Darlene Love – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Live on David Letterman – 2012
Link if video does not play: Darlene Love on Letterman 2012
I have watched Darlene Love nearly every year at Christmas for what seems like 20 years (a quick check shows I was off by a single year). This is Love’s 19th consecutive appearance.
Love sings the exact same song every year. I missed Love’s live performance this year, but a very close friend “Liz” emailed a link to the video shown above.
There are changes every year in Love’s performance on Letterman. The highlight for me is a sax solo in the middle of the song. Typically a sax player bursts out behind a paper wall, but this year the sax player is in a glass bubble.
I love the saxophone and keyboards over guitars and drums.
Darlene Love was lead singer for the Crystals in a roundabout way as explained on Wikipedia.
The Crystals number 1 hit was “He’s a Rebel” (click on link to see an excellent video and hear an excellent sax performance!).
He’s a Rebel, written by Gene Pitney, was supposed to be released as a Darlene Love single but was instead released under the Crystals name although Love was not technically in the group.
I heard Darlene Love explain this on Letterman one year. From memory, Love’s version goes like this: Phil Spector (the producer for the Crystals, Ronettes, etc.) promised Love that He’s a Rebel as well as follow-up singles would be released under her name, but Spector reneged on that promise and instead released all of Love’s hits under the Crystals name.
In 1964 the “British Invasion” began (Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, Rolling Stones, Dave Clark Five, etc.). The “British Invasion” coupled with the “Surf Sound” (Beach Boys), and the “Motown Sound” (Supremes, Temptations, etc.), marked the end of the line for the traditional girl groups from the early 60’s. Darlene Love never got the recognition she deserved.
Here is a link to additional performances of Darlene Love on Letterman.
Merry Christmas Everyone
Mish