Bruce Springsteen Honors Darlene Love at the Town Hall

Bruce Springsteen presented Darlene Love with an RIAA platinum album award for A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector at Love's "Love for the Holidays" concert at the Town Hall on November 30.

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector, a holiday collection released in 1963, introduced Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)."

Springsteen called Love "my forever crush" while singling out "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" as "the absolute greatest Christmas rock 'n' roll song of all time." He said that "that song and Darlene have been a part of our holidays for 60 years."

"When we recorded it, we had no idea it would be a song that people would play for over 60 years," said Love. "But it's a great song. It's something that had never been done before: It's a great Christmas song and a rock 'n roll Christmas song. I never get tired of singing it. And I never really get tired of singing it because I only do it at Christmas time."

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" single as 3x platinum on April 7, 2023. The song was released on November 22, 1963.

All photographs by Sachyn Mital.

Setlist

Set 1:

1. White Christmas (Irving Berlin cover) (verse) (>) Joy to the World (Isaac Watts cover)
2. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot / Down By the Riverside / Swing Down Chariot / Oh Happy Day
3. A Marshmallow World (Bing Crosby cover)
4. He's a Rebel (The Crystals cover) (>) He's Sure the Boy I Love (The Crystals cover) (>) (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry (>) Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home (>) Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home) (The Crystals cover)
5. Grown-Up Christmas List (David Foster cover)
6. Night Closing In
7. Jingle Bells
8. All Alone on Christmas

Set 2:

1. O Holy Night (Adolphe Adam cover, with Milton Vann on lead vocal)
2. I Listen to the Bells (Luther Vandross cover)
3. White Christmas (Irving Berlin cover)
4. Winter Wonderland (Richard Himber and His Orchestra cover)
5. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee cover)
6. Marvelous (Walter Hawkins and The Love Center Choir cover)
7. Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)

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The Manhattan Beat reports on New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.

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