Darlene Love sings "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) FOR THE FIRST TIME on Letterman, 1986

[dandydonaldo]

How ironic that Leno was also a guest that night. In 1986, some viewers thought Darlene was a warm-up act for Spuds McKenzie.

[dandydonaldo]

My favorite Christmas song of them all. I look forward to Darlene performing it on Letterman every year. Too bad there's no sax solo on this one, like Bruce Kapler's.

[rabbidbunnie1]

great video

[SmithNorthwest]

I never thought I'd ever see this again! God bless you, sir!

[JonFrumTheFirst]

From when the band had hair.

[jerryjanski]

B.D. Dog...God bless you for posting this. You've made my Christmas. I quit watching Letterman years ago, but i always try to catch Darlene. Saw her last night & thought i'd look it up on youtube & post it on my facebook today. I NEVER DREAMED i'd find the VERY 1ST ONE & be able to post it as well. Again, God bless you, Darlene, & Dave. Now, if we could only get Chuck Berry to do "Run, Run, Rudolph"...

[BernDiggityDog]

@jerryjanski Thanks for your post, Jerry. I knew that the vid would be appreciated, but to the extent that it has been is truly touching for me. I guarded the tape with my life - through eight moves in 25 years! haha It's been part of my tradition each year and now it is part of yours and everyone's! God bless ya too - Happy 2012!!

[twinlorna]

Great in 1986. Fantastic in 2011.

[minnetonkamikie]

Can't believe its been 26 years. Last nights 2011 version had so much more "production" but Darlene's energy in this first one ensured there would be many more. Glad to see them both - and all the ones in between.

Thanks for sharing this first one.

[shango12b]

This has become a tradition of my own. I cannot wait every year for this performance. Love it!

[Gamardo95]

I so agree with PAMO2011. Her voice energy and joy makes me weep! God Bless her!!!!

[TheThymeTraveler]

Watch D.L  12/23/2011

[BernDiggityDog]

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY, DARLENE AND DAVE!!! MANY MANY MORE!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!!

[carolethieme]

@BernDiggityDog

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[ThePeachy2]

@BernDiggityDog Darlene was in great voice last night, as always! Happy 25th on Letterman!

[brainysod]

Wow this is amazing! Could still sing it so well after over 20 years!

[MrSchlah]

I look forward to Christmas, if for no other reason but to hear Darlene sing (Baby please come home).

[desert3347]

This is simply Unbelievable...........Talk about "bare-bones" except

for Darlene. There isn't Anyway that Anyone would of thought

What this One Song would do for Ms. Love. God I Love This.

[5Ducklings]

This is so cool to get to see the first one. THank you so much for sharing!!

[GlenQuagmireful]

That is about as cool as anything I have ever seen. She is an absolutely monumental American artist, and this is the greatest rock Christmas song ever and Letterman's proudest moment.

[TheThymeTraveler]

The Lady is in the Hall... getting better each year.

[yankeespy3]

Wow, Paul had hair then!!

[prynterman]

Thanks for putting this here for all to see. I wish CBS would would put out a DVD with all of her performaces of this song on the Letterman show.

[coolsweetgroovy]

go Darlene so cool to finally see the 1st ever performance 

[FinallyunderstandU]

@coolsweetgroovy very powerful and special lady

[coolsweetgroovy]

@FinallyunderstandU I know CC

[MisterCrazyLegs]

Go 'head, Darlene!!!!....sing it, ho!!!!

[GPsgurl80]

omg i am in tears of joy! that vid ruled so much! thank you for making my year. :_)

[BernDiggityDog]

@GPsgurl80 It makes my smile and cry at the same time as well!!! It brings out the Christmas spirit even when played in July....or October!!! Peace!!

[rawschri]

Watching this in the UK...legend ....sang with some of the greats including Elvis as part of the Blossoms....I claim her for the rest of the world....genius...so underrated..and to think most of the world knows her as Sgt.Murtagh's wife in the " Lethal Weapon" films....

[cyberstench]

Not so much a wall of sound as a wall of mullets...

Great track though. ROCK THE FUCK ON

[iowa61]

She didn't know it. But it was the first step on the road back. Bless her...

[SomebodyGroovy2]

I'm so glad to finally see this! 

[fathermckenzie1]

they couldn't even afford a sax player for the solo lol

[BernDiggityDog]

@fathermckenzie1 HAHA!! I'm sure they never expected such a wonderful tradition to evolve from this first Love song. The sax dude became part of the larger production as the years passed and the tradition's popularity grew.

[dewaragency]

I'm impressed you remember when they were called "the most dangerous" Band. Let's see if people can fill in the blanks 1987-2006 or there abouts. Thanks again.

[dewaragency]

Thank you for posting this 1st year, I've been looking for it for years with NO success. She has gone on to sing it every Xmas since with Dave; one exception was 2007 during the musicians' strike. Wonder if anyone has some other years in the later 80's???

[raywil1]

@dewaragency

I think this mite be the only time she ever sung this on Late night, its always reported that shes sung it for 20 odd years but if you look on the Letterman usenet group and search for Darlene, they hae documented her appearances singing at Christmas and this is the only one on Late Night. She has performed it on Late night since 1994 - the DooWopJoe Video should say 94 and 93. It is still an amazing achievement and wonderful tradition for all of these years though

[desert3347]

OMG........Boy, has Letterman come a long way in his "Love" Christmas song. She can still stand there and sing without any background singers or instrauments. She is the "WALL OF SOUND"..........LOVE YOU MISS LOVE......

[spintation]

Thank you thank you!!  What a talent!!

[sweetnpeachy1]

@BernDiggityDog Thanks for posting! I've looked for days trying to find the first year Darlene sang this on Letterman's show! She sounded much the same at 72 yrs.old on Dave last night, (12/23/10) outstanding! .

[darius595]

where's the guy with the saxaphone

[sweetnpeachy1]

@darius595 Paul had a small band then! Will had brown hair and Anton HAD hair!

[creichmuth]

hOLY sHITE! Phil Spector is even mentioned!

[jerseyjoker]

Thanks for posting the BEGINNING of Dave & Darlene's long Christmas tradition. Now there are 10 years of this on YouTube, but not yet a 'quality' version of this years (2010). I sure wish the missing 14 or so years would be posted. There was NO 2007 show due to the strike and perhaps other years were not done, for other reasons, but if anyone has a missing year, PLEASE post it. Darlene so deserves to be in the R&R Hall of Fame, and now that it is finally happening, I wish I could be there.

[dewaragency]

@jerseyjoker The entire 12/23/10 show is on the Late Night Website.

[Chuck1974]

NEVER EVER remove this vid!! Please!!

[hardcanard]

YES ! Thank you so much for uploading this, Bern. It really feels like Christmas when Darlene Love sings this song every year. I have seen every performance on Letterman and although '93 and '95 are my personal fav.'s, it is so great to go back and remember seeing her belt it out for the first time on the show.

[Sonovox01]

Thank you SO much for this!!!

[iowa61]

Love you Darlene!!! The beginning of one of the most deserved comebacks in history...