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 pain. Thank you for joining us!

Links:

Official Video

Figure Skating Routine

A great article by Mark Edward Randall 

Thank you for being part of our journey! Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, etc., or send us an email at [email protected] to get on our newsletter! We’d love your feedback—please rate and review, and don’t forget to share our podcast with your friends!

Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn.

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!

Official Music Video

Thank you for being part of our journey! Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, etc., or send us an email at [email protected] to get on our newsletter! We’d love your feedback—please rate and review, and don’t forget to share our podcast with your friends!

Our theme music is by the incredibly talented Ian McGlynn.

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 soulful lyrics), set the stage for a powerful partnership that has spanned nearly four decades. We hope you catch the joyful vibe.

Links:

Official Video

That live version from the early 1990s

Bjorn Again Version

Wheatus Version

Yazoo's Only You

Depeche Mode with a happy Vince Clarke

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 love you, Kahlin!

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 [email protected], 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

"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 [email protected], 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

“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 [email protected], 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

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 [email protected], 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.

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 [email protected], 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.

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 [email protected], 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.