by Mark Nobes, chief editor
So what happens when you pair a smooth, cardigan-wearing WWII crooner with an androgynous, coke-snorting, art rock star? You get one of the most surreal and fascinating moments in music history, that's what!
What made the duet even more unlikely is the fact that Bowie hated "The Little Drummer Boy", and made it very clear "I won't sing that song". He was extremely reluctant to sing with Bing, but eventually decided to do it for his mother, who was a fan, and because of the extra "Peace on Earth" segment which was quickly penned by Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman and Alan Kohan around a piano in a basement studio in 75 minutes. Apparently, Bing and David perfected the song in under an hour.
"The Little Drummer Boy", of course, is a traditional Christmas song that was written way back in 1941 by Katherine Kennicott Davis.
The B-side featured the track "Fantastic Voyage" by David Bowie.
The song became one of Bowie's best-selling singles, shifting around 454,000 copies in the UK alone. The video of the pair singing together often features on Christmas music nostalgia programmes. The song is particularly popular in the U.S. and Canada, where it has been played widely on radio stations during the festive season every year.
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