Darlene Love Returns to Late Night with Paul Shaffer and Steve Van Zandt for "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"

What a thrill it was last night to see the inimitable Darlene Love reprise one of my favorite holiday traditions by playing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," her classic tune from the 1963 album "A Christmas Gift to You from Phil Spector," on late night TV just before Christmas. She appeared last night with Paul Shaffer, Steve Van Zandt and Van Zandt's band, The Disciples of Soul, on NBC's Tonight Show. 

This was an especially fine moment, as it resumes a longstanding tradition that began when Love first performed the song on Late Night with David Letterman in 1986. She joined Letterman on his final show before Christmas nearly every year thereafter on both NBC and, after Letterman switched networks in 1993, CBS. Although Love doesn't seem to have lost a step since her last Letterman appearance, it's been exactly ten years. Letterman retired in 2015, and Love last performed this holiday classic for him (and us) on December 19, 2014.

Love's version of the song is currently #31 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. It previously ranked as high as #15.

I wish I could share a video of Love's performance, but NBC has blocked and removed the several clips posted on YouTube after the show. The only benefit of this foolish decision is that we're spared Fallon's introduction to Love's performance. I'm certainly glad Fallon had her on the show, but I can't stomach his manic, obsequious fawning over every guest. He comes off like an awkward adolescent who's just done a few lines of blow for the first time. (Not that I'd know.) I really miss David Letterman. Why couldn't this have been on Jimmy Kimmel Live instead?

Watch a Supercut Mix of Darlene Love on Letterman Singing Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Darlene Love Reveals Her Favorite Covers of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"

Review some of David Letterman's Favorite Holiday Traditions