- Writers: Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati, and Harry Simone (“Little Drummer Boy”); Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman, and Alan Kohan (“Peace On Earth”)
- Recorded: September 11th, 1977, in Los Angeles
- Appears On:
Bowie: The Singles Collection (Rykodisc, 1993)
Martha Stewart Living: Home For the Holidays (Rhino, 2001)
Now That’s What I Call Christmas (Universal, 2001)
VH1 The Big ’80s Christmas (Rhino, 2001)
and many compilations - In one of the strangest duets in pop music history, the androgynous David Bowie teamed with cardigan-wearing crooner Bing Crosby on a medley of these two holiday standards for Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas TV special in 1977.
- Bowie’s appearance featured a brief, stiff chat between the two singers followed by their performance.
- The performance wasn’t officially released until 1982, when it came out as a single in the U.K. and reached Number Three on the pop chart there.
- “Little Drummer Boy”/”Peace On Earth” didn’t appear on a Bowie album until 1993’s Bowie: The Singles Collection, on which it was featured as a bonus disc.
- Crosby had recorded “Little Drummer Boy” for his 1962 album I Wish You A Merry Christmas and again in 1964 on his 12 Songs Of Christmas collaboration with Frank Sinatra and Fred Waring.
FAST FORWARD:
- Crosby, whose version of “White Christmas” is one of the most successful singles of all time, died of a heart attack on October 14th, 1977 — less than five weeks after the duet with Bowie. The TV special aired posthumously.
- Bowie married the fashion model Iman on April 24th, 1992.
- Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 but did not attend the ceremony.
