I have a couple versions of sheet music for “The Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth,” the medley performed by David Bowie and Bing Crosby on “A Merrie Olde Christmas,” Crosby’s 1977 Christmas TV special, and one of the most inspired and magical pairings in modern Christmas music.
One arrangement is from Alfred Music’s songbook collection, “40 Sheet Music Bestsellers: Christmas Hits.” But recently I found an arrangement that is truer to the original recording, with more of the piano nuances.
On Christmas Eve, the official David Bowie Facebook page shared behind the scenes photos from the special along with this in-depth article from Warner Music Group’s website Dig!, which I found well worth the read.
Some details I’d known before: for instance, that when David Bowie arrived on set, his reluctance to sing “The Little Drummer Boy” (quote: “I hate that song”) resulted in the last-minute composition of “Peace on Earth,” whose lyrics were hastily crafted as a countermelody to fit into a backing track that had already been recorded for the day’s filming. Not only does “Peace on Earth” fit seamlessly into “Little Drummer Boy”; its soaring message feels essential, inevitable, timeless and yet all too timely.
And count me among those who first fell in love with “The Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth” when it was in heavy rotation in the early years of MTV. Indeed, MTV’s decision to air the clip as a holiday video in 1981 is credited with reviving awareness of the duet. I remember appreciating how the video began with the opening skit between David Bowie and Bing Crosby; their banter still feels like an essential part of the song for me.
Speaking of music videos, David Bowie also promoted his new song “Heroes” on the Bing Crosby special (!!). How had I missed this detail before now? In November 2015, no less an authority than the official David Bowie site marked the anniversary of the Crosby special airing in the U.K. with a post about this “oft overlooked performance of ‘Heroes.’”
The “Heroes” performance directly followed a Bing Crosby and Twiggy duet of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Now, my mother recalls watching David Bowie on “Merrie Olde Christmas,” and she remembers adoring his duet with Crosby. But what on earth did she make of “Heroes” back then? Did it interrupt her holiday glow? What a fascinating juxtaposition!
I remember seeing the movie “Moulin Rouge!” and feeling a jolt of astonishment and delight when, in the midst of the “Elephant Love Medley” sequence, Ewan MacGregor’s character suddenly burst into “we could be heroes… just for one day.” Honestly, between Bing Crosby and Baz Luhrmann, “Heroes” sets a gold standard for mashups.
Back to the matter of sheet music: the “40 Sheet Music Bestsellers: Christmas Hits” songbook also includes an arrangement of “Heat Miser,” from that most excellent Rankin/Bass Christmas special, “The Year Without a Santa Claus.” More on “Heat Miser” (and “Snow Miser”) in a separate post, but suffice it to say that I was thrilled to get sheet music for two of my favorite holiday songs when I purchased this book.
Where to find it: “The Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth”
as recorded by David Bowie and Bing Crosby
“The Little Drummer Boy”
music and lyrics by Harry Simeone, Henry Onorati, and Katherine Davis
“Peace on Earth”
lyrics by Alan Kohan
music by Larry Grossman and Ian Fraser
SONGBOOK: song included in the collection “40 Sheet Music Bestsellers: Christmas Hits”. Find the songbook on Amazon or Apple Books (digital version)
Publisher: Alfred Music (2011)
ISBN: 0739081896
Status (2023): Out of Print
SHEET MUSIC: purchase printed sheet music for “The Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth” at Hal Leonard. Look for used copies at AbeBooks and used or new copies on Amazon.
Publisher: Hal Leonard (previously published by Alfred Music)
ISBN: 0739076809
Status (2023): In Print
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS: sheet music for The Accompanist’s piano solo arrangement of "The Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth” available for purchase as a digital download on musicnotes.com. See also this simpler arrangement.
FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION:
- Video from PBS American Masters in which Buz Kohan recounts the creation of “Peace on Earth”
- CBS news article: “Buz Kohan Recalls The Making Of 'Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth'”
- Soundwaves Art Foundation: artwork created from the soundwaves of Bing Crosby's 1977 duet with David Bowie, "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy.”
- CBC article: “David Bowie, Bing Crosby and the story of the strangest Christmas duet ever”
- Read two separate bloggers’ reflections on watching “Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas” special: Mainlining Christmas and A Shroud of Thoughts.
So Many Songbooks 