Bill and Frank’s Guilt-Free Pleasures

Dave Kitchen comes out of the bearded barley and joins us in the Winchester to discuss one of the sweetest (or most sinister???) songs of the past 30 years! Truffaut Video Hollywood Video Dave Letterman Interview Our Awesome Mixtape You can find us on Instagram , Facebook , and our website . You can email us at BandFGuiltFree@gmail.com , too. Feel free to rate and review us wherever you listen! He...

We have so much goodwill for George Harrison that we had to do our best in this episode to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it right! Video 1 Video 2 Mixtape You can find us on Instagram , Facebook , and our website . You can email us at BandFGuiltFree@gmail.com , too. Feel free to rate and review us wherever you listen! Here is our Spotify playlist featuring every song we've featured. O...

Kool & The Gang's "Cherish" is a song that takes you back to a simpler time but also brings you forward to what heaven will sound like. We hope you can luxuriate in the moment while you listen to our episode! Mixtape Official Video You can find us on Instagram , Facebook , and our website . You can email us at BandFGuiltFree@gmail.com , too. Feel free to rate and review us wherever you listen!...

Our good friend Nathan Holmes joins us again to discuss the type of music that we have avoided so far in over 130 episodes: the dance song. We navigate the rules of the genre, discuss our younger selves' reluctance to like dance music, and try to find out if we can answer Haddaway's question. Bill's Awesome Mixtape Official Sexy Draculas Music Video You can find us on Instagram , Facebook , and ou...

This episode is being initially published in the dead of winter, but we are turning up the heat! Sade's smooth voice surpasses even the shifty operator of the song, and we are here to revel in the glory of Sade (the singer and the band). We discuss the history of Sade (the singer and the band), analyze "Smooth Operator," defend dodgy geography, and cover as many categories as possible to keep you...

This song resounds so loudly for Frank that we're not sure what was left of him by the end of this episode. We're glad you've joined us for this examination of Paul Young's classic cover of a Hall & Oates deep cut (and as it turns out, a pretty "deep cut" in Frank's heart). At Bill and Frank’s Guilt-Free Pleasures, we take the shame away, but not the pain   Official Video Our Mixtape You can f...

We welcome Kahlin Holmes to The Winchester to discuss a song that she has recommended for our podcast: "Fly" by Sugar Ray. We have a lot of fun in this episode as we attempt to come to terms with our own relationship to the band (and Mark McGrath in particular) and the fact that we actually like this song.  As Frank says, it does embody "that California sound that was sweeping the nation." Our Mix...

This is a short-ish episode from us, focusing on a Christmas (and beyond) mixtape just for you!  Our Mixtape Ian McGlynn's "Our Favourite Christmas Movie" music video    

Both bonkers and reverent, Boney M's "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" holds a special place in our hearts. We discuss the history of Boney M, the making of the song, and its enduring appeal. We also talk about Evie!!! Thank you for joining us, and Merry Christmas! Music Video with British Kids Alternate Music Video Evie's Version Mixtape Your brother has to join the band meme You can find us on Ins...

Like ABC, we just couldn't stop talking about the voice of Smokey Robinson during this episode. When we finally do get around to talking about ABC's classic 1987 hit, we are able to finally decipher the lyrics to the song, and it turns out that Martin Fry is not fearing violence when he hears Smokey sing. Frank also brings perhaps our best plot to a Hallmark movie based on "When Smokey Sings." Tha...

We are used to Frank bringing his grouchy pants to the occasional episode, but in a rare moment, it's actually Bill who brings his grievances to the table regarding this week's song choice. Deep Blue Something's (DBS's?) "Breakfast at Tiffany's" means a lot to Frank as it was the soundtrack to his mid-90s self-actualization, but for Bill it was a regular morning aural torture as he toiled away at...

Chris Newkirk and Alex Yost of The Julies bring to us a special guilt-free pleasure for today's episode: Def Leppard's "Photograph." We put on our rock and roll clown faces and dig deep into the images that are evoked by this song both lyrically and musically. The Julies not only help us to understand the technical power of this song as well as its simple magic in making a sparkly and dreamy glam...

Grandiose ambition, inflated egos, giant budgets, dangerous behaviour - no, these are not (necessarily) descriptors of our podcast but rather the words one thinks of when Guns N' Roses comes to mind. "November Rain" may be the sound of a band breaking up or simply the sound of Axl Rose's singular creative vision, but it has left an undeniable mark on our culture. Bill and Frank bring our friend Ri...

We’ve never been on one, but we’re ready. Until then, we’ll let Janet Jackson take us on an “Escapade”! Our Awesome Mixtape Official Video You can find us on Instagram , Facebook , Bluesky , and our website . You can email us at BandFGuiltFree@gmail.com , too. Feel free to rate and review us wherever you listen! Here is our Spotify playlist featuring every song we've featured. Our theme music is b...

England Dan and John Ford Coley could probably only exist in the 70s. Not the most exciting group name, and certainly one of the least exciting album covers we've ever seen. But, oh man - that song. Truth be told, Bill and Frank may not be the most exciting people you've seen, and maybe we can only exist in podcast land for this moment in time. We hope we can make the same impact that England Dan...

Frank builds well, Bill maths well, and Rockwell rocks well. Whether you're listening to this before Halloween or after, we hope you enjoy our spooky episode! We cover the history of the song, acknowledge the challenges of following in your father’s footsteps, and discuss the seriousness of financial malfeasance. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your tea as we walk through “Somebody’s Watching Me!” O...

We have been looking forward to this episode for over a year. Mike Balsom is a Niagara legend who was a wedding DJ in the 80s and 90s. If you were at a reception during those decades, there's a good chance you will have been blessed with his mastery of the two turntables (but no microphone!). He brings to our episode the ultimate wedding dance floor filler song: "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" by...

There are so many Johnny Rivers songs to choose from, but this is our special guilt-free pleasure. Due to it being released in our birth year, we don't have specific memories of how this was perceived when it first hit the radio, but we grew up with this song on - whether it be in the background at a family barbecue or playing in the car radio as we drove with the windows down. We hope this episod...

Frank has been excited to bring this song to the podcast for months! Although it was a significant hit in our home country of Canada in the 80s, it's been largely ignored (until now). For those who don't know yet, this is tune that is going to lift your spirits (and voices!) to the heavens and cause you to work for a positive change in this world. For those who do know, you are most likely from Oc...

Dave Kitchen brings a prototypical guilt-free pleasure to the table today. "Your Wildest Dreams" is a triumph for our peculiar genre and more importantly for The Moody Blues, who proved to the world that a 60s band could continue to generate hits in their third decade. We discuss the story behind the song, as well as how this song finds its way into our wildest dreams. Helpful links: The award-win...

Rick Nielson may have squashed the demo tape after he first heard this tune, but this song could not be snuffed out - The Flame endures! We dive into the history of Cheap Trick and the circumstances that forced them to accept a song by outside writers. We also discuss the power of a guilt-free pleasure, how this song fits into our podcast's wheelhouse, and how we are so glad you have joined us tod...

An almost hypnotic track about desperation in a failed relationship, Lovefool taps into the pain of our past (real and imagined) attempts at finding "the one." Our good friend Nathan Holmes drops in to help us explore the power of the song and to encourage Frank that his (possible) date night seeing "Romeo + Juliet" was one of the most adorable things we've heard. Thanks for joining us! We can't c...

Are you ready for your earworm for the week? We can't get enough of Sheena Easton's #1 hit, and there is so much to discuss. Join us as we delve into what brought Sheena into the spotlight, whether the lyrics speak of a sustainable relationship, and how the universe conspired to have two number one hit songs with the same name in the span of only a few months. The Big Time episode featuring Sheena...

Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" is a sneaky song. It might seem like a fun bouncy pop song, but that masks its revolutionary intent. There's the reality of an unfair system that seeks to break us, but we got dreams it'll never take away. You better remember that, Bossman! Music Video Our Mixtape Dolly Parton's America: Dollitics episode You can find us on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , and our website ....

Our good friend Bruce Soderholm joins us for a discussion on one of the early forerunners of what became known as "yacht rock." We discuss Player's early success (they topped the charts even while Bee Gee fever was running wild!) and take a deep dive into the intricacies of "Baby Come Back." And despite our best efforts, we can't stop talking about The Bold and The Beautiful's Ridge Forrester.  Li...