The holiday season wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable without the best Christmas song of all time from the best Christmas album of all time: Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” from 1963’s A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector.

And it just wouldn’t be Christmas without seeing the 2011 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee perform the song on the stage of the Ed Sullivan Theater. Since 1986, Darlene Love has performed “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” on David Letterman’s late-night talk show, backed by Paul Shaffer and a massive band convened to approximate Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound. (There was one exception: In 2007,  a writers’ strike meant that the previous year’s performance was re-aired instead.)

As preparations were being made for the 25th edition of this holiday tradition, which airs Friday night, Late Show producers edited together a retrospective of Love’s performances of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” through the years, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the annual undertaking.

Tune into The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS this Friday night at 11:35/10:35c to see Darlene Love perform “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” The classic song is also singer Darren Hayes‘ favorite Christmas tune, though for different reasons than mine.

And if you’ve got a spare minute or two, this recent NPR interview with Love is worth a read.

Purchase Darlene Love – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.