For 20 years straight, Darlene Love has sung her Spector-produced classic, "(Christmas) Baby Please Come," on The Late Show with David Letterman. Now, she updates the holiday songbook with her first Christmas album, featuring fresh versions of '70s and '80s neo-classics originally recorded by The Pretenders, XTC, James Brown, Tom Petty, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and more.

Los Angeles, CA – On October 2nd Shout! Factory will release Darlene Love's first Christmas album, It's Christmas, Of Course, which is sure to start a holiday tradition of its own! For the album, Darlene gives us her take on 12 tastefully selected holiday neo-classics of the '70s and '80s from a diverse array of artists like The Pretenders, The Band, James Brown, Tom Petty, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and more.

On this album of modern day classics, the Wall of Sound that surrounded her voice on her Phil Spector-produced hits has been stripped away, leaving her beautiful voice front and center. "We had a rule on this album: no oldies. We wanted to leave the '50s and '60s behind," says Shawn Amos, Shout! Factory's Vice President of A&R.

Darlene Love is a woman of many talents. She's primarily recognized for her vocal contribution to some of Phil Spector's biggest hits like "He's A Rebel" and "He's Sure The Boy I'm Gonna Marry" (The Crystals), and her unmistakable backing vocals for such luminaries as Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, The Mamas and Papas, Dionne Warwick, The Beach Boys, and Cher. Love has recently been seen lighting up Broadway with her performances in "Grease", the Tony-Award nominated "Leader of the Pack", and her current 2-year run as Motormouth Maybelle in Tony-Award winning "Hairspray".

In addition to these notable accomplishments Love cut the classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" for Phil Spector's Christmas Gift To You album in 1963. She's performed the tune for the past 20 years, on David Letterman's Late Show, where Dave has stated that the performance is his favorite thing about Christmas.

Love holds an annual Christmas concert in New York, selling out the Rose Theater in Lincoln Center last year. This year's concert is scheduled for December 17th at Lincoln Center and is sure to in high demand as well. Now we have even more reason to celebrate one of the country's most talented performers during everyone's favorite time of year, Christmas.
Darlene Love It's Christmas, Of Course
Distributed by Sony BMG
Release Date: October 2, 2007
Selection Number: 826663-10569
Price: $15.98

It's Christmas, Of Course Track Listing:
1. Christmas All Over Again (original artist: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
2. Who Took The Merry Out of Christmas (original artist: The Staple Singers)
3. Christmas Wish (original artist: NRBQ)
4. Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto (original artist: James Brown)
5. Please Come Home For Christmas (original artist: Charles Brown)
6. 2000 Miles (original artist: The Pretenders)
7. Christmas Is The Time To Say 'I Love You' (original artist: Billy Squier)
8. What Christmas Means To Me (original artist: Stevie Wonder)
9. Christmas Must Be Tonight (original artist: The Band)
10. Thanks For Christmas (original artist: XTC)
11. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (original artist: John & Yoko & The Plastic Ono Band w/the Harlem Community Choir)
12. Night Of Peace (Original Song)