It is one of the most successful duets in Christmas music history, and definitely the most bizarre.
Then, Big Crosby, 73 is Mr White Christmas himself, the most straight-as-a-ruler, mainstream, 1940s whitebread crooning musician of his generation, while David Bowie, 30, the avant-garde “androgynous Ziggy Stardust” & glam rocker is the total opposite: the most offbeat musician of his generation.
The idea to pair the unlikeliest duet ever belongs to Bing Crosby’s Christmas TV Special producers, Gary Smith and Dwight Hemion.
But when the producers asked Bowie to sing “The Little Drummer Boy” on 11th September 1977, a few hours before shooting was sopposed to start, he refused, because he hated the song.
So what did they do? A team of songwriters worked frantically for 75 minutes to create an original melody and lyrics that could be sung together with “The Little Drummer Boy.” They called it “Peace on Earth.” Fortunately, Bowie liked it, and actually SANG it.
With less than an hour of rehearsals, Bowie and Crosby nailed it.
In the following years, from being a cult classic, it became a holiday staple.
It was first released as a single in 1982, and still sells today.
Poignantly, a month after the video shoot, Crosby died of a heart attack. The program was then first on CBS a month later.
Folks, Unconventional World Records wishes you A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!










