Things are changing for Darlene Love.
Oh, sure, she’s still doing her “Love for the Holidays” show. The celebration of Christmas music she has done off and on for decades — ever since her legendary performance of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” for Phil Spector’s classic “A Christmas Gift for You” album in 1963 — is bigger than ever, taking her to Landmark on Main Street on Sunday for the fourth year in a row before visiting David Letterman’s late night show for the 29th (and likely final) time.
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“I look forward to it every year,” Love says, calling from a tour stop in Austin, Texas. “I love doing it. It’s such a good time.”
However, for years, Love has told fans of her holiday shows, “You know, there are 10 other months in the year that you could see me.”
And now Love seems to be getting her non-holiday wish.
She just wrapped up work on her first solo album in 16 years, with Steven Van Zandt producing and pals like Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello contributing new songs. “We started on it this summer … and it should be out in January or February,” she said. “It’s a very unusual project, but it’s really going to let the world know who Darlene Love is.”
After all, while many know her voice from “He’s a Rebel” as part of The Crystals or from “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” with Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, it’s relatively recently that people are learning her name. Her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame helped. So did her Oscar acceptance speech for “20 Feet From Stardom,” which won best documentary this year.
