Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)


"Christmas " is a rock song originally sung by Darlene Love and included on the 1963 seasonal compilation album, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. The song was written by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry and Love was given a demo of it over phone performed by them. She went on to record the song in studio, which became a big success over time and one of her signature tunes. Love's later song, "All Alone on Christmas", which was used in the 1992 Christmas movie, Home Alone 2, referenced the song.
The song as recorded by Love was released as a single in 1963 and in 1964. But the records did not chart in either year.
In December 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Christmas " first on its list of The Greatest Rock and Roll Christmas Songs, noting that "nobody can match Love's emotion and sheer vocal power."
As an example of the track's staying power, "Christmas " reached No. 45 on the U.S. Billboard Holiday Airplay chart in 2016. On the week ending 29 December 2018, the track entered the main Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time at No. 50. It reached its chart peak of No. 29 on the week ending 4 January 2020. On the official UK Singles Chart, "Christmas " made its first appearance on the week of 5 January 2017 at No. 74. It entered the same chart again one year later at No. 77, and again on the week of 20 December 2018 at No. 80, eventually reaching its overall chart peak to date of No. 22 two weeks later.

In other media

Beginning in 1986 and continuing for 29 years, Darlene Love performed the song annually on the final new episode before Christmas of Late Night with David Letterman and Late Show with David Letterman, 28 times in all. The exception was in 2007, when Love was unable to perform due to the Writers' Strike; a repeat of her 2006 performance was shown instead.
She performed the song with Paul Shaffer and the show's house band. The band had been augmented over the years by strings and other instruments, as well as a full choir. In 2000, the US Air Force Singing Sergeants were the choir. One of the highlights of the performances was a sax solo by band member Bruce Kapler, who would make his entrance in entertaining ways, including being pulled in on Santa's sleigh, "flying" from the rafters on wires, walking down the steps of the audience risers, and appearing in a giant snow globe. It was known that Love's last appearance on Letterman's show would air on December 19, 2014, as Letterman had announced his retirement from hosting The Late Show. In addition to the publicity and anticipation for this final performance, Love's original version of the song reappeared on the Billboard charts, peaking at No. 21 on the publication's Holiday Digital Songs chart.
Love also performed the song on December 24, 2013 in front of traders at the New York Stock Exchange as the market closed for the day.
Beginning in 2015, the tradition of Love's annual performance of the song moved to The View, where it has continued during its last edition before Christmas in the years since.
The song has been used in several movies – including during the main titles of Gremlins, in a scene in GoodFellas in which some of the characters spend money from the Lufthansa Heist on lavish gifts, in Christmas with the Kranks, in the 2012 ABC Family TV movie The Mistle-Tones, and most recently in the 2017 Hallmark Channel TV movie .
On the December 17, 2011 holiday episode of Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Fallon sang a version of the song with lyrics reflecting upon his past experiences with the show.
Jonathan Jackson covered the song for the ABC/CMT drama, Nashville, for their Christmas album Christmas with Nashville

"Johnny (Baby Please Come Home)"

During the 1963 recording sessions for "Christmas ", Phil Spector thought the track was strong enough to warrant a non-seasonal version, and cut a version titled "Johnny " at the same time as "Christmas". This version was not released to the public until 1976 as the final track on the Spector compilation album, Rare Masters Vol. 2. It was also released in January 1977 as the B-side of the UK release of Love's single, "Lord, if You're a Woman". "Johnny " was also included on a 1997 European version of Love's 1992 compilation album, The Best of Darlene Love .

Cover versions

"Christmas " was not widely recognized after its initial release; however, it has since been covered many times by different artists over the years. The earliest cover version was by the Quiet Jungle, for the 1968 LP The Story Of Snoopy's Christmas.
The song was recorded by U2 in July 1987 during a sound check in Glasgow, Scotland during their Joshua Tree Tour. Darlene Love provided backing vocals,. The song was released on the A Very Special Christmas compilation in 1987, and on the Unreleased & Rare album in The Complete U2 digital box set in 2004.
Joey Ramone's version appeared on his 2002 album Christmas Spirit... In My House.
Mariah Carey covered the song for her 1994 album Merry Christmas. The digital single reached No. 59 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart in 2011, and has sold more than 200,000 copies. Mariah sang her classic Christmas album cover of Darlene Love's "Christmas " in 2008 at "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!!"
Cher, one of the original background singers at the Phil Spector studio session with Darlene Love, covered the song 36 years later in a dance version for A Rosie Christmas in 1999. The track featured vocals by Rosie O'Donnell using the Auto-Tune effect that had been used in Cher's hit "Believe".
Other versions include those released by The New Bomb Turks, Lady Antebellum, The Mavericks, Dion, Michael Bublé, Jon Bon Jovi, Hanson, Little Mix, Foo Fighters,
Death Cab for Cutie, Lucy Hale, Melissa Etheridge, the Raveonettes, Jars of Clay, Anberlin, Slow Club, Josh Ramsay, Leona Lewis, Olivia Holt, Noah Cyrus, Smash Mouth, and Idina Menzel, among many others.

Mariah Carey version

Various artists version

Certifications and sales

Mariah Carey version

Personnel

Darlene Love version