Darlene Love's Forbidden Nights

Who was a major player in bringing the girl-group sound back to pop music? Ahem! You know it was me, of course. And now it's back in all its glory.

I was so happy to check out this video promoting Darlene Love's new single, "Forbidden Nights." Great cinematography. Cameos by a host of her friends, including Elvis Costello who wrote the number and accompanist Paul Shaffer.

Joan Jett is in it; so is Bill Murray! Then there's Bruce Springsteen with Steve van Zandt, both of whom are featured on the upcoming album.

Filmed in Asbury Park, NJ, where my family & I often went for summer weekends, and where she will debut her new concert tour.

Not only star-studded but a dazzling new song. You can hear it here:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/X4915gjpFEo

Darlene Love's New Album

Love & Van Zandt (left) recording with horns

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame diva, Darlene Love, has long been a favorite of mine and I have followed her performances throughout New York for decades. I first became mesmerized by her powerful voice on the radio in the '60s and have been a fan since then for life.

It was wonderful news that broke in Rolling Stone earlier this week that Steve Van Zandt would be producing a new album featuring Ms Love. Van Zandt, original member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, told Rolling Stone, "Everybody I know that is a great songwriter, I'm talking to. We're hoping to have an all-star album for Darlene, which she deserves."

Release date is expected to be around Christmas. The songwriters are expected to include Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Carole King, Mike Stoller, Van Zandt himself, and Cynthia Weill/Barry Mann. This promises to be major, people! Absolutely first-class.

It was Springsteen, you might recall, who inducted Ms Love into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I suspect Darlene's central part in the Oscar-winning Twenty Feet from Stardom helped green-light this project.

Darlene's biopic is in the works right now from Oprah's Oxygen Network as well.

I have blogged about Darlene Love numerous times. My articles and reviews about her have appeared on her web site.

http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/05/darlene-love-at-joes-pub.html

Might an exclusive Q&A be in the offing to help promote the new cd?

All Alone on Christmas with Darlene Love

Nobody wants to be all alone on Christmas. So says Darlene Love in the song from the movie "Home Alone 2." The song was written and arranged by Steve Van Zandt, and is obviously influenced by Phil Spector's Wall of Sound productions, especially the Spector-produced Love song "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)". It was also released as a vinyl single which included an instrumental version.

Here's a non-commercial extended version from Youtube for fans of Miss Love who can't get enough and want to rock around that Christmas tree. Made purely for your entertainment only, this expert fan's remix uses the instrumental and vocal versions off the 45 rpm to create a whole new experience of this song. Because you can never have too much Love... especially during the holidays.