Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
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| "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Song by Darlene Love | ||
| from the album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector | ||
| Released | November 22, 1963 | |
| Genre | Christmas, Baroque pop | |
| Length | 2:49 | |
| Label | ABKCO / Philles | |
| Composer(s) | Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector | |
| Producer(s) | Phil Spector | |
| A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector track listing | ||
| "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" (10) |
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" (11) |
"Here Comes Santa Claus" (12) |
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is a song by Darlene Love from the 1963 Christmas compilation album, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. The song was written by Phil Spector, along with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, with the intentions of being sung by Ronnie Spector of The Ronnettes. According to Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector was not able to put as much emotion into the song as needed, so Love was brought into the studio to record the song instead, which eventually became a big success.
[edit] Cover versions
The song was not widely recognized after its initial release; however, it has since been covered many times by different artists over the years. The first cover was recorded by U2 in July 1987 during a soundcheck at a stop during their Joshua Tree Tour in Glasgow, Scotland. Darlene Love provided backing vocals for U2, and the song was eventually released on the A Very Special Christmas compilation album in 1987, and later on the Unreleased & Rare album on "The Complete U2" digital box set in 2004.
The following other artists have also covered the song on the respective albums:
- Jon Bon Jovi — A Very Special Christmas Live! (1999)
- Mariah Carey — Merry Christmas (1994)
- Anberlin — Happy Christmas volume 4 (2005)
- David Campbell — The Spirit of Christmas 2006 (2006)
- The Catskills — Christmas in Stereo (1997)
- Cher — A Rosie Christmas (1999)
- Death Cab for Cutie — Maybe This Christmas (2004)
- The Desires — Rock for Tots (1998)
- Diesel — The Spirit of Christmas 1995 (1995)
- Dion — Rock 'n Roll Christmas (1995)
- Flash Cadillac — Ghost of Christmas Past (1996)
- Hanson — Snowed In (1997)
- Husky Team — Christmas in Memphis (2002)
- Last Train Home — Holiday (2003)
- The Mighty Echoes — Doo Wop Around the Christmas Tree (2006)
- New Bomb Turks — Pissing Out the Poison: Singles and Other Swill (1995)
- Norm — Irie Island Christmas (2003)
- Joey Ramone — Christmas Spirit...In My House (2002)
- Reina — This Is Reina (2004)
- Sha Na Na — Rockin' Christmas (2002)
- Smash Mouth — The Gift of Rock (2005)
- Brenda K. Starr — Free Style Christmas (1995)
- Jon Stevens — The Spirit of Christmas 2004 (2004)
[edit] Trivia
- The original Darlene Love version is heard over the opening credits sequence of the motion picture Gremlins.
- Darlene Love has performed the song on the final new episode of the Late Show with David Letterman before Christmas every year, since 1994. The song is always performed with the Late Show's house band, the CBS Orchestra, augmented by additional strings and other instruments, as well as a full choir. Love first performed the song on the Late Show in 1986.
