Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Nick Lachey was back in the recording studio for the first time in a long time last week, cutting the first song on what could be his first album in more than five years. And that's not even his primary gig.

"I got back from my honeymoon and went right into production on 'The Sing-Off,'" notes the affable singer-reality TV personality-host, who wed Vanessa Minnillo in July.

He notes, "We're in the process of getting the new record going. It's certainly been a long time coming — too long. It'll be good to be back in the saddle, as they say."

"The Sing-Off" is at the forefront of his mind, however. Shooting of the season that launches Sept. 19 "is flying by," he says. "It's going great. I think when you expand from five episodes to, all of a sudden, 11 episodes, you have the opportunity to try new things and introduce some new concepts into the show, which we've done. We're able to do more themed episodes, which people have always responded to. We have a guilty pleasure episode — which is kind of like the songs everyone's embarrassed to admit they really know and love.

"This year, we brought a hip-hop episode into the mix, and a country episode. It's fun to go into other genres of music and give some exposure there as well. I think it's been a great opportunity to sort of push the edge of the envelope for a cappella music."

Also, he adds, "Doing 11 episodes will give people the chance to really get to know the groups better. This season, with 16, it's really the more the merrier."

His new bride, he says, "pops in" to watch the tapings here and there.

MEANWHILE: Considering the popularity of the New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys joint reunion tour, how about a reunion of Lachey's former boy band, 98 Degrees?

"We've talked about it," he reveals. "We've talked about possibly getting back together and doing that reunion thing, but I think it just has to be the right timing for everybody. Everyone's schedules are all in different places. Everyone's got families now. It's just such a different landscape than it used to be, so it's not like the four of us can pile on a bus and roll across the country come-what-may.

AND: All the judges on "The Sing-Off" may be coping with the demands of touring and other extracurricular activities, but Shawn Stockman certainly can claim the traveled-the-longest-distance title.

"After the last taping, I drove straight to the airport and flew to China," reports the singer best known as a member of Boyz II Men. The gig was "for a multicultural, multinational environmental festival where people came in and talked about healthier living," he says.

It's not the first time he's peformed in that land. "It's interesting," he says with a slight laugh. "China is still a different lifestyle and culture from everyone else, pretty much, so when you're there, you really get a taste of the type of people they are. They responded well, for Chinese. You know, they're groomed not to get overly excited. I was happy and honored they let us be a part of it for a couple of hours."

Stockman says he feels honored to be part of "The Sing-Off" as well. "The genre of a cappella music is long overdue for its credit as an art form — one of the only pure art forms left, because you can't fake it. You have nothing else to back you. When it's done right, there's nothing that sounds better."

If the show had been around when he was beginning his career, he would "absolutely" have tried out. "I'd have auditioned in a heartbeat, me and my guys. I would have loved to have been a part of something like this."

GOING, GOING, GOING: It'll be interesting to see what Regis Philbin does following his Nov. 18 final day as co-host of "Live! With Regis and Kelly." The TV icon, who for years has held the record for most hours of on-camera time (more than 17,000), has been quite candid about the reason he's worked so hard.

"It's fear," he told us a couple years back. "Failure is a big nemesis in my life. Fear of failure makes me drive so hard."

Regis, who is 80 years old, has kept a pretty full calendar on top of his "Live!" hosting chores, with work activities that have included club tours and a variety of other appearances.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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