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Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy - wikipedia Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy Jump to : navigation , search <Th_colspan="2"> `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy '' <Td_colspan="2"> <Th_colspan="2"> Single by David Bowie & Bing Crosby <Th_colspan="2"> from the album Bowie : The Singles Collection B - side `` Fantastic Voyage '' ( David Bowie ) Released November 27 , 1982 Format 7 `` / 12 '' single Recorded Elstree Studios , London September 11 , 1977 Genre Christmas Length 4 : 23 ( UK ) 2 : 32 ( US ) Label RCA Records BOW 12 ( UK ) RCA Records PH - 13400 ( US ) Songwriter ( s ) Ian Fraser , Larry Grossman , Alan Kohan / Harry Simeone , K.K. Davis , Henry Onorati Producer ( s ) David Bowie <Th_colspan="2"> David Bowie singles chronology <Td_colspan="2"> `` Cat People ( Putting Out Fire ) '' ( 1982 ) `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy '' ( 1982 ) `` Let 's Dance '' ( 1983 ) <Td_colspan="2"> `` Cat People ( Putting Out Fire ) '' ( 1982 ) `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy '' ( 1982 ) `` Let 's Dance '' ( 1983 ) <Td_colspan="2"> <Th_colspan="2"> 2010 US Reissue <Td_colspan="2"> <Td_colspan="2"> 2010 7 '' vinyl reissue by Collector 's Choice Music <Td_colspan="2"> <Td_colspan="2"> `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy '' ( sometimes titled `` The Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth '' ) is a Christmas song with an added counterpoint performed by David Bowie and Bing Crosby . `` The Little Drummer Boy '' is a Christmas song written in 1941 , while the `` Peace on Earth '' tune and lyrics , written by Ian Fraser , Larry Grossman , and Alan Kohan , were added to the song specially for Bowie and Crosby 's recording . The single saw commercial success upon its release in 1982 and peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart . The single became one of Bowie 's best selling in his career , with total estimated sales over 400,000 in the UK alone . The song has since become a Christmas classic in the United States , Canada and United Kingdom and has been referred to by The Washington Post as `` one of the most successful duets in Christmas music history '' . Contents ( hide ) 1 Recording 2 Release and commercial success 3 Track listing 3.1 7 `` : RCA / BOW 12 ( UK ) 4 Production credits 5 Appearances in popular culture 6 Chart performance 6.1 Certifications 7 Other versions 8 Notes 9 References 10 External links Recording ( edit ) The track was recorded on September 11 , 1977 for Crosby 's television special , Bing Crosby 's Merrie Olde Christmas , which would ultimately prove to be his last . The framing device is that Bowie 's friend Hudson ( who is not seen as he is always changing ( `` He does that a lot . '' ) ) lets Bowie use his piano , and that Crosby is the poor American cousin . The intergenerational pair exchange scripted dialogue about what they each do on their respective family Christmases and on parenthood , banter about the old vis - à - vis the new and agents sliding down the chimney , and then proceed to musical subjects , with Bowie remarking that he likes old - timers such as John Lennon and Harry Nilsson ( `` You go back that far ! '' Crosby remarks , tongue in cheek ) ; Crosby had further averred , unironically , that some of contemporary music was really fine . They then sort through the sheet music on the piano , which Bowie had ostensibly come over to play , whereupon they sing `` Little Drummer Boy '' with a new counterpoint with original lyrics written for the special , `` Peace on Earth '' . Bowie 's appearance has been described as a `` surreal '' event , undertaken at a time when he was `` actively trying to normalise his career '' . He later admitted to having only appeared on the show because `` I just knew my mother liked him '' . Buz Kohan was not sure that Crosby knew who Bowie was , but Ian Fraser claimed , `` I 'm pretty sure he did . Bing was no idiot . If he did n't , his kids sure did . '' According to co-writer Ian Fraser , Bowie balked at singing `` Little Drummer Boy '' : `` I hate this song . Is there something else I could sing ? '' , Fraser recalls Bowie telling him . Fraser , along with songwriter Larry Grossman and the special 's scriptwriter , Buz Kohan , then wrote `` Peace on Earth '' as a counterpoint to `` Little Drummer Boy '' . Crosby performed `` Little Drummer Boy '' , while Bowie sang the new tune `` Peace on Earth '' , which they reportedly performed after less than an hour of rehearsal . A few days after the taping , Crosby said of Bowie , `` clean - cut kid and a real fine asset to the show . He sings well , has a great voice and reads lines well . '' Crosby died on October 14 , nearly five weeks after recording the special at Elstree Studios near London ; in the U.S. , the show aired just over a month later , on November 30 , 1977 , on CBS . In the United Kingdom , the special first aired on December 24 , 1977 on ITV . Release and commercial success ( edit ) The song was available for some years as a bootleg single backed with `` Heroes '' , which Bowie had also performed on the TV special . In 1982 , RCA Records issued the recording as an official single , complete with the dialogue , arbitrarily placing `` Fantastic Voyage '' from the Lodger album on the B - side . Bowie was unhappy with this move , which further soured his already strained relationship with RCA , and he left the label soon after . The single debuted on the UK singles chart in November 1982 , and climbed to position number three on the chart , boosted by a 12 '' picture disc release . The single proved to be one of Bowie 's fastest selling singles , having sales over 250,000 within its first month and being certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry one month after its release . The single has total estimated sales of 445,424 in the UK , giving Bowie one of his most successful singles . It has since become a perennial on British Christmas compilation albums , with the TV sequence also a regular on UK nostalgia shows . In the United States and Canada , `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy '' became a staple on radio stations during the Christmas season . On November 14 , 1995 , Oglio Records released a special multimedia CD single of `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy '' which contained both the standard full - length audio version and the full - length music video of the footage from the 1977 Christmas special accessible via CD - ROM drives . On November 9 , 2010 , Collector 's Choice Music released a 7 - inch vinyl edition of `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy '' on red - colored vinyl in the United States . The flip - side of the single contained a Bing Crosby / Ella Fitzgerald duet of the song `` White Christmas '' , recorded in 1953 . The single was limited to 2,000 copies . The single continues to chart in the Christmas season around North America and Europe . In 1998 , the single reached a new peak of 2 on the Canadian Singles Chart . Track listing ( edit ) 7 `` : RCA / BOW 12 ( UK ) ( edit ) `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy '' ( David Bowie , Larry Grossman , Ian Fraser , Buz Kohan / Katherine K. Davis , Henry Onorati , Harry Simeone ) -- 4 : 23 `` Fantastic Voyage '' ( David Bowie ) -- 2 : 55 Production credits ( edit ) Producers David Bowie Musicians David Bowie : Vocals , Piano on `` Fantastic Voyage '' Bing Crosby : Vocals Uncredited session players on `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy '' Adrian Belew : Mandolin on `` Fantastic Voyage '' Dennis Davis : Percussion on `` Fantastic Voyage '' Tony Visconti : Backing vocals , Mandolin on `` Fantastic Voyage '' Brian Eno : Ambient drone on `` Fantastic Voyage '' Simon House : Mandolin on `` Fantastic Voyage '' Sean Mayes : Piano on `` Fantastic Voyage '' Appearances in popular culture ( edit ) In 1997 , DJ / comedian Bob Rivers included a parody entitled `` Rummy Rocker Boy '' on his album More Twisted Christmas , in which a generic heavy metal musician by the name of `` Roach '' visits a self - admitted `` simulation '' of Crosby . Craig Kilborn and Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü performed a parody of it on Comedy Central , aired as a short piece between shows during the Christmas season . In 2001 , Anthony Rapp and Everett Bradley performed the song for the compilation album Broadway Cares - Home for the Holidays . A parody version was released on the internet as a Christmas present , sung by The Monarch ( Jackson Publick ) and Doctor Girlfriend ( Doc Hammer ) , from the Adult Swim show The Venture Bros . The song stars The Monarch as David Bowie and Doctor Girlfriend as Bing Crosby . The tension and ambiguities of their relationship contribute to the performance 's consonant mirroring of the old kid - vs. - new kid on the block artifice of Bowie 's and Crosby 's `` banter . '' Aled Jones and Terry Wogan recorded a version for a CD entitled BandAged , which was released as part of the BBC Children in Need Appeal 2008 . Warner Home Music released it as a single on December 8 , 2008 , and it reached a high of number three in the UK Singles Chart . A Colbert Christmas : The Greatest Gift of All ! parodied this duet with a song sung by Stephen Colbert and Willie Nelson . A 2009 episode of SuperNews ! parodied this song with Barack Obama and Joe Biden singing as Crosby and Bowie respectively . In a YouTube video that was released on December 18 , 2009 , internet comedians Aaron Yonda and Matt Sloan superimposed the character of Baby Cookie from the Chad Vader series onto Bowie , replacing his lines with Baby Cookie 's unique speech . In December 2010 , a number of comedians paired to perform or parody the song and video , including Jack Black and Jason Segel for College Humor ; Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly for Funny or Die ; Black again with Jimmy Fallon on the latter 's Late Night talk show ; and Paul F. Tompkins with David ' Gruber ' Allen . Michael Bublé performed a version of this song . On the podcast Hollywood Babble - On , hosts Ralph Garman and Kevin Smith sing this song each Christmas . Smith sings Crosby 's part , and Garman sings Bowie 's counterpart . Jimmy Fallon and Ricky Gervais performed a portion of the song on the December 9 , 2014 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon during the skit `` Lip Flip '' . Fallon sang Bowie 's part with Gervais taking Crosby 's part . In 2015 on The Best Show with Tom Scharpling , host Scharpling ( as recurring puppet character Gary the Squirrel ) and associate producer Mike Lisk did a rendition , taking Bowie and Crosby 's parts respectively . Chart performance ( edit ) Chart Peak position Canadian Singles Chart ( 1998 ) 2 UK Singles Chart ( 1982 ) 3 US Billboard Hot 100 ( 2003 ) 43 Certifications ( edit ) Region Certification Certified units / Sales United Kingdom ( BPI ) Silver 250,000 <Td_colspan="3"> sales + streaming figures based on certification alone Other versions ( edit ) Another version was recorded by Michael Berube and Jennifer Warnes . Notes ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : Farhi , Paul ( December 20 , 2006 ) . `` Bing and Bowie : An Odd Story of Holiday Harmony '' . The Washington Post . Retrieved November 13 , 2016 . ^ Jump up to : `` Sorry '' . Music Week . October 6 , 2016 . Retrieved November 13 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Nemetz , Dave ( November 26 , 2014 ) . `` The Story Behind Bowie and Bing 's Offbeat Christmas Classic ( Video ) '' . Yahoo !. Retrieved November 13 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Buckley , David ( 1999 ) . Strange Fascination - David Bowie : The Definitive Story . pp. 327 -- 328 . ^ Jump up to : Pegg , Nicholas ( 2000 ) . The Complete David Bowie . p. 161 . Jump up ^ `` The Accidental Classic '' . Yuleblog.us . Retrieved November 13 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray ( 1981 ) . Bowie : An Illustrated Record , p. 117 ^ Jump up to : Anderson , Sara ( October 29 , 2010 ) . `` Bing Crosby , David Bowie ' The Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth ' -- New Vinyl '' . AOL Radio Blog . AOLRadioBlog.com . Retrieved December 17 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy 2010 ( with Jack Black and Jason Segel ) '' . CollegeHumor . Archived from the original on December 7 , 2010 . Retrieved December 8 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy with Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly from Owen Burk '' . Funnyordie.com . December 12 , 2010 . Retrieved November 13 , 2016 . Jump up ^ McGlynn , Katla ( December 22 , 2010 ) . `` WATCH : Jack Black Gets Messy Singing Carols With Jimmy Fallon '' . HuffPost . Jump up ^ `` The Pod F. Tompkast , EXTRASODE : PFT On Earth / Little Gruber Boy '' . Pft.libsyn.com/ ( Podcast ) . December 25 , 2010 . Retrieved December 25 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Fallon `` Lip Flip 's '' With Ricky Gervais `` . NBC New York . December 10 , 2014 . Retrieved November 13 , 2016 . Jump up ^ `` David Bowie Awards '' . AllMusic . Retrieved November 13 , 2016 . Jump up ^ `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy full Official Chart History '' . Official Charts Company . Retrieved November 13 , 2016 . Jump up ^ `` British single certifications -- David Bowie & Bing Crosby -- Little Drummer Boy '' . British Phonographic Industry . Enter Little Drummer Boy in the search field and then press Enter . References ( edit ) Pegg , Nicholas , The Complete David Bowie , Reynolds & Hearn Ltd , 2000 , ISBN 1 - 903111 - 14 - 5 External links ( edit ) PhillyBurbs article on the special Performance on YouTube Venture Bros. parody <Th_colspan="2"> ( show ) David Bowie singles 1960s `` Liza Jane '' `` I Pity the Fool '' `` You 've Got a Habit of Leaving '' `` Ca n't Help Thinking About Me '' `` Do Anything You Say '' `` I Dig Everything '' `` Rubber Band '' `` The Laughing Gnome '' `` Love You till Tuesday '' `` Space Oddity '' `` Ragazzo solo , ragazza sola '' 1970s `` The Prettiest Star '' `` Memory of a Free Festival '' `` Holy Holy '' `` Moonage Daydream '' `` Hang On to Yourself '' `` Changes '' `` Starman '' `` John , I 'm Only Dancing '' `` The Jean Genie '' `` Drive - In Saturday '' `` Time '' `` Life on Mars '' `` Let 's Spend the Night Together '' `` Sorrow '' `` Rebel Rebel '' `` Rock ' n ' Roll Suicide '' `` Diamond Dogs '' `` 1984 '' `` Knock on Wood '' `` Rock ' n ' Roll with Me '' `` Young Americans '' `` Fame '' `` Golden Years '' `` TVC 15 '' `` Suffragette City '' `` Stay '' `` Sound and Vision '' `` Be My Wife '' `` ' Heroes ' '' `` Beauty and the Beast '' `` Breaking Glass '' `` Boys Keep Swinging '' `` DJ '' `` Yassassin '' `` Look Back in Anger '' `` John , I 'm Only Dancing ( Again ) '' 1980s `` Alabama Song '' `` Crystal Japan '' `` Ashes to Ashes '' `` Fashion '' `` Scary Monsters ( And Super Creeps ) '' `` Up the Hill Backwards '' `` Under Pressure '' `` Wild Is the Wind '' `` The Drowned Girl '' `` Cat People ( Putting Out Fire ) '' `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy '' `` Let 's Dance '' `` China Girl '' `` Modern Love '' `` Without You '' `` White Light / White Heat '' `` Blue Jean '' `` Tonight '' `` This Is Not America '' `` Loving the Alien '' `` Dancing in the Street '' `` Absolute Beginners '' `` Underground '' `` As the World Falls Down '' `` Magic Dance '' `` When the Wind Blows '' `` Day - In Day - Out '' `` Time Will Crawl '' `` Never Let Me Down '' `` Under the God '' `` Heaven 's in Here '' `` Tin Machine '' / `` Maggie 's Farm ( live ) '' `` Prisoner of Love '' 1990s `` Fame ' 90 '' `` You Belong in Rock n ' Roll '' `` Baby Universal '' `` One Shot '' `` Real Cool World '' `` Jump They Say '' `` Black Tie White Noise '' `` Miracle Goodnight '' `` The Buddha of Suburbia '' `` Ziggy Stardust '' `` The Hearts Filthy Lesson '' `` Strangers When We Meet '' / `` The Man Who Sold the World ( live ) '' `` Hallo Spaceboy '' `` Telling Lies '' `` Little Wonder '' `` Dead Man Walking '' `` Seven Years in Tibet '' `` Pallas Athena '' `` I 'm Afraid of Americans '' `` I Ca n't Read '' `` Without You I 'm Nothing '' `` Thursday 's Child '' `` The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell '' 2000s `` Survive '' `` Seven '' `` Slow Burn '' `` Everyone Says ' Hi ' '' `` I 've Been Waiting for You '' `` Shadow Man '' `` New Killer Star '' `` Just for One Day ( Heroes ) '' `` Never Get Old '' `` Rebel Never Gets Old '' 2010s `` Where Are We Now ? '' `` The Stars ( Are Out Tonight ) '' `` The Next Day '' `` Valentine 's Day '' `` Love Is Lost '' `` ' Tis a Pity She Was a Whore '' `` Sue ( Or in a Season of Crime ) '' `` Blackstar '' `` Lazarus '' `` I Ca n't Give Everything Away '' `` Life on Mars ? ( 2016 Mix ) '' <Td_colspan="2"> Discography Book : David Bowie Book : Bowie singles and songs Category : David Bowie <Th_colspan="2"> ( show ) Bing Crosby singles <Td_colspan="2"> Discography 1920s `` My Blue Heaven '' ( with Paul Whiteman ) `` Ol ' Man River '' ( with Paul Whiteman ) `` Mississippi Mud '' ( with Paul Whiteman ) `` Silent Night , Holy Night '' ( with Paul Whiteman ) `` Makin ' Whoopee '' ( with Paul Whiteman ) `` Let 's Do It '' ( with Dorsey Brothers ) `` Louise '' 1930s `` Three Little Words '' ( with Duke Ellington ) `` I Surrender Dear '' ( with Gus Arnheim ) `` Just a Gigolo '' `` At Your Command '' `` Stardust '' `` Goodnight , Sweetheart '' `` Where the Blue of the Night ( Meets the Gold of the Day ) '' ( Bing 's Theme Song ) `` Waltzing in a Dream '' `` Brother , Can You Spare a Dime ? '' `` I Do n't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You '' `` Temptation '' `` Did You Ever See a Dream Walking ? '' `` June in January '' `` Love Is Just Around the Corner '' `` I Wished on the Moon '' `` It Ai n't Necessarily So '' `` Pennies from Heaven '' `` Silent Night '' `` Adeste Fideles '' `` Sweet Leilani '' `` Blue Hawaii '' `` Never in a Million Years '' `` My Reverie '' `` You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby '' `` God Bless America '' `` Ciribiribin ( They 're So in Love ) '' ( w / Andrews Sisters ) 1940s `` Tumbling Tumbleweeds '' `` Only Forever '' `` Deep in the Heart of Texas '' `` Easter Parade '' `` White Christmas '' `` Moonlight Becomes You '' `` Sunday , Monday , or Always '' `` People Will Say We 're in Love '' `` Oh , What a Beautiful Mornin ' '' `` Pistol Packin ' Mama '' ( w / Andrews Sisters ) `` I 'll Be Home for Christmas '' `` Jingle Bells '' ( w / Andrews Sisters ) `` I Love You '' `` I 'll Be Seeing You '' `` Swinging on a Star '' `` Is You Is or Is You Ai n't My Baby '' ( w / Andrews Sisters ) `` Amor '' `` Do n't Fence Me In '' ( w / Andrews Sisters ) `` You Belong to My Heart '' `` On the Atchison , Topeka and the Santa Fe '' `` If I Loved You '' `` It 's Been a Long , Long Time '' ( w / Les Paul Trio ) `` I Ca n't Begin to Tell You '' `` The Bells of St. Mary 's '' `` McNamara 's Band '' `` Get Your Kicks On Route 66 '' ( w / Andrews Sisters ) `` Night and Day '' `` Santa Claus Is Comin ' to Town '' ( w / Andrews Sisters ) `` Ballerina '' `` Now Is the Hour '' `` But Beautiful '' `` Careless Hands '' `` Riders in the Sky '' `` Some Enchanted Evening '' `` Dear Hearts and Gentle People '' `` Mule Train '' 1950s `` Have I Told You Lately That I Love You ? '' ( w / Andrews Sisters ) `` Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy '' `` Play a Simple Melody '' ( w / Gary Crosby ) `` La Vie en rose '' `` All My Love '' `` Beyond the Reef '' `` Harbor Lights '' `` Rudolph the Red - Nosed Reindeer '' `` A Marshmallow World '' `` Sparrow in the Treetop '' ( w / Andrews Sisters ) `` Gone Fishin ' '' ( w / Louis Armstrong ) `` In the Cool , Cool , Cool of the Evening '' ( w / Jane Wyman ) `` The Isle of Innisfree '' `` Zing a Little Zong '' ( w / Jane Wyman ) `` Silver Bells '' ( w / Carol Richards ) `` Down by the Riverside '' ( w / Gary Crosby ) `` Young at Heart '' `` Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep '' `` Stranger in Paradise '' `` In a Little Spanish Town '' ( w / Buddy Cole Trio ) `` True Love '' ( w / Grace Kelly ) `` Now You Has Jazz '' ( w / Louis Armstrong ) `` Well , Did You Evah ! '' ( w / Frank Sinatra ) 1970s `` That 's What Life Is All About '' `` Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy '' ( w / David Bowie ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peace_on_Earth/Little_Drummer_Boy&oldid=822909553 '' Categories : 1982 singles 1957 songs Bing Crosby songs David Bowie songs Vocal duets Christmas songs RCA Records singles Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from December 2017 Articles which use infobox templates with no data rows Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Talk Article Talk More Contents About Wikipedia Italiano Nederlands Norsk nynorsk Português Edit links This page was last edited on 29 January 2018 , at 05 : 29 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . 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