Artist	Song	Buy
Wink Martindale	To Remember Me (Bed of Life) single (1982)
Merv Griffin	I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts More Vintage Children's Favourites (2007, originally released in 1950)
Richard Dawson	This Is Worth Fighting For Hogan's Heroes Sing the Best of World War II (1968)
Avant Garde [Chuck Woolery]	Fly with Me single (1968)
Those Darn Accordions featuring Drew Carey	Glass of Beer Polka Squeeze Machine (2007)
Regis Philbin	Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goodbye) / Baby Face It's Time for Regis! (1968)
Bill Cosby	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Hooray for the Salvation Army Band (1968)
The Steve Allen Trio	Jingle Bells A Chiaroscuro Christmas (1995)
Bert Convy, Julia Migenes, Maria Karnilova & Zero Mostel	Sunrise, Sunset Fiddler On the Roof (Broadway Cast Recording) (1964)
Donny Osmond	Sweet and Innocent The Donny Osmond Album (1971)
Jeff Foxworthy	Redneck Stomp Crank It Up - The Music Album (1996)
Jackie Gleason with Bobby Hackett	Alone Together Hef's Favorites (2006, originally recorded in the 1950s?)
Peter Marshall	Put On a Happy Face Bye Bye Birdie (Original London Cast Recording) (1961)
Vicki Lawrence	Sensual Man The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia (1973)
Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens)	Surfin' Bird Back to the Beach (Original Soundtrack) (1987)
William Shatner	Mr. Tambourine Man The Transformed Man (1968)

Comment:

A compilation of tracks recorded by people who at one time or another hosted a game show on American TV. An absurd concept, I admit, but there are several tracks here that must be heard to be believed. Download

Only a few of these would be primarily identified as "game show hosts": Wink Martindale, Peter Marshall, Bert Convy, Chuck Woolery, and perhaps Richard Dawson, but even though he was such a fixture on Family Feud, I still see him as Newkirk from Hogan's Heroes. Most people would probably identify Merv Griffin, Regis Philbin and Steve Allen as "talk show hosts" but they were all involved with game shows, particularly Merv Griffin. And then there are the comedians who dabbled in game shows: Bill Cosby, Jeff Foxworthy and Drew Carey, though game shows have become much more central to Drew Carey's career of late. You could also put Paul Ruebens, Vicki Lawrence and Jackie Gleason into this category, but game shows were much less significant in their careers. In fact, Jackie Gleason's career as a game show host lasted only one episode. During what was supposed to be the second episode of You're in the Picture, Jackie Gleason apologized for the first episode and changed the format of the show to a talk show. Donny Osmond and William Shatner also briefly hosted game shows, but few would identify them as game show hosts. For a list of game shows hosted, see the Wikipedia.

The music runs the range from Donny Osmond's teen-idol pop to jazz (Steve Allen, Jackie Gleason) to novelty songs (Merv Griffin, Pee-Wee Herman, and a Jeff Foxworthy's "you might be a redneck" stand-up comedy with a musical backing) with plenty of vocal pop and Broadway standards thrown in. Some of the tracks are just plain overwrought, not to mention bizarre. I'd be hard pressed to choose the greatest overactor between Wink Martindale's plea for organ donation, Richard Dawson's defense of World War II, and William Shatner's over-the-top Bob Dylan cover.

There are a few tracks that I would have liked to include but couldn't find. If anyone has any of the following albums (or even individual tracks from them) please contact me:
- Chuck Barris & the Hollywood Cowboys - Confessions of a Dangerous Singer (2003)
- Betty White - Day at Aqa (1995)
- Danny Bonaduce - Danny Bonaduce (1973)
- Bob Eubanks - singles "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette" and "Heaven of the Stars", both from the early 1960s

Feedback: