Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly have reimagined David Bowie and Bing Crosby’s “Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth” duet, originally recorded for Crosby’s 1977 television special, Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas. (See also: Jack Black and Jason Segel’s animated version from last week, Stephen Colbert and Willie Nelson’s marijuana-inspired version from A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!, and many more.) Except for their faces — can’t change a face! This isn’t Bridalplasty — the Funny or Die duo have matched the Bowie/Crosby original detail for detail, right down to the mind-blowing exchange about “modern music” and eerie, dilapidated, Christmas-don’t-live-here-anymore set. Compare the two videos after the jump….
Might Ferrell deserve honorary inclusion in last week’s Infuriating Bangs gallery?
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Jack Black and Jason Segel get animated for Christmas duet
Sorry – I love the original duet, and as for the set and the akwardness, well, let’s just say that you had to be there – in 1977. Which many of you, including Annie Barrett, probably weren’t
I’m right there with you. Nothing ridiculous about it.
Yeah, I’m puzzled by the term “awkward.” I’ve seen the original and love it. Didn’t seem awkward to me at all. Both voices go together very harmoniously.
While the singing is great the conversation between the two is very awkward. I am not sure if Bing Crosby ever looked David Bowie in the eye.
That’s because Bowie had his way with him earlier and we all know Bing was ashamed of his sexuality.
I saw the original when it first aired, too, and think it’s a beautiful song. I’m not a big fan of most versions of “Little Drummer Boy,” but this one was great due to Bing and David. Yeah, the set looks dated now, but it wasn’t in 1977.
David Bowie could sing to me ANYTIME – love that man! Is it just me… or was that NOT funny?
Yeah….I “was there” too and it gave me the heebie jeebies.
Its a beautiful song but I kept waiting for Bing to slap David across the face.
I went back to check – and confirmed. This Christmas special was Bing Crosby’s last, and was actually filmed just a few weeks before he died (in Sept of that year). You could see that he was frail. I think that it makes the song especially poignant
Because Christmas celebrates death? I don’t follow.
“Poignant” means deeply affecting or touching. Besides being a beautiful song lyrically and melodically, it was one of the last that Bing ever sang on TV, and the special aired after his death. That makes it poignant.
I agree, 33 years ago it was a hip thing to do. They were polar opposites as singers, different generations, and they appealed to family.
Actually, though seemingly “polar opposites,” because Bing Crosby was an easy listening jazz singer, and David Bowie a rock & roll (by way of folk-rock and glam rock) singer, both Bowie and Crosby had been termed “crooners,” meaning, according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, one who sings “in a gentle, murmuring manner; especially: to sing in a soft intimate manner adapted to amplifying systems.”
Yeah, I remember the original airing. And while the banter was awkward (isn’t it always on TV specials?), once the duet started it was magic. And the video isn’t really funny it the very end (“I’m Bing F@#%ing Crosby”).
^”until” the very end.
You’ve gone too far! The Bing Crosby Special was my entire Christmas one year. I was raised by television! My alcoholic mother and abusive father would turn on the TV and sit me in front of it and if I moved I got smacked! Ziggy and Bing were the Christmas parents I always wanted but never had. Thanks for ruining yet another cherished holiday memory. Elf my ass…
It was a homage not straight making fun of it. Who knew Will Ferrel and John C. Reilly could sing. (Not nearly good as the original but still)
Well, if you saw Chicago you’d know JCR can sing.
seriously? watch John C. Reilly in Chicago, amazing. Also, Will has sang in many, many movies (Winter Passing, Elf, Stranger Than Fiction, to name a few) both have pretty good voices! Google Will singing “Whole Wide World”. SO GOOD!
I’m with you. I enjoyed it back then. And, I LOVE it now. Merry Christmas.
Listening to the song on the radio – it is wonderful. The tv clip, now music video, may seem stiff but then again you had two stars of different ereas who did not know each other who came together for the purpose of singing a song. The end result is magical. Those who make fun of it, do so b/c they don’t have the talent to actually do something this special & long lasting (including Ferrell’s films).
Since “Elf” is a holiday classic, I think that’s special and long lasting. Anyway, I love these two together. John C Reilly needs to sing in everything he does.
Shake and bake, par-um-pa-pum-pum!
classic
Funny or Die should get William Shatner to perform this Rocket Man style. “Me……..and……..mydrum!”
Dear 8 pound 6 oz, newborn infant Jesus, don’t even know a word yet…thank you for Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, David Bowie, and Bing Crosby. Thank you, dear baby God.
Bing & Bowie created one of the classic duets. Who would have thought their voices would match so well? Who cares about the corny Christmas show banter? Ferrell & Reilly? Not funny.
Oh wow! Let’s show how ironic and above-it-all we are by trashing a holiday classic!
Ferrell and Reilly. Fugly and fuglier. They have some nerve trashing people of real talent.
What was the point of this? Is it supposed to be funny? Ferrell’s voice is better than I expected it to be, but if there was a joke in this I missed it completely.
It was an odd pairing, true, but a great one. The song is just lovely. I doubt you’d get the same kind of result today if you put, say, James Taylor and Ke$ha together. And I bet their banter would be WAY more awkward.
James Taylor would destroy Ke$ha. In a dirty old man kind of way.
When I saw the original airing of the Bing/Bowie duet as a kid I thought it ruled. It still does! And there’s nothing wrong with the set. That is all.
Exactly. It was the sort of style of the TV specials in that decade. Only thing better than Bing and Bowie is Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.
I just watched White Christmas the other night, and will be watching it again as soon as my son has his speech written for English. I love that movie!
Christmastime at Grey Gardens.
I love the original duet version between Bowie and Crosby. Their version made me realize that Bowie is a truly gifted vocalist – he really has a beautiful voice, packed with emotion, soul and vulnerability. Which is probably why this song, along with “Absolute Beginners”, are my faves.