I love unions like this…I will start to have some holiday posts mixed in on the way to Christmas as a second post like this one. In 1977 Bowie released his album Low at the beginning of the year and he toured as Iggy Pop’s keyboardist that year.
I know what I was doing on November 30, 1977. I was watching Merrie Olde Christmas special as a kid. I didn’t appreciate the weirdness of the combination of Bing Crosby and David Bowie at the time. Something that the seventies did well…was to intersect generations on variety shows. This one was a great combination.
This special had guest stars Twiggy, David Bowie, Ron Moody, Stanley Baxter, and The Trinity Boys Choir. It was the duet with Bing Crosby and David Bowie that has been remembered. I remember watching this knowing that Bing Crosby had died the month earlier. The duet was taped on September 11, 1977, and Crosby died on October 14, 1977.
David Bowie’s mother was a huge Bing Crosby fan and Bing Crosby’s children were big David Bowie fans…so the two agreed to sing together. It was questionable at first if it would work out.
Mary Crosby: “The doors opened and David walked in with his wife, They were both wearing full-length mink coats, they have matching full makeup and their hair was bright red. We were thinking, ‘Oh my god.'” Nathaniel Crosby, Bing’s son, added: “It almost didn’t happen. I think the producers told him to take the lipstick off and take the earring out. It was just incredible to see the contrast.”
Another possible hitch happened with Bowie. He didn’t like The Little Drummer Boy and refused to sing it. The writers then wrote a revised version of the song that he liked. They wrote a counterpart section for Bowie to sing. Crosby liked the challenge of his part. The rest is history and one of the most unusual pairings you will ever see…
One funny part is Bowie’s idea of “older fellas” at the time is John Lennon and Harry Nilsson.
Here is the complete show if you want to give it a try
The Little Drummer Boy (Peace On Earth)
Come they told me pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
A newborn king to see pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum, rum-pum-pum-pum
[Verse 2: Bowie and Crosby]
Peace on Earth can it be?
Come they told me pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Years from now, perhaps we’ll see?
A newborn king to see pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
See the day of glory
Our finest gift we bring pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
See the day, when men of good will
To lay before the king pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Live in peace, live in peace again
Rum-pum-pum-pum, Rum-pum-pum-pum
Peace on Earth
So to honour him pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Can it be
When we come
[Bridge: Bowie and Crosby in unison]
Every child must be made aware
Every child must be made to care
Care enough for his fellow man
To give all the love that he can
[Verse 4: Bowie and Crosby]
I pray my wish will come true
Little baby pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
For my child and your child too
I stood beside him there pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
He’ll see the day of glory
I played my drum for him pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
See the day when men of good will
I played my best for him pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Live in peace, live in peace again
Rum-pum-pum-pum, rum-pum-pum-pum
Peace on Earth
Me and my drum
Can it be
Can it be
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I remember watching this as well. It was many years before the recording was released; I have the special vinyl version that eventually came out.
This is, literally, my favorite holiday song.
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A pairing like this could only happen in the 70s. I didn’t know about the vinyl version.
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It’s a Holiday Classic. However, that being said, my new favorite version of this song is a harder rock version from For King and Country. 🙂
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A Christmas classic for sure, and how good that they got it done despite all the odds (and Crosby’s impending death as it turned out). They both have a ‘I’m as shocked as you are that I’m doing this!’ look on their faces on that record sleeve.
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Yea…only in the 70s could this happen. It would have been great to see him as Ziggy lol.
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I’m working on a post tomorrow with Billy Ocean and Scott Walker singing together, also a weird pairing (but less high profile).
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That is odd…a Walker Brother and Billy Ocean.
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Now I’m crying and it’s your fault. I remember this well. The information of how it came together is new and I didn’t know (or didn’t remember) that Bing died so soon after it was recorded. I’m glad they were able to set aside their egos and any other barriers and record the tune together. It’s really beautiful ❤
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Sorry! lol.
It is an interesting story of how it happened. Yea I remember it and then I remember him passing away soon after.
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Great record and i also watched that Special on 1977. It was a UK hit in 1982, i also bought that single, one of the most unlikely pairings ever. I wish theyd place it on xmas streaming playlists and play it on radio instead of the same tracks year after year. It was a bad year for music losses, elvis in august, bolan in september as i started college, and crosby in october. Bowie appeared on marc bolans tv show singing heroes, then Bings tv show, and both were dead within weeks. I dont recall bowie doing any more tv shows after that, apart from top of the pops!
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One of my wife and I’s favorite television Christmas moments. I had forgotten Bing passed away so soon thereafter!
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I do remember that…I can still remember Walter Cronkite saying he died on a golf course. That stuck with me.
Such an odd combination but I love it.
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What an odd pairing and what a great outcome – a real classic! Bowie referring to John Lennon and Harry Nilsson as “older fellas” is just cracking me up!
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Yea that was a very funny line….it is so odd like you said. Hey! You should be proud of me today…I posted a brand new song!!!
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That was a truly magical moment. It shows the professionalism of both men, and I think they really enjoyed singing together.
I still think it would haqve been hilarious if David came in as Ziggy Stardust, though…
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I said the same thing earlier! I would have loved to see the huge contrast between them.
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It’s never been my favourite Xmas song, but it’s a classic. I had no idea Crosby died so soon after that video was made!
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Mine either…its the combination that is so intriguing.
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