For this Christmas Eve, today’s classic Christmas song of the day is the medley of “Peace on Earth” and “Little Drummer Boy,” performed by the unexpected duo of rocker David Bowie and crooner Bing Crosby. They performed this medley on Bing’s 1977 Christmas special, Bing’s Merrie Olde Christmas and it was subsequently released as a single in November of 1982, when it went to #3 on the UK Singles chart.
Bing and Bowie recorded “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” on September 11, 1977, at ATV Elstree Studios near London. They purportedly taped this after rehearsing for less than an hour. (Two pros, that.) Bing sang the “Little Drummer Boy” part and Bowie sang “Peace on Earth.”
“Little Drummer Boy” (originally titled “Carol of the Drum”) was written in 1941 by Katherine Kennicott Davis; it was first recorded by the Trapp Family in 1951. “Peace on Earth” was a new tune written by Ian Frasier and Larry Grossman, the musical supervisors for Bing’s Christmas special.
Bing and Bowie were originally slated to sing “Little Drummer Boy” as a straight duet, but Bowie balked at that, saying “I hate this song. Is there something else I could sing?” That inspired Frasier and Grossman to pen the new tune and create a mashup between Bing’s old one and Bowie’s new one.
It was certainly an odd pairing, but it worked—and the two gentlemen seemed to get along well, despite their age and cultural differences. Mr. Crosby said Mr. Bowie was a “clean-cut kid and a real fine asset to the show. He sings well, has a great voice and reads lines well.” Mr. Bowie said of Mr. Crosby:
“He was fantastic. That old man knew everything about everything. He knew rock and roll backwards, even if he didn’t know the music… I’m glad I met him.
Bing Crosby had a heart attack and passed away five weeks after recording this tune, on October 14, 1977. The television special aired six weeks later in the U.S. and a month after that in the UK. “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” has become a Christmas fixture since, and a gentle, touching example of how music can bring different generations together.
