My friend J.D. Doyle is a busy, busy man.Doyle is the person responsible for "Queer Music Heritage" - the Internet's premier gay and lesbian music resource site.
In addition to this, he hosts an award-winning radio show on KPFT 90.1 FM in Houston, Texas showcasing much of his astounding collection of music.
Where he finds the time to collect gay and lesbian Christmas music is beyond me!
Last year, I reviewed his 2005 Christmas shows and received a special place at J.D.'s own website - he reprinted my review word for word!
Like I said, J.D. is a busy guy. So busy in fact that he regrettably didn't answer my e-mail questionnaire I've sent to everyone who sent a comp to the yuleblog.
One thing I can tell you about these CDs - not many copies are made. The main reason for this is Doyle has posted every one of his radio shows (including his famous Christmas shows) since 2000 online for your listening pleasure!
Here is the review for his December 18th, 2006 Christmas show. Click on the link, look for the "Click to listen #1" box atop the page, and you can listen along as you read the review. Or if you prefer, you can read the scripts to the shows and read along!
Wanna hear what the show sounded like for broadcast? Scroll down on the page, locate the animated snowman / reindeer pix, and find the link!
TRACK REVIEW:
(Click on image to enlarge)1.) RuPaul's gotten a lot of mileage out her 1997 Christmas album. That's because it's pretty good!
2.) What if you crossed "There's No Business Like Show Business" with a Christmas tune? This is it!
3.) A fantastic medley of "Driedl" and "Jingle"! This ain't no fiasco! WOW!
4.) These talented songwriters/artists have weaved the roster of the United Nations into a Christmas song!
5.) J.D. got this Roger Kuhn song a year ahead of time! Very nice tune!
6.) Very acoustic! Kuhn is recording is FULL holiday tune for next year! Should be a good one!
7.) Hilarious Christmas song about the trials and tribulations of a gay artist who wants success.
8.) GREAT JUMPIN' ICEBERGS!!! This is the 21st century counterpart to Stan Freberg's "Green Chri$tma$"! "Millions and millions of kids know the story about Santa? This was put out without my clearance?" = GENIUS!
9.) WOW! I thought this was Tracy Chapman! Pretty, pretty song with a great sound!
10.) Really doesn't sound like a Christmas song... not digging this one.
11.) The same applies as above. Can't buy this one as a Christmas song.
12.) A hard-rockin' female duet of Run DMC's "Christmas In Hollis"? WHOA! Mind blowing version of this one!
13.) What if the writers of "Cabaret" and "Chicago" (Kander & Ebb) and "Hello Dolly" (Jerry Herman) wrote Christmas songs? Several of my theater friends will appreciate these J.D.!
14.) Cross "We Three Kings" with the US Postal Service and you get this song! HILARIOUS rendition!
15.) Here's a wassail song that starts slow and traditional but grows into a full-blown, great sounding Christmas tune! Nice!
16.) Shhh... don't tell anyone... but I gave J.D. this Melissa Etheridge RADD PSA.
17.) Danny Riddle's first song is very 80ish and sounds like right out of the PTL Club Songbook.
18.) Riddle's second song is very much like the song above - what a bad blast from the past!
19.) The forensic psychiatrist from "Law & Order: SVU" sings about a drag queen Christmas. Fantastic song!
20.) A flaming drag queen does her takes on Kwanzaa. Not for the faint of heart.
21.) Jackie Beat takes "I Gotcha" by Joe Tex and weaves the story of Kwanzaa into it. Clever and sadistic all at once!
22.) WOW! Take "Rudolph", rename it "Katrina The Class Four Hurricane", sprinkle politics to the left and right on it liberally and conservatively, and you get an edgy, funny, cut-to-the-bone attack!
23.) J.D.'s Christmas present to his listeners - a RARE track from the one and only Christine Jorgensen!
24.) I heard this one on my friend Jeff's Christmas comp I reviewed last week! This song is growing on me!
If you're listening to this on the Internet, J.D. threw in two extra songs:
Sandra Bernhard - Miracle of Lights (2006) (Not a big fan but this one's quite surprising)
David Lasley - This Christmas This Year (1999) (Very nice Christmas tune. Why is this unreleased?)
In the early days of Doyle's radio career (2000 - 2002), he did only one Christmas show but that changed in 2003.He created TWO regular radio shows and an Internet only radio show so he could play the songs he always wanted to and not get in trouble with the FCC!
I'm happy to say I helped with both shows that year with a few contributions (Gloria - "You're not your gay, bubbly Christmasy self Daddy." Archie Bunker - "I'M GAY! I'M GAY! I'm gay as much as anybody here!").
Here is the review for his December 25th, 2006 Christmas show.
Click on the link, look for the "Click to listen #2" box atop the page, and you can listen along as you read the review.
Or if you prefer, you can read the scripts to the shows and read along! Wanna hear what the show sounded like for broadcast? Scroll down on the page, locate the animated snowman / reindeer pix, and find the link!
TRACK REVIEW:
(Click on image to enlarge)1.) A very funny unreleased politically correct Christmas song! J.D. always comes up with these gems!
2.) Nice duet about a couple's first Christmas together. This one deserves to be heard!
3.) Russ Lorenson's Christmas title track has some fantastic big band sounds behind him - rambles a bit but not too bad.
4.) A British drag queen doing a Tennessee girl singer (Tina C)? I can't make this stuff up! And it's outrageously funny!
5.) Great stuff! I'm going to have to get Tina C's album "I'm Dreaming Of A White Trash Christmas"!
6.) Excerpt from an interview with Steve Cohen aka Elton Costello!
7.) Touching song about home, Christmas, and family feelings that should be addressed but never are.
8.) Rare rocking track that thankfully J.D. has rescued from obscurity!
9.) Frosty The Snowman on ecstasy! I have images of "Reefer Madness" while listening to that piano!
10.) They're BACKKK! The Kinsey Sicks have become a tradition on Doyle's radio shows and they never disappoint.
11.) Not a Christmas song but how many songs teach you a history lesson?
12.) A clever reworking of "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" - First line: I intend to drop a bomb / on my dear old dad and mom!
13.) Why is this here? Read or listen to the show!
14.) I like this song - can never have enough New Year songs! Has a subtle Al Jarreau flavor to it!
15.) The first reality talent show superstar covers a Muppet Christmas Carol song! Nice job.
16.) Not really a Christmas song but Nyro's voice still cuts like a knife!
17.) Hip! An opera singer by training, Janet Villas' done a wonderful jazz piano version of this song!
18.) HOT DAMN! A nice Christmas dance song by Joi Cardwell! Turn on the disco lights!
19.) If you've never heard of Jill Sobule, you're missing out on some great music - Christmas is the bonus!
20.) Possibly the prettiest Christmas song about shoplifting you'll ever hear. Okay, the ONLY Christmas song about shoplifting!
21.) A lonely little latke wants to be baked for Hanukkah! Debbie Friedman, I salute you for this one!
22.) Excerpt of a song by Dutch gay artist Tomboy who packs quite a punch (pun intended)!
23.) Tomboy's pretty song about his two daddies at Christmas.
24.) This was one of the first contributions that I sent J.D. many years ago. How 'bout it, George?
25.) I'm waiting to hear the FULL Christmas album from Rufus Wainwright that I pray he will record in the future!
26.) Bette Davis might not think this is funny... but I still contend that this Jimmy James' is one of the FUNNIEST Christmas songs I've ever heard.
If you're listening to this on the Internet, J.D. threw in one extra song:
Russ Lorenson - Christmas in San Francisco (2006) (sounds magical!)
2003 was the first year J.D. created an bonus Internet only Christmas show. Last Christmas marked the return of the bonus Internet only show at his website!Since we mentioned his website, while you're there, take a look at the staggering amount of images that complement the music, and the interviews he conducts with gay & lesbian artists. You can easily spend two hours going through the easy to navigate sections.
Doyle's work has not gone unrecognized; the website has been featured in Out Magazine and his radio show won an award from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters for "Best Local Music / Entertainment Program or Special" in 2005.
Here is the review for his BONUS Internet Only Christmas show. These are the songs Doyle wants to play on the radio but the good folks at the FCC won't let him!
Click on the link, look for the "Click to listen #3" box atop the page, and you can listen along as you read the review.
Or if you prefer, you can read the scripts to the shows and read along!
TRACK REVIEW:
(Click on image to enlarge)1.) Recorded back in 1981 and still sounds great today. One of J.D.'s all time favorite queer Christmas songs!
2.) Probably the most explicit Christmas song ever. I really appreciate the knock on Morrissey!
3.) "Christmas Blues" tells the story of being dumped at Christmas. What a sad (but enjoyable) listen!
4.) Very poignant song about loved ones missing at Christmas. I can't help but think of all the people AIDS have claimed over the years.
5.) One of the "Queer Eye For The Straight Guys" does a nice job on Judy Garland's trademark song.
6.) Oooooo! Slow bluesy feel with a torch singer whose voice is a cross between Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn!
7.) GREAT JUMPIN' ICEBERGS!! I've been looking for a spot for this song on my annual Christmas CD forever! This one hits home for me!
8.) Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women prove why they're named that with this one! Great, great song!
9.) This is a lovely song - available at Kim Char Meredith's site for free download!
10.) What a breath of fresh air! I loved this song that sounds a lot like Sarah McLachlan! WOW!
11.) Christmas is the time for forgiveness and this one works just fine! Very nice!
12.) WHOA! J.D. doesn't play many instrumentals but this one is amazing! I really enjoyed it! Note to J.D. - thanks for this unreleased track!
13.) Snyth-pop lovers, this one's for you! Well done Christmas song with a Bob Hope sample thrown in for good measure!
14.) Yesss! Morel is also known as "Pink Noise" who has worked with Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys. This track is fabulous!
15.) Now I want to know if Morel has released a Christmas album. This track rocks as well!
16.) Great sweeping version of "Deck The Halls" - don we now our gay apparel indeed!
17.) Sound quality is sub par (bootleg) but it's a great Christmas song regardless.
18.) Very nice change of pace. Namoli Brennet has a haunting voice that I hope will cover more Christmas as time goes by.
19.) The Positive Voices singing a very heartbreaking song about the AIDS epidemic.
20.) Found on YouTube, bet you've never heard "Santa Baby" sung by a man... unless you count Madonna (j/k)!
21.) The late Freddie Mercury and Queen's great contribution to Christmas music.
If you're listening to this on the Internet, J.D. threw in four extra songs (I haven't heard these yet):
Erin McKeown - At the Christmas Ball (2002)
William Corey - Radio Christmas (2005)
Ennio - I Won't Be Home for Christmas (2006)
Gene-Manuel - Snowlight (2006)
It's mid-day on Monday and I spent some extra time on this review out of respect for my friend J.D. Doyle. He has undertaken a mission to document the music and heritage of the gay and lesbian community and recently celebrated his 7th anniversary doing so. May your show remain on the air for another 70!
Thanks for sending me the CDs once again J.D. I appreciate all the time and effort into your labours of love both online and off. I'm just happy to help you shine the spotlight on artists and musicians having fun and making a difference all at the same time.
Hope I did your work justice...
UP NEXT: Melton Mistletoe Mix 2006
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