Ep. 287: A discussion on Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”

Chris DeMakes A Podcast

Chris DeMakes

Music History, Music Commentary, Music, Music Interviews

4.9 • 923 Ratings

🗓️ 8 December 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Darlene Love’s 1963 classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” remains one of the most beloved holiday songs of all time, but it wasn’t an instant hit. Produced by Phil Spector, the track eventually found success thanks to its heartfelt lyrics and Love’s powerful performance, though it took years to catch on. Its release was also overshadowed by the tragic timing of the JFK assassination, which happened on the same day the album came out. Still, the song proves that truly great music always finds a way, and this week, Chris DeMakes and Chris Fafalios explore its backstory, creation, and the musical magic that has kept it a holiday staple for six decades. Chris DeMakes A Podcast is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the next level. Get 30% off your first YEAR with DistroKid by signing up at ⁠http://distrokid.com/vip/demakes For bonus episode of The After Party podcast, an extensive back catalog of past After Party episodes, early ad-free releases of new episodes of Chris DeMakes A Podcast, full video versions of episodes, and MUCH more, head to the Patreon at ⁠http://www.ChrisDeMakes.com Follow Chris DeMakes A Podcast on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chrisdemakesapodcast/⁠ Join the Chris DeMakes A Podcast community on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/2643961642526928/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Distro Kit.
0:02.7	Think about cheese.
0:04.8	Make your thoughts cheesier.
0:06.8	Now add 100% chicken breast fillet, Chipotle sauce and Ameta cheese melt.
0:11.1	And it's giving the new cheesy chicken stack at McDonald's.
0:15.1	Did we mention it's cheesy?
0:16.6	Cheese.
0:18.5	Available until the 4th of Jan, 2026 from 11 a.m.
0:20.9	Present participation may vary.
0:22.0	Subjects availability.
0:29.5	Hey, everybody.
0:30.7	Today we bring you the second of our four Christmas holiday-themed episodes, and this is a good one.
0:36.5	Christophalius and myself break down the writing, recording, and lyrical interpretation
0:41.3	of the December 1963 holiday classic, Baby Please Come Home,
0:46.3	written by Jeff Berry, Ellie Grunich, and Phil Specter, and performed by Darlene Love.
0:52.3	This song is the embodiment of Christmas, that yearning and longing
0:56.2	for your loved ones during the holiday season. The song is melancholy, yet extremely uplifting
1:02.0	due to Darlene Love's vocal performance. She throws down hard here, and it's all brought
1:07.6	together by producer Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.
1:15.9	Oddly enough, the song wasn't a hit out of the gate, for a few reasons we'll get into,
1:20.3	but the song slowly became a huge classic over the last 60-plus years.
1:26.9	So sit back, pour yourself a nice glass of eggnog, and let Darl darling love bring us all home.
	...

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