This unlikely holiday duet between Bing Crosby and David Bowie almost didn't happen. The producers of Crosby's TV Christmas special Gary Smith and Dwight Hemion brought in Bowie and several other British stars to legitimize the Christmas in England theme of the special. Bowie lived very close to the Elstree Studios where the show was taped. The original plan was for the duo to sing 'Little Drummer Boy' (written in 1941 by teacher and composer Katherine Kennicott Davis) but, according to show writer Ian Frasier: "David came in and said: 'I hate this song. Is there something else I could sing?' We didn't know quite what to do."
Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman, and Alan Kohan quickly worked up an original song 'Peace on Earth' in a little more than an hour at a piano in the basement of the studio. They arranged the new song as a counterpoint to 'Little Drummer Boy'. Bowie and Crosby recorded their performance with less than an hour of rehearsal.
The recording took place on September 11, 1977. Less than a month later, Crosby died of a heart attack. The Christmas special would air on November 30 of that year. The medley would only be available as a bootleg for several years until RCA decided to release it as a single in 1982. It peaked at number three on the British charts.
http://legacy.davidbowie.com/
International Club Crosby
Bowie: Hello... you're the new butler?
Bing: Hahaha! Well, it's been a long time since I've been the new anything!
Bowie: What's happened to Hudson?
Bing: I guess he's changing.
Bowie: Yeah, he does that a lot, doesn't he? Uhm... Oh, I'm David Bowie, I live
down the road.
Bing: Oh!
Bowie: Sir Percival let's me use his piano if he not around. He's not around, is
he?
Bing: I can honestly say I haven't seen him, but come on in! Come in!
Bowie: But uh...
Bing: Come on in!
Bowie: Are you related to sir Percival?
Bing: Well, distantly...
Bowie: Oh, you're not the poor relation from America, right?
Bing: Ha! Gee... news sure travels fast, doesn't it? I'm Bing.
Bowie: Oh, I'm pleased to meet you. You're the one that sings, right?
Bing: Well, right or wrong, I sing either way.
Bowie: Oh well, I sing too.
Bing: Oh good! What kind of singing?
Bowie: Mostly the contemporary stuff. Do you eh... do you like modern music?
Bing: Oh, I think it's marvellous! Some of it's really fine. But tell me, have you ever listened to any of the older fellows?
Bowie: Oh yeah, sure. I like ah... John Lennon and the other one with eh...Harry Nilsson.
Bing: Mmm... you go back that far, uh?
Bowie: Yeah, I'm not as young as I look.
Bing: Haha, none of us is these days!
Bowie: In fact I've got a six year old son. And he really gets excited around the Christmas holiday-thing.
Bing: Do you go in for anything of the traditional things in the... Bowie household, Christmas time?
Bowie: Oh yeah, most of them really. Presents, tree, decorations, agents sliding down the chimney...
Bing: What??
Bowie: Oh, I was just seeing if you were paying attention.
Bing: Haha!
Bowie: Actually, our family do most of the things that other families do. We
sing the same songs.
Bing: Do you?
Bowie: Oh, I even have a go at 'White Christmas'.
Bing: You do, eh!
Bowie: And this one. This is my son's favourite. Do you know this one?
Bing: Oh, I do indeed, it's a lovely theme.
Come they told me pa-ram-pam-pam-pam
A new-born king to see pa-ram-pam-pam-pam
Our finest gifts we bring pa-ram-pam-pam-pam
Ra-pam-pam-pam, ra-pam-pam-pam
Peace on Earth, can it be
Years from now, perhaps we'll see
See the day of glory
See the day, when men of good will
Live in peace, live in peace again
Peace on Earth, can it be
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
I pray my wish will come true
For my child and your child too
He'll see the day of glory
See the day when men of good will
Live in peace, live in peace again
Peace on Earth, can it be
Can it be
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