Darlene Love, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, on Cloud Nine
In the early 1960s Darlene Love’s powerful, soaring voice made her one of Phil Spector’s favorite singers. Among many other Wall of Sound classics, she sings “He’s A Rebel,” “Today I Met The Boy I’m Going To Marry,” “Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home” and her immortal holiday classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”: She’s played the latter every Christmas on David Letterman’s show since 1986.
So tell me your first reaction to the news.
I was on my way to Atlantic City to do a private Christmas Party and I was in one of those limousines that’s longer than my house. Me and my husband were just kinda dozing off when I got the call — I was just stunned for a minute. Then I started screaming, and I thought, ‘I sure hope the driver don’t think my husband’s back here tryin’ to kill me.’ I was laughing and crying at the same time. I’m still on cloud nine.
It’s definitely long overdue.
Well, it’s wonderful because I always say, ‘Everything in its own time.’ And this has been a great year for me. I have a lot going on with my new CD coming out, and a DVD coming out, and then we’re in the midst of trying to put a movie together from my life. We wanted an ending for the movie, and now we got it.
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I just spoke to Bruce Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt about it. Bruce said, “Congratulations! We did it!”
Do you think you’ll thank Phil Spector during your speech?
I’m going to think about that. When I talk about him I always say if it wasn’t for those songs years ago, I would not have a career today, so I have to say something about Phil Spector. It’s not going to be negative. I owe him my career.
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I’m Jewish, so my only real Christmas moment of the year is when you sing “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” on David Letterman. During those few minutes I really feel the spirit of the holiday.
I’ll give you one better then! [Laughs] Jewish people wrote it! I tell people all the time, “You know, ‘White Christmas’ was written by somebody Jewish! You guys don’t get it! They might not be celebrating it, but they’re sure writing a lot of songs!”
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To ask a totally random question, I’ve seen rumors online that their might be a Lethal Weapon 5 at some point. Is that possibly true? [Love played Trish Murtaugh in all four Lethal Weapon movies.]
We heard that, too. I don’t know. We’re getting kind of old. I always laugh about that. I say, ‘Well y’all better hurry up if you’re going to do a fifth. Ya’ll better hurry up because your grandchildren are going to be older than you.’ But you know in Lethal Weapon 4, all our kids had babies. Even Mel Gibson’s wife had a baby. So it’s like who’s going to play these parts? Y’all going to be in rocking chairs. [Laughs]
A lot of people in Hollywood say they don’t want to work with Mel Gibson anymore. Would you mind working with him?
No. I wouldn’t mind working with him. I love Mel Gibson. I think, you know, everybody has their problems. Everybody has situations that happen to them in their lives. And you know I think that’s something else that just happened. Life has a way of, you know, throwing you curves. That was one of his curves. I’m sure he’s had more than that, but this is one of them.
Next: Hear 10 Key Tracks by Darlene Love
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Playlist: Darlene Love
Hear these tracks below:
1. “He’s a Rebel”
2. “Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah”
3. “He’s Sure the Boy I Love”
4. “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry”
5. “Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home”
6. “A Fine, Fine Boy”
7. “Christmas Baby (Please Come Home)”
8. “Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts?”
9. “Not Too Young to Get Married”
10. “Alone on Christmas”
1. “He’s a Rebel”
2. “Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah”
3. “He’s Sure the Boy I Love”
4. “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry”
5. “Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home”
6. “A Fine, Fine Boy”
7. “Christmas Baby (Please Come Home)”
8. “Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts?”
9. “Not Too Young to Get Married”
10. “Alone On Christmas”