Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” has returned to late-night television for the first time in a decade. The singer revived her Late Show with David Letterman tradition on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night.
“David Letterman started this tradition,” Fallon explained at the top of the show, hyping up Love’s appearance. “We’re happy to keep that tradition going tonight.”
The host went on to tease that Love would not only be joined by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul (Steven Van Zandt’s band), but also “another special guest that’s fun.” That guest turned out to be another familiar face from Love’s past late-night performances: Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer.
Shaffer held court on the piano while Love and Van Zandt delivered a rollicking version of the Christmas classic.
Love’s late-night Christmas tradition started on Late Night with David Letterman in 1986. After Letterman took his show to CBS, his Late Show made Love’s performance an annual affair.
Letterman brought Love back to perform the song on his YouTube channel last year, accompanied by Paul Shaffer. But Love hasn’t done the song on late-night proper since Letterman’s last Late Show Christmas episode in December 2014.
Love has eyed performing for Fallon for years. In March 2024, she took to Facebook to express her frustration over The Tonight Show’s music producer “giving us the runaround,” despite Fallon himself having invited her onto the show.
Shaffer, however, hasn’t been a stranger to The Tonight Show since Letterman’s retirement. Early last year, he reunited with his Late Show house band, the World’s Most Dangerous Band, on Fallon’s program.
This should have happened on Colbert’s Late Show or Seth’s Late Night.