🔘 Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy – Single: Nov. 1982

Released: November 26, 1982 (UK)

Label: RCA Records

Catalogue Number: BOW 12

Format: 7" & 12" Vinyl Single

The legendary 1977 Bowie–Crosby Christmas duet — finally issued as a standalone single five years after its original broadcast.

Recorded for Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas TV special, the performance became one of Bowie’s most iconic seasonal moments.

🔘 Overview

Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy was first performed and filmed on 11 September 1977 for Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas, broadcast shortly after Crosby’s death. Bowie, initially reluctant to sing Little Drummer Boy, was offered a newly written counter‑melody — Peace On Earth — which he preferred. The resulting duet became an instant classic: Bowie’s crystalline vocal weaving around Crosby’s warm baritone.

RCA finally issued the track as a single on November 26, 1982, pairing the original TV audio with festive packaging. Released on both 7" and 12" formats, the single became a perennial favourite and remains one of Bowie’s most enduring Christmas recordings.

🔘 Track List (Common Configurations)

7" Vinyl — BOW 12

A. Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy

B. Fantastic Voyage

12" Vinyl — BOW 12 (12")

A. Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy

B1. Fantastic Voyage

B2. [Territory‑dependent filler track or extended B‑side]

Written by: Peace On Earth — Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman, Alan Kohan

Little Drummer Boy — Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone

Produced by: David Bowie, Bing Crosby (TV special production team)

🔘 Release Details

Label: RCA Records

Formats: 7" Vinyl / 12" Vinyl

Country: UK

Year: 1982

Notes:

- Recorded for Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas (1977)

- First commercial release of the duet

- Issued in festive picture sleeve

- 12" edition includes additional B‑side content

🔘 Variants (Discogs‑Verified)

Variant 1

UK – RCA – BOW 12 (1982)

Format: 7" Vinyl

Variant 2

UK – RCA – BOW 12 (12") (1982)

Format: 12" Vinyl

Variant 3

Select EU territories – RCA – PB series (1982)

Format: 7" Vinyl (Alternate catalogue numbers)

🔘 Chart Data (BBC / Official Charts Company)

Peak Position: UK — No. 3

Weeks on Chart: 10

Chart Run (Official Charts):

05 Dec 1982 — No. 9

12 Dec 1982 — No. 5

19 Dec 1982 — No. 3

26 Dec 1982 — No. 3

02 Jan 1983 — No. 7

09 Jan 1983 — No. 12

16 Jan 1983 — No. 20

23 Jan 1983 — No. 29

30 Jan 1983 — No. 41

06 Feb 1983 — No. 58

🔘 Context & Notes

Recording Notes

The duet was recorded in London during Bowie’s Low/Heroes period. Peace On Earth was written specifically for the special after Bowie declined to sing Little Drummer Boy alone.

Collector Notes

Original 1982 BOW 12 pressings with clean sleeves are highly collectible. The 12" edition is scarcer and commands strong seasonal demand.

Legacy

One of the most beloved Christmas duets of all time — a poignant meeting of two musical eras, preserved in a timeless seasonal recording.

🔘 Related Material

Previous Seasonal Release

John I’m Only Dancing (Again) (1979 reissue)

Next Bowie Single

Let’s Dance (1983)

🔘 Discography (Selected, Chronological)

Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy — 1982

Let’s Dance — 1983

China Girl — 1983

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

11 Sep 1977 — Duet recorded for Merrie Olde Christmas

25 Dec 1977 — TV broadcast

Nov. 26, 1982 — UK single released

Dec. 1982 — Peaks at UK No. 3

🔘 Glam Flashback

A gentle, unexpected union — Bowie’s cool modernity meeting Crosby’s classic warmth in a Christmas moment for the ages.

🔘 Sources

RCA Records

Discogs

Official Charts Company

Bowie archival documentation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCpXMy5GalI