Tag Archives: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2024: Day 1

Posted in 25 Days Of Christmas Music by

Happy December, everybody!!! Welcome to 25 Days of Christmas Music!

Day 1 2024

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

We have officially arrived at the Christmas season so what better way to celebrate this festive time of year than with a daily countdown of great holiday songs to usher in the big day. All are welcome even if you are not a fan of this genre or you do not observe the holiday. Great music of any kind should be enjoyed by all. I would love to hear about your favorite Christmas songs, so please share them with me in the comments.

Ten years ago David Letterman announced he would retire from his late night show effective May 2015. In addition to everything that implied, it meant 2014 was the last time the tradition of this performance would take place. And Dave pulled out all the stops to make it as spectacular as possible. Here is my summary of that moment as posted on Day 278 of my Lockdown Countdown:

Six days before Christmas in 2014, I was still struggling with David Letterman’s decision to retire from “The Late Show” the following year when the moment I knew was coming arrived: The last appearance from Darlene Love to sing today’s song. It was a long standing holiday tradition dating back to 1986 (then on “Late Night With David Letterman” on NBC) for Love to come on and tear the roof of the place with her mighty voice every December. It was as much a part of my Christmas traditions as watching The Peanuts dance during the rehearsals for their holiday play. So the end of this era was going to hurt big time.

But Letterman was always a class act on his show and this night was no exception. He pulled out all the stops and had the entire stage set up for Love’s song. There was a huge gorgeous tree & other sparkly decorations, a full band complete with horns, strings & ten back up singers with everyone dressed in their holiday best. Paul Shaffer played a decorated grand piano which Love stood upon to sing the second half of the song as well as the encore. The performance closed out that night’s episode as a reign of faux snow fell down on everyone present. It was one of the show’s truly bittersweet moments for everyone involved including broken-hearted fans like me. And I remember that moment & how great it felt to be a member of Dave’s world every time I hear this song. U2 does a great version, too, but even Bono’s unbelievable voice is no match for the power of Love.

“They’re singing Deck The Halls
But it’s not like Christmas at all
I remember when you were here
And all the fun we had last year“.

Dave and Darlene 2014
2015
U2 circa 1987

Top: Darlene Love as David Letterman’s guest performer in December 2014. Middle: Love on top of the piano during her traditional performance that year. Bottom: U2 circa 1987 (L-R): Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr, Bono and The Edge. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Darlene Love & The CBS Orchestra: “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (2014, written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector).

U2: “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” (1987, written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector).  

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2023: Day 13

Posted in 25 Days Of Christmas Music by

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

country living mag

A beautiful rustic Christmas tree in a wash tub with the trimmings all around featured in Country Living Magazine. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The Late Show With David Letterman may have ended in 2015, but his wonderful yearly tradition of sharing today’s song with all of us continues here. Darlene Love recorded the track 60 years ago for the album, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. She has been performing it on Dave’s shows for decades and it was one of the greatest parts for me and millions of others each December. The edgier rock themed version by U2 is fabulous, too.  

dave darlene paul
2015
images (2)
u2

Top: A Dave sandwich from Darlene Love (L) and Paul Shaffer in 2013. Middle 1: Letterman pulled out all the stops for Love’s final holiday performance in 2015. Middle 2: Phil Spector’s 1963 Christmas album featuring Love’s original track. Bottom: U2 in the holiday spirit, albeit probably a photoshopped mood. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Darlene Love: “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (1963, written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector).

U2: “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (1987, written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

Let’s Take A Moment Day 278

Posted in Holidays, Music by

Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

Dec 19

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are in a serious situation, but I need a break from the gloom, doom and bullying by way of hoarding. Music has always been my refuge and watching those beautiful Italians singing to each other from their balconies reaffirmed my belief that music is the answer. So until the old normal returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day.  And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Six days before Christmas in 2014, I was still struggling with David Letterman’s decision to retire from “The Late Show” the following year when the moment I knew was coming arrived: The last appearance from Darlene Love to sing today’s song. It was a long standing holiday tradition dating back to 1986 (then on “Late Night With David Letterman” on NBC) for Love to come on and tear the roof of the place with her mighty voice every December. It was as much a part of my Christmas traditions as watching The Peanuts dance during the rehearsals for their holiday play. So the end of this era was going to hurt big time.

But Letterman was always a class act on his show and this night was no exception. He pulled out all the stops and had the entire stage set up for Love’s song. There was a huge gorgeous tree & other sparkly decorations, a full band complete with horns, strings & ten back up singers with everyone dressed in their holiday best. Paul Shaffer played a decorated grand piano which Love stood upon to sing the second half of the song as well as the encore. The performance closed out that night’s episode as a reign of faux snow fell down on everyone present. It was one of the show’s truly bittersweet moments for everyone involved including broken-hearted fans like me. And I remember that moment & how great it felt to be a member of Dave’s world every time I hear this song. U2 does a great version, too, but even Bono’s unbelievable voice is no match for the power of Love.

“They’re singing Deck The Halls
But it’s not like Christmas at all
I remember when you were here
And all the fun we had last year“.

darlene-love-letterman

Darlene Love (center on top of the piano) from her final appearance on Letterman’s show in 2014. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Darlene Love: “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (Live performance from “The Late Show With David Letterman” on December 19, 2014. Originally released in 1963, written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich & Phil Spector).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2018: Day 23

Posted in Christmas, Music by

Hi, Everybody!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

Day 23

Courtesy of bhg.com.

Today’s song was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich & Phil Spector.  It did not have chart success in either the year it was originally released-1963-or the one where it was reissued-1964.  But it did have Cher on backing vocals (along with west coast girl group The Blossoms) and Sonny Bono on percussion (as part of the group, The Wrecking Crew).

Dedicated to all our service men and women who cannot be home with their loved ones and families this year.  Praying you all make it back safely for Christmas 2019.

Darleme love

Darlene Love:  “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (1963 studio version).

***** Since it is not Christmas to me until I see her perform this on “The Late Show with David Letterman”, here is the video from her last appearance on  2014.  With all due respect to the immensely talented Rockettes, that night the “Christmas Spectacular” was in The Ed Sullivan Theater and not Radio City Musical Hall.

*****And since I am feeling nostalgic, here is the clip from her first appearance on Dave’s show (1986).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you  🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

Christmas Song Countdown #13

Posted in Christmas, Music, Uncategorized by

Hello, Vixens!!!  Welcome back to the countdown!!!

picture-wreath

Courtesy of Widadesign.com 

 

Today’s singer has been performing for decades, and is probably the greatest and most famous back up singer that ever was.  She has worked with the likes of Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt and Aretha Franklin, whom she channels in today’s song.

A phenomenal singer in her own right, she will probably always be best remembered for her work with Phil Spector’s groundbreaking “Wall of Sound” recordings in the 1960’s; namely ”He’s a Rebel,” ”(Today I Met) the Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” and today’s featured song which she performed regularly on David Letterman’s show during the Christmas season.

She was one of the main singers spotlighted in the 2014 Best Documentary Oscar winning film, “20 Feet From Stardom”.  She also played Danny Glover’s wife in all four “Lethal Weapon” movies and Judy Burrell on my soap “Another World” in 1993.

lethal-weapon

Danny Glover & Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon” (Courtesy of IMDb)

 

If all that were not impressive enough, the New York Times paid her one of the greatest compliments ever when they said her voice is ”as embedded in the history of rock and roll as Eric Clapton’s guitar and Bob Dylan’s lyrics”.  Wow.  Who would not want to be remembered like that?

Darlene Love:  Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).

P.S.  An honorable mention to U2 for their version of today’s song.  Who does not want to imagine themselves as the reason for Bono’s pleading?  Or more to the point, who does not want to listen to Bono and the rest of U2, period???

u2-mojo-254-770

U2 by Mattia Zoppellaro for MOJO magazine

 

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!