Growing up, I was never a fan of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” I loved the Rankin/Bass Christmas special, but I found the song annoying due to its sheer over-exposure.
Even when I first heard the Chicago version, I wasn’t fully on board. But a handful of years and two kids later, the lens of parenthood caused me to re-listen and re-evaluate.
While still not a fan of the song in general, when the kids ask to hear “Rudolph” over the holidays, this version from 2003’s What’s It Gonna Be, Santa? is my go-to version. Chicago made a smart move by leaving this over-exposed and over-saturated secular carol in the eminently capable hands of Bill Champlin.
Bill changed it up a bit, slowing the tempo slightly to make room for a soulful funky groove that gives the song a level of character that I don’t believe any other artist has achieved. Where previous covers of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” by and large, come across as paint by numbers, Champlin grabbed the red from the palette to keep it recognizable, threw out the rest of the colors and started over from scratch to create a whole new musical vision.
Admittedly, still not a favorite of mine, but Bill Champlin and Chicago gave “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” the breath of fresh air needed to make it listenable again. They gave it that certain something to set it apart from all other versions. But perhaps most importantly, it’s the gateway to get my kids to listen to Chicago.
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