Darlene Love was born in 1938. As one of Phil Spector's darlings, her sweet billowing voice made history on the 1963 Album A Christmas Gift for You. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is urgent, playful, melancholy and jubilant all at once. It's been much-covered over the years, but nobody does it like Darlene. She's appeared on the Letterman Show to sing this tune every December 23rd since 1986.
1993's performance was the earliest I could drag up on the 'Tube.
What a weave! Also, I am pretty sure my Mom had that outfit. Very elementary school teacher.
Fast-forward to 1995. The height of NTBR authors' adolescent dweebery and a time when real women wore shoulder pads:
Ummm, is that the same weave? And I am pretty sure the pants/blouse are '93 repeats. The strings are an interesting touch, as are the extra white folks in the choir. Darlene's final improvisation is very Mavis Staples, in all the right ways.
And here is the number from the millenial Noel:
How does Darlene get sleeker and hotter as she delves into her 60s? The best is yet to come, folks. In terms of backup singers, what's with the Air Force whiffenpoofs? This footage pre-dates 9/11 and so I'm surprised to see such national defence-oriented pop culture leanings prior to the dawn of a regretful decade of American military adventurism and corresponding television propagandizing.
2005: The year the Ghost of Etta James Past paid a visit to Darlene's CBS Dressing Room:
This woman is 67 years old in this clip! Despite remaining awed by Darlene's pipes, I may need therapy after seeing Paul Shaffer's hand gesture when discussing French Horn.
2009: it gets better with age
This 71 year old still knows how to wail. In a short red miniskirt and heels to boot.
My new all-consuming Christmas wish is to see her live.
1 comments:
See her live?? I don't know that she has any other songs.
Maybe she's taken on a sympathy prison sentence to be near Phil Spector.
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