The Regis Philbin Christmas Album Is As Cheerful As the Millionaire Maker Himself

Whenever I think of Regis Philbin, that perpetually smiling, ever-youthful television personality host who’s logged more hours on the air than anyone else, I can’t help smiling. So while I’ve never thought of him as a singer, I was anxious to check out his Christmas album when I realized he had one under his belt. While listening to it confirmed for me that singing is more hobby than career for him, I got a kick out of his peppy delivery. Maybe next time he turns up on The Late Show, he ought to serenade Dave…

Where Do We Go For Christmas? - The album’s only new song, written by Frank Pellegrino, this gentle waltz is festive for the most part, full of traditional holiday images, with a poignant edge to it, as the song was written in honor of the songwriter’s late parents. “It’s that time of the year, how I wish you were here, when I wake up on Christmas day.”

White Christmas - Regis describes this as “the most memorable Christmas song, ever,” so clearly he has great regard for it. His rendition is a throwback to the Bing Crosby version, with nothing particularly unique about it.

It’s a Marshmallow World - Regis shows his age a bit with this kitschy ditty; many of the songs on this album hail from the 1940s, but unlike the others, this one seems trapped in that era. Then again, because there’s really no way to make it sound contemporary, it’s a song that doesn’t pop up on too many albums, so it’s a fun inclusion, and Steve Tyrell makes a good singing partner for Regis.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - My friend Dan mentioned to me recently that he’s still on the lookout for a version of this, his favorite Christmas song, that fully captures the pain in the lyrics. Well, this cheerful version certainly won’t fit the bill, though the guitar solo in the middle has a nice melancholy edge to it.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Kenny Ascher gets pretty fancy on the piano and Lew Soloff has a nice trumpet solo, but the big thing to listen for here is a cameo by Donald Trump as Santa Claus (“Rudolph, you’re hired; Blitzen, you’re fired!”) and a rambling outro by Regis.

Baby It’s Cold Outside - Regis shares this one with his wife Joy, which is rather sweet. He writes in the liner notes that she “knocked me out” in this song, and it’s true; his voice is congenial and pleasant, but she sounds like she could sing for a living. As their lines overlap, she sounds purely melodic, and he sound almost talky by comparison. A cute duet.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Another nice trumpet solo on this one, which is the most interesting element of the song. Pretty basic rendition.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas - Though there’s still a slightly chipper tone to this song, it’s the closest Regis comes on this album to getting wistful and emotional. He dedicates this one to “all the guys and gals who missed Christmas over the years to keep our way of life safe.”

Winter Wonderland - Joy joins Regis again for this jazzy guitar-driven number. Some nice instrumental bits, and Joy once again demonstrates how well suited she is to a project like this.

Silver Bells - A nice nostalgic tune that makes good use of chimes. Some of the background vocals don’t seem to mesh quite right on this one, but the solo parts are among the nicest on the album.

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - A thoroughly straightforward rendition of this kiddie classic. My favorite bit is at the end, when Regis tauntingly says, “He’ll be here any minute!”

The Christmas Song - A nice cozy note to go out on. Again, nothing too different here, but it has the ring of sincerity to it.

When I imagined what this album might sound like, I confess I had William Shatner running through my head. However, while Regis is not what I would call an outstanding singer, he’s a perfectly acceptable one, and he really does sing here rather than simply droning. I really don’t see myself buying this album; I don’t think it would spend a lot of time in the rotation, in part because most of his covers aren‘t very unique and because the overall tone of the album is so frivolous. But if you find Regis as inherently entertaining as I do, The Regis Philbin Christmas Album is at least worth a trip to the library.