Bill and Frank’s Guilt-Free Pleasures

Pat Benatar: "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" (catch the zeitgeist)

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 review us wherever you listen, but more importantly - share our show with your friends!
Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn
 

Neil Diamond: "Sweet Caroline" (with Dan Ducroix and the Flugelhorn)

"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 years ago, leading him for a brief period to emulate the 1970s style of the smouldering version of Neil. He may have abandoned the belt buckles and mutton chops, but not his love for the music of the Jewish Elvis. We celebrate the most ubiquitous (ubonkquitous?) of the Diamond catalogue: "Sweet Caroline." We discuss not only the history of the song, but also reflect on singalong culture and dangers of writing a song inspired by E.T.
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 review us wherever you listen, but more importantly - share our show with your friends!
Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn
 

The Stampeders: "Sweet City Woman" (Pour Mon Ami)

“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  
Links:
"Official" Video
SCTV Canadian Film
Going Down The Road - Yonge St
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 review us wherever you listen, but more importantly - share our show with your friends!
Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn

Roy Orbinson: "You Got It" (A voice out of time)

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!
Official Video
Clips of the recording process of You Got It
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 review us wherever you listen, but more importantly - share our show with your friends!
Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn.

The Whispers: "Rock Steady" (with a side of Sun Chips)

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 L.A. Reid. We’re glad you’ve joined us for our celebration of The Whispers legendary hit, “Rock Steady!”
Links:
Official Video
Babyface Demo
Babyface live performance
Babyface's Re-imagined "Rock Steady"
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 review us wherever you listen, but more importantly - share our show with your friends!
Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn.

The Cure: "Friday I'm In Love" (Kitch's 20th!)

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 elegance and goth melancholy. (Stay tuned to the very end for a very special version of "A Whole New World" featuring Frank with some backing vocals by Bill.)
Links:
Official Video
Natalie Imbruglia's Version
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 review us wherever you listen, but more importantly - share our show with your friends!
Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn.
 

Taylor Dayne: "Love Will Lead You Back" (Maximum Dayne)

In today’s episode, we revisit the 80s pop sensation Taylor Dane and her iconic hit "Love Will Lead You Back." We delve into Dane’s overlooked legacy (seven top 10 hits over two albums!) and explore the emotional power of Frank’s favourite Taylor Dayne song. Even though Bill would have preferred to discuss “Tell it To My Heart” instead, he shares his evolving appreciation for today’s song, while Frank highlights its themes of hope and love's resilience – as well as somehow once again recounting the time he went 4-for-4 from the three-point line during a ninth-grade basketball game. “Love Will Lead You Back” brings back lots of memories and forces us to come to terms with our own relationship breakdowns. Despite all these complicated feelings, love still leads us back to bringing these songs to you each week!
Links:
Official Video
Tig Notaro's story of meeting Taylor Dayne
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 review us wherever you listen!
Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn.
 

Glenn Medeiros: "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You"

In this week’s episode, we jump into a song that's more than just a nostalgic tune—it's a fascinating slice of pop culture with an equally intriguing backstory. Prepare to delve into “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You,” a hit brought to life by Glenn Medeiros, whose music video might just be one of the most dangerous ever made—a song that sends us spiraling into conversations about love, nostalgia, and the odd memories we have tied to the Muppets.
We would like to also remind listeners just how much we appreciate their support and reaffirm the sentiment of this week’s featured track: that love in all its forms is something to be cherished—and nothing’s going to change that!
Links:
Official Video
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 review us wherever you listen!
Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn.
 

Barry White: "You're My First, My Last, My Everything"

In this episode we explore the sultry magic of Barry White, focusing on his iconic track "You're the First, the Last, My Everything." We discuss Barry's rise from the streets of Watts to his status as a soul legend, we unravel themes of love and seduction, we dive into the passionate lyrics and lush arrangements that define White’s sound, and we celebrate his artistry as both a vocalist and innovative producer. Prepare yourself for an unforgettable journey through love's essence! 
Links:
1970s performance
Ally McBeal performance
Ally McBeal bathroom dance
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 review us wherever you listen!
Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn.

Culture Club: "Karma Chameleon" (Watch out for those lobsters)

It's hard to believe that it's taken us this long to do "Karma Chameleon," but maybe we needed to be at our A-game to handle a song this amazing. If you were alive in 1983, you would have heard this tune everywhere and you would have loved it! We go deep into the background of the band and the song, and we find out that it's a lot darker than we realized. Nevertheless, the joys of the song endure as our memories of 1983 come and go, come and go.
Links:
Official Music Video
Live acoustic from 1983
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 review us wherever you listen!
Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn.