Bill and Frank’s Guilt-Free Pleasures
There’s no shame in the music you love. Join us as we celebrate the open-hearted songs of the past 50 years (with a focus on the songs that shaped us from the 70s, 80s, and 90s).
Episodes
Beyond its surface reading, "Take Me Home Tonight" is also about the revival of the careers of Eddie Money and Ronnie Spector. This song is a triumph. In today's episode, we examine the histories of both artists that ultimately converge into this top ten hit, we analyse the song, and we bring back (albeit briefly) the theme of tender-hearted werewolves in a guilt-free pleasure.
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We recorded this on Frank's birthday and Bill chose this song in his honour. Despite Frank researching the wrong song, we feel it still all comes together. Stay tuned for the surprise birthday wishes at the episode's end!
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Schitt's Creek Clip with Noah Reid
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Mike V joins us to discuss this bonafide jam from 1995. We examine Montell Jordan's background and current status, analyse (and explain) the lyrics, discuss the Phrygian mode, and give an epic mixtape for the ages. We're all about conviviality here, so you can trust us when we say you will enjoy this episode: we never come whack on an old school track!
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The ending of a relationship may be painful, but it's far worse for the narrator of Holland-Dozier-Holland's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" - the ending never quite seems to come for this jilted lover. This song has resonated over the decades as evidenced by it's many versions, starting with original Supremes version and all the way up to recent times in Glee. Today we will be celebrating our favourite version: the hi-NRG Kim Wilde 1986 ...
Our friend Kim Desing-McCardle joins us to discuss one of her all-time favourite songs. This is a longer one, but we cannot do this song justice in a brief amount of time. Speaking of doing justice - we valiantly attempt to do our best three part harmony for our version of the chorus and prove that any imitation of this incredible song is second rate. But we certainly tried.
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Sussudio is an incredible song, but would you sing along with it with your windows down in the car? We're here to help our friend Peter to sing it loud and proud for the whole world to hear! Sussudio may be indebted to Prince's "1999," but it's also it's own awesome thing. Join us as we celebrate Phil Collins' #1 hit!
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It's kind of crazy to realize that this song is now over twenty years old. "Since U Been Gone" still feels fresh for us and we hope you understand why by the end of this episode.
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Kelly Clarkson singing in the rain!
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We cover a range of songs for the ever-expanding mandate of our podcast, but Robbie Nevil's "C'est La Vie" is one of those songs that did very well when it came out, but it has been somewhat lost to time over the past few decades. Bill intends to bring it back to the listening public, while Frank wants to explain its connection to both Baywatch's Hobie Buchannon and Tom Waits "Rain Dogs." Hang on tight for this one!
Aptly timed to come out on the day of Bill's 13th anniversary with Ashley, "If Ever You're In My Arms Again" succinctly captures their love story. And to add (or subtract?) to an already perfect song, Frank gives us his most heartfelt vocals as he attempts to channel his inner Bryson. We take an in-depth analysis of the song and then we bring back some categories that have laid dormant for the past while. It's time to get back to w...
"Life Is a Highway" is the ultimate pep talk to get yourself out of your rut and back onto road. Dave Kitchen joins us for his 21st episode to discuss the importance of this song to our young 1990s selves and to Canada as a whole. We cover the song's history as well as its mark in popular culture. We revisit the Tom Cochrane - Bryan Adams war of the early 90s as well. Finally, we return to the Hallmark movie category before we give...
Adolescent longing is often dismissed, but we remember the pain and suffering of high school infatuation all too well. Meryn Cadell's "The Sweater" captures this with both humour and empathy, and we want to make sure that we bring listeners back to this surprising hit from 1992. We explore Cadell's unique lyrical style, discuss one of the great professional figure skating performances of the 90s, and work through our own teenage pa...
Inspired by a Heather's request, we are delving into the beloved 1987 hit “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” by Belinda Carlisle. We do our best to unravel the magic behind this quintessential pop anthem (but of course, the magic always remains). From the fascinating story behind the creation of the tune to Carlisle’s signature vibrato to the irresistible production and bizarre video, we cover everything we can for you!
In this episode, we record in the early morning to celebrate a song that embodies both power and vulnerability: ‘A Little Respect’ by Erasure. Join us as we embrace the early hour to discuss the profound nature of Erasure's anthemic ode to love, vulnerability, and acceptance. The dynamic between Bell and Clarke, with Clarke’s meticulous compositions (and impressive previous history) complemented by Bell’s soaring vocals (and soulfu...
Our friend Kahlin passed away this week and we are heartbroken. To honour her memory, we wanted to do our small part and re-post the episode she did with us from December 2023. This episode was a ton of fun and we hope you can feel it when you listen, too. We also hope you can hear the joy in Kahlin's voice and the laughter that fills the room as she reminisces about what Sugar Ray meant to her grade 6 heart in the late 90s. We lov...
We discuss Pat Benatar's memorable anthem "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and it's unlikely beginnings - at a pillow punching therapy session in Toronto. We also discuss our own misadventures with punching and what it means to be in the cultural zeitgeist.
Thank you for listening! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and our website. You can email us at BandFGuiltFree@gmail.com, too. We'd love to hear from you. Please rate and rev...
"There are two types of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don't." - Dr. Bob Wiley, author of the renowned memoir Death Therapy.
As Dr. Bob suggests, you can divide the world into two (hopefully unequal) parts. You’ll find Bill and Frank on the bright side of the world where Neil Diamond is adored. This episode sees the return of Dan Ducroix, who fell in love with the music of Neil Diamond over 25 year...
“Sweet City Woman” is a quintessential Canadian song - it contains both English and French lyrics and it celebrates Toronto while using the language of the countryside. In this week’s episode, Frank attempts (and fails) to rename the podcast, we bring back Mel Bourque to help us understand the French version of the song, and we determine if we have Canadian accents
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It's hard to believe that this is a song from 1989 as Roy Orbison is an icon from the early days of Rock n' Roll, and his voice sounds just as powerful as it did 30 years before. We are glad to bring this song to you. We hope you (like us) are transcended to a higher plain when you hear his voice!
Clips of the recording process of You Got It
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There is something thrilling about a long-established band having a hit late in their career. They say pop music is for the youth of the day, so seeing a group of 40-year-olds continue to run with the wildebeests warms the heart. The Whispers proved that they can certainly “Rock Steady” with their younger peers. It also certainly didn’t hurt to be gifted an incredible jam by the soon-to-be legendary songwriting team of Babyface and...
In today’s milestone episode, we celebrate Dave Kitchen's 20th appearance on Bill and Frank's Guilt-Free Pleasures, featuring The Cure’s iconic “Friday I’m in Love.” We recall the polarizing debates amongst our peers at the high school cafeteria over whether The Cure sold out (they didn't!), and Kitch brings us back to recognizing the unique duality of The Cure, reminding us how the band has regularly oscillated between pop eleganc...
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