Overview: A crucial stage in singer Darlene Love’s career will be celebrated with the April 7th, 2023 release of Live 1982. Captured on stage at Hop Singh’s club in southern California, this eleven-song set includes her signature hits recorded for Phil Spector — “He’s a Rebel,” “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry” — alongside previously unreleased covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” and the Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out.”

DVD Verdict: For the April 21st concert at Hop Singh’s, Love was joined by two very special backing vocalists — her younger sister, Edna Wright, and Gloria Jones. In 1971, Wright scored a Billboard #1 hit with “Want Ads” as the lead singer of Honey Cone.

She also sang backup for a wide array of artists including the Righteous Brothers, Ray Charles, and Cher.

Jones was a founding member of the vocal group, the Dreamers, who later changed their name to the Blossoms and added Love as a member. Musical backing for the Hop Singh’s concert was provided by the Monte Carlos, a talented group of session players assembled specifically for this show.

Wearing a relaxed red blouse and black pants, together with a thin silver headband, and on a jam-packed, small stage, chock full of musicians of varying musical trades (AKA The Monte Carlos), this most wondrous, warm and just musical delicious flashback to a much easier, much more soulful time, opens on a rousing Da Doo Ron Ron and the smooth melodies within Wait Til’ My Bobby Gets Home, and then comes the truly beautiful hipsway within (Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry, the gently forthright We Can Work It Out, and then we get the dutiful Do Wop sounds of Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Heart? and the magnificently vocalized He’s a Rebel.

Phil Spector’s secret weapon next brings us the quietly fervent Not Too Young to Get Married and a delightfully pleasing Sometimes When We Touch, and they are in turn followed by a steady, heartfelt and solidly emboldened Hungry Heart, the live recording rounding out on a truly satisfying He’s Sure the Boy I Love [R.I.P Ray Liotta - if you know, you know], closing the show on an all-encompassing Gospel Medley (Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; Oh, Happy Day; When the Saints Go Marching In).

“I’m so pleased this concert is finally making it to DVD,” said Love. “It captures a time when I was putting myself out in the world again, knowing that I still had more to offer through my music. It was a thrill to perform alongside two women with whom I had been singing for decades — my sister, Edna Wright, and my fellow member in the Blossoms, Gloria Jones. The band that was put together for the event, the Monte Carlos, really understood rock ’n’ roll. It was more rhythm on stage than I have ever had, and I think that made a big difference. I can’t wait for people to see this show.”

Live 1982 marks the first time this concert has been available on home video. All formats were produced by Bob Lasiewicz for Live Time Productions, now a division of Media InfoSystems, Inc. The audio elements have been remastered and the video re-edited from the original recordings. Through her 1960s work with Phil Spector, often uncredited at the time, Love was featured on two of the most popular hits of the decade. She sang lead on “He’s a Rebel” (Billboard #1) and “He’s Sure the Boy I Love” (#11), which were credited to the Crystals. As a member of the Blossoms, Love contributed backing vocals to the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” (#2), Shelley Fabares’ “Johnny Angel” (#2), Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “Monster Mash” (#1), and the Crystals’ “Da Doo Ron Ron” (#3). By the 1970s, Love decided to take a break from recording to raise a family.

The break lasted longer than anticipated. At the start of the 1980s, Love was working as a maid in Beverly Hills. One day, while on the job, she heard her song “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” on the radio. She took it as a sign that it was time to change direction and pursue singing again. With the help of her friend, Steven Van Zandt, a new phase in Love’s career began to gain traction.

In 1982, Love was approached by producer Bob Lasiewicz to stage a show that would be filmed and recorded for potential release. That show, now presented as Live 1982, captures the singer at the beginning of her comeback. Two years later, Love was portraying herself in the Tony Award-nominated jukebox musical Leader of the Pack on Broadway in New York.

Full Tracklisting:
1. Da Doo Ron Ron
2. Wait Til’ My Bobby Gets Home
3. (Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry
4. We Can Work It Out
5. Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Heart?
6. He’s a Rebel
7. Not Too Young to Get Married
8. Sometimes When We Touch
9. Hungry Heart
10. He’s Sure the Boy I Love
11. Gospel Medley: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; Oh, Happy Day; When the Saints Go Marching In

Musicians:
Lead vocals: Darlene Love | Backing vocals: Gloria Jones and Edna Wright The Monte Carlos: Billy Cioffi (leader, guitar), Spyder Mittleman (saxophone), Scott Richardson (guitar), H. Wayne Erwin (guitar), Michael Clark (piano), Paul Hertzog (Prophet synthesizer), Randy Wagner (bass), Jerry Angel (drums), with Michael Richards (guitar).

Live 1982 is released on DVD, CD and digital on April 7th, 2023 by Liberation Hall, with distribution by MVD Entertainment Group.

Darlene Love - Hungry Heart - Hungry Heart [Official Live Video]

Official CD/DVD Purchase Link

Official Darlene Love Website

Official Darlene Love Facebook Page