Now that I'm back home, I decided to learn some of the back story behind this Christmas classic. It seems that Bing Crosby was involved with a television special back in 1977 called "A Merrie Olde Christmas." Various British stars such as Twiggy and Ron Moody were involved with this special.
And David Bowie. Except that David Bowie wasn't terribly keen on performing with the WWII crooner. But he eventually agreed because his mother was a big fan of Bing Crosby.
The show's writers chose "Little Drummer Boy" for Crosby's and Bowie's duet. But it turns out that Bowie really hated "Little Drummer Boy." So the producers and songwriters composed a counterpart lyrics and a new bridge for Bowie to sing alongside Crosby. They apparently banged out "Peace of Earth" in about an hour's time!
Crosby and Bowie met in September 1977 to film their performance. Their song starts with Bowie meeting up with Crosby at a neighbor's home. He immediately asked if Crosby is the homeowner's new butler. The two then shared their favorite contemporary and classic musical performers -- though with a bit of cheek by David Bowie.
What followed was a beautiful duet -- and one of my favorite renditions of "Little Drummer Boy." You can listen to it here.
Incidentally, Bing Crosby died from a heart attack on October 14, 1977 -- roughly a month after performing with David Bowie.