”
31 – The Isley Brothers “Freedom”
32 – Nina Simone “To Be Young, Gifted and Black”
33 – Curtis Mayfield “Move On Up (Single Edit)”
34 – John Coltrane “Naima (2020 Remaster)”