The song that is. The movie used to be available for free online, but now you have to pay to watch it. The video below is a short clip from the movie set to Bob Seger's rendition of the song, one of the best I have heard.
This was originally a Czech song which Katherine Davis translated to English in 1941. Dawn Halloran explained to us: "This song was originally published as 'Carol of the Drum,' a traditional Czech carol, by Katharine K. Davis. My father, Jack Halloran, arranged it and recorded it under the same title on his 1957 Dot album, Christmas is A-Comin'. Henry Onorati was a producer for Dot who worked on the project and took the arrangement to Harry Simeone, who had nothing to do with my father's recording. Dot was to put out the single of 'Carol of the Drum' for the Christmas '57 season, but for unknown reasons did not get it out in time. Meanwhile, Onorati took the arrangement to Simeone who hired the same singers, re-recorded it adding finger cymbols and cutting a difficult passage just before the last phrase. It was then put out as a single under the title 'Little Drummer Boy,' by Harry Simeone, Katharine K. Davis and Henry Onorati. I've seen the master recording of the song and it pre-dates Simeone's by a year. And for the record, no one else ever arranged 'for' my father. He was the arranger for other artists."
Simeone is a conductor and arranger from Newark, New Jersey. He worked on various Bing Crosby movies and was the conductor for a popular TV show called The Firestone Hour from 1952-1959. This was his first album with a chorus.
This was released around Christmas every year from 1958-1962. It made the US Top-40 all 5 years and became a holiday classic.
In the UK, this was a hit in 1959 for The Beverly Sisters as well as Michael Flanders. A version by the Pipes And Drums And Military Band Of The Royal Scots Guards was also a hit there in 1972.
The album was released as "Sing We Now Of Christmas." It was retiled "The Little Drummer Boy" in 1963.
One of the more interesting duets in musical history took place on September 11, 1977 during filming of Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas special, where he planned to sing "The Little Drummer Boy" with David Bowie. The show was recorded in London, and had a "Christmas in England" theme. Bowie, who was 30 years old to Bing's 73, was convinced to appear after producers agreed to air his "Heroes" video on the show, which Crosby introduced.
When Bowie got to the studio, he made it clear that he did not want to do the song, so the writers on the show whipped up a new arrangement with Bowie singing the words "Peace On Earth" and some additional lyrics as counterpoint to Crosby's vocals. The thought of pairing a crooner with a glam rocker proved to be more than a gimmick, with this unique version becoming a Christmas classic.
Bing Crosby died before the Christmas special aired, which drew a lot of attention to the program. Below is that performance.
When Bowie got to the studio, he made it clear that he did not want to do the song, so the writers on the show whipped up a new arrangement with Bowie singing the words "Peace On Earth" and some additional lyrics as counterpoint to Crosby's vocals. The thought of pairing a crooner with a glam rocker proved to be more than a gimmick, with this unique version becoming a Christmas classic.
Bing Crosby died before the Christmas special aired, which drew a lot of attention to the program. Below is that performance.
