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Flaming Lips cover David Bowie, Bing Crosby in bizarre ‘Little Drummer Boy’ video

Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips performs onstage at Alcatraz on Nov. 14, 2018, in Milan, Italy. Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty Images

American experimental rockers Flaming Lips, got into the spirit of the holidays on Thursday morning by releasing a cover of the David Bowie/Bing Crosby holiday classic, Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy.

Flaming Lips paid homage to the timeless video which introduced Bowie and Crosby in their own unique way. Their interpretation comes in the form of a psychedelic work of art directed by music video specialist George Salisbury and Lips frontman, Wayne Coyne, 57.

The short is filtered with all colours of the rainbow. The band members are portrayed as either Roman soldiers or in Coyne’s case, as a King.

While the music video strays from the charming holiday special gifted to the world in 1982, the music stays true to form in its soft and faithful musical rendition.

WATCH BELOW: Flaming Lips’ often silly and vivid music video for Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy

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Some longtime Lips fans were endeared by the tribute, so much so that they reached out to Coyne and the lads on Twitter to wish them happy holidays.

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“Beautiful tune, well done Lips. Merry Christmas!” wrote a follower.

“This makes me so happy and wholesome,” added another.

The most positive message of all came from this Twitter user. “So Christmas music doesn’t HAVE to suck?”

Bing Crosby and David Bowie shake hands on the television special ‘Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas’, which aired on Nov. 30, 1977. Getty Images Archive

READ MORE: David Bowie reached out to Scott Weiland shortly before his death, according to autobiography

Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy was filmed and recorded in Coyne’s home studio — Pink Floor Studios, which is where the Lips are expected to be recording a split EP with Mac DeMarco.

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Aside from a New Year’s Eve spectacle in Tennessee, Flaming Lips are slated for no more shows in 2018.

Currently, they have only booked a further two concerts within the U.S. They are expected to announce a world tour sometime next year.

Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips performs on stage at Alcatraz on Nov. 14, 2018, in Milan, Italy. Mairo Cinquetti/NurPhoto via Getty Images

READ MORE: David Bowie alumni teaming up for A Bowie Celebration tour in 2019

Flaming Lips are currently working on their follow-up album to 2017’s Oczy Mlody. 

Coyne confirmed the album will be narrated almost entirely by The Clash’s Mick Jones. The record’s title was revealed as King’s Mouth earlier in December.

As of this writing, no release date has been scheduled for King’s Mouth, however, updates can be found on the official Flaming Lips website.

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adam.wallis@globalnews.ca

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