Darlene Love to Release 'Live 1982' on CD & DVD

A crucial stage in singer Darlene Love's career will be celebrated with the April 7 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." Live 1982 is released on DVD, CD and digital on April 7 by Liberation Hall, with distribution by MVD Entertainment Group.

Pre-order at Amazon: DVD, CD.

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.

For the April 21 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.

"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.

The first single is available now on digital music services: "Hungry Heart"

Love's most recent studio album, Introducing Darlene Love, was released in 2015 by Steven Van Zandt's label, Wicked Cool Records. That same year, Love earned a Grammy Award for "Best Music Film" for her involvement in the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom.

DARLENE LOVE - Live 1982 (Liberation Hall)
Concert recorded April 21, 1982, at Hop Singh's in Marina del Rey, California
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)

DVD (LIB-5136)
Color / 47 minutes / Aspect ratio: 4:3 / NTSC / Region Free
TRACKLIST: 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

CD & DIGITAL (LIB-4074) - Tracklist and runtime identical to above.