It's been quite a year here at What Difference Does It Make. I mean, just look at the cover photo of us at an intimate rehearsal with Neil Finn from Crowded House, and you know we had a memorable year. While we didn't have Neil on the podcast, we did manage to get some of our other favorite musicians and music nerds to talk about 80s music and more. We've condensed some of our favorite clips from 2024 for a greatest hits episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 06, 2024•44 min•Season 13Ep. 23
We talk turkey....and pie...and candy and occasionally about songs that make us think about Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving episode from 2018 reminds us of how fortunate we are to have food, friends and music in our lives. We talk about Golden Girls, hippies throwing away trash and learn about the word "mondegreen". We are also very thankful to you for listening. Be thankful for three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make. We are a pro...
Nov 22, 2024•52 min
If you know the Earth, Wind & Fire songs September and Boogie Wonderland, The Pointer Sisters Neutron Dance or I'll Be There For You, aka the opening theme from Friends, then you're familiar with some of the songwriting work of Allee Willis. But that's only half the story. Director Alexis Spraic and Producer Prudence Fenton join the What Difference Does It Make Podcast to tell us about The World According To Allee Willis, a documentary about the multi-layered life of a multi-layered personal...
Nov 15, 2024•35 min•Season 13Ep. 21
Mindy Smith made quite an impression on Dolly Parton with her take on Dolly's iconic song, "Jolene". She followed that up with her beautiful debut album, One Moment More. Now twenty years into her career, she releases another gorgeous album entitled "Quiet Town". Mindy joins us in the virtual studio to talk about her inspirations and ideas behind the music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 08, 2024•55 min•Season 13Ep. 20
Robert Hilburn, former LA Times Music Editor/Critic, has become one of the preeminent music biographers for the singer-songwriter. Known for his deep dives into the lives of legendary artists, Robert has penned insightful biographies on Johnny Cash and Paul Simon. Now, he joins us to discuss his latest work, A Few Words In Defense Of Our Country: The Biography Of Randy Newman. We’ll explore Newman’s unique songwriting craft, as Robert shares some of his own unique stories along the way. Robert h...
Nov 01, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 13Ep. 19
It's not a repeat if you haven't heard it before, so this is the perfect time to revisit Dave's favorite holiday and the one Holly tolerates because candy is involved. We talk about our favorite Halloween songs and movies that Holly has yet to see…Dave is still waiting to discuss Ed Wood with her. Plus, Holly thinks Echo & The Bunnymen's "Killing Moon" is a love song until she learns the terrifying truth. It's a dead man's party, so who can ask for more! We are a proud member of Pantheon Pod...
Oct 25, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Iain Matthews’ 53rd-ish solo album is entitled "How Much Is Enough". He joins the podcast and we learn all about the start of his career, from selling shoes on Carnaby Street in mid-60s Swingin' London, to where he is today. It's a good insight into Iain's mindset about where he sees himself as a working musician/songwriter after nearly 60 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 18, 2024•53 min•Season 13Ep. 18
We celebrate Punk For A Day Day on October 25 by recognizing one of our favorite Punks. One wouldn't blame Steve Diggle if he decided to pack up The Buzzcocks name after the death of vocalist Pete Shelley back in 2018. But Steve is carrying on, with the same fervor that powered the band back in Manchester, England in 1978. When we talked back in 2022 The Buzzcock's latest album, Sonics In The Soul had just been released. Steve now has a memoir coming out on October 29 entitled Autonomy: Portrait...
Oct 11, 2024•52 min•Season 10Ep. 12
What does music documentarian Denny Tedesco do for an encore, after beautifully capturing the family of musicians known as The Wrecking Crew? How about find another family? That’s exactly what Denny did, with his latest film, entitled Immediate Family. You may not know the Immediate Family, or the names Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, or Steve Postell, but you know the music. This band of brothers has helped create the iconic music of Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Ca...
Oct 04, 2024•58 min•Season 12Ep. 8
Moon Unit Zappa has led quite a unique life. The daughter of Frank and Gail, she always called her parents by their first names. Moon was gifted a journal every year since she was five, and now she details many of the crazy stories in her book: Earth To Moon: A Memoir. She also shares some of her secrets on our podcast, including her fake name whenever this famed Valley Girl entered the Sherman Oaks Galleria. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 27, 2024•54 min•Season 13Ep. 17
Did you know September 25th is National One-Hit Wonder Day? Well, neither did we, but since we now know it's a thing, we created this episode. Did we invite friend of the show, Craig Rosen onto the podcast because Steve Rosen, the creator of One-Hit Wonder Day was unavailable? Possibly, but Craig does give us his unique perspective on the songs. What constitutes a one-hit wonder artist? We don't know, but we do know a hit when we hear it, so please enjoy our salute to 80s one-hit wonders! Learn ...
Sep 20, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 13Ep. 16
It's been quite a year for the brothers Jeff and Steven McDonald of Redd Kross. They’re currently in the middle of a tour in support of their eponymous double album, their oral history memoir, Now You're One Of Us: The Story Of Redd Kross comes out in October, and before the year is up, we’ll see the release of their documentary, Born Innocent. Somehow they boys found time to chat with us about the important things like K-Pop Band, Blackpink, the Chuck Connors show Thrill Seekers, and Sonny Bono...
Sep 13, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 13Ep. 15
Most people believe the year they graduated high school was the greatest year in pop music history. We put that theory to the test as we match up the year Dave graduated high school, 1984, against 2017, the year his daughter, Emma, graduated. It's quite a battle, and you may be surprised to find, like Holly, that you might like the songs from 2017 a bit more than those from 1984. This is not a "grody to the max (1984) episode nor is there any "clapback" or "facepalms" #2017, just a gnarly (1984)...
Sep 06, 2024•58 min•Season 8Ep. 16
Even though it's Labor Day, we think every day is a Manic Monday. We're Takin' Care of Business over here at What Difference Does It Make, so we say, Let's Work!, as we recognize songs that salute the Working Class Hero. What a way to make a livin'! We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 30, 2024•44 min
Warren Zanes' recent career trajectory has landed him in Nebraska…specifically, Bruce Springsteen's 1982 album, Nebraska. Warren’s book, Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, was released in 2023 to critical acclaim. Warren also hosts the concert performance of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska: A Celebration in Words and Music. It's currently airing on PBS and features performances by Emmylou Harris, Eric Church, Noah Kahan, The Lumineers, Lucinda Williams, and Lyle Lo...
Aug 23, 2024•57 min•Season 13Ep. 14
Robyn Hitchcock has had quite the musical career. So much so that two movies have been made about him: The documentary Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death...and Insects, and the Jonathan Demme-directed performance film, Storefront Hitchcock. However, when Robyn decided to write his own story, he centered it on a particularly meaningful point in his life: When he was 14 years old. The memoir is 1967: How I Got There And Why I Never Left. Robyn joins the podcast to tell us all about this magical yea...
Aug 16, 2024•57 min•Season 13Ep. 13
August 10th is Duran Duran Appreciation Day. As it turns out, not only are we self-proclaimed Duranies, but our guests love the Fab 5 as well. So for this episode, we've compiled comments and observations from our past guests (and ourselves) about the music we love so much by Simon, John, Nick, Andy, and Roger. Happy Duran Duran Appreciation Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 09, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 13Ep. 12
Susan Seidelman has directed films with Meryl Streep, John Malkovich, and Madonna, but how does a humble girl from the suburbs of Philadelphia get to such a point? It's all documented in her new book, Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir About Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls. Susan joins the podcast to talk about movies, music, mothers, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 02, 2024•55 min•Season 13Ep. 11
Matt Pinfield would probably consider himself "just a music fan from New Jersey". But fans of his radio and club shows, as well as music artists like David Bowie and Depeche Mode immediately recognized the passion and knowledge that Matt possessed. This led to the distinction of being THE spokesperson for rock music fans when he first began hosting the Alternative Music show 120 Minutes on MTV in 1995. It's all documented in his memoir, All These Things That I've Done: My Insane, Improbable Rock...
Jul 26, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Season 14Ep. 12
Music Journalist Lyndsey Parker is a fixture on the Los Angeles music scene. For more than two decades, she served as the Music Editor for Yahoo Entertainment, interviewing all our favorite music artists, including 80s icons like The Cure, Duran Duran, and Cyndi Lauper. You've seen her as a correspondent on AXS TV and Fox 11 News in Los Angeles, and as a moderator at the Grammy Museum. You can learn all about Lyndsey on her website, Lyndsanity! First and foremost, she is a music fan, and also a ...
Jul 19, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Season 14Ep. 11
We first heard Swedish Egil at KROQ in Los Angeles, where for ten years he played his favorite dance, ska, and electronic music, introducing us to bands like New Order and Kraftwerk. From there, he became Music Director of MARS-FM, and introduced us to techno and rave artists like The Orb and Moby. And for the past three decades, Egil spearheaded Groove Radio, first in Los Angeles, then in syndication, and now globally through his website Groove Radio. You can also hear him still spinning 80s mu...
Jul 12, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 14Ep. 10
Alan Hunter was the first person we saw for the debut of MTV on August 1, 1981 (just don't remind Mark Goodman of this fact). Alan has maintained a passion for the 80s music that defined our youth. This, naturally, makes him the perfect guest for our podcast, as we discuss his career, his newfound love of cruises, and songs 40 to 31 from the KROQ 1987 year-end chart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 28, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 14Ep. 9
Paige Stark is a multi-hyphenated artist. She's a Director-Writer-Actor-Producer, but she joins our podcast because we’re fans of her music. Her just- released EP is entitled Good At Love, and we get into all the interesting insights from the start of her career, her impressive list of friends, and the crazy story of how she became associated with Clementine Creevy from the band, Cherry Glazerr. Stay until the end of the episode, as Paige treats us to two in-studio performances, "Zombie Brain Dr...
Jun 21, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 13Ep. 10
Music Industry executive Rob Tonkin has been a fixture in the business for over four decades. He's accumulated quite a few stories, so much so that he’ll be releasing his own memoir in very the near future (tentatively called "Rockin' Robbie"). Meanwhile, Rob joins us in our What Difference Does It Make virtual studio to share some of his stories, and to discuss some 80s music; specifically the year 1987, and songs 50 to 41 from the KROQ year-end chart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...
Jun 07, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Season 14Ep. 8
Exciting news for fans of power pop, as the dB's are releasing a reissue of their excellent debut LP, Stands for deciBels. Formed in New York City by four North Carolinians, The dB’s consist of singers-guitarists-songwriters Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple, bassist Gene Holder, and drummer Will Rigby. Amazingly, this remastered edition is the first time the set has been released on vinyl in the United States. We're fortunate to have Peter and Will in the What Difference Does It Make virtual stu...
May 31, 2024•43 min•Season 13Ep. 9
Hey! Did you know there are other 80s music podcasts? It's true! Joe Christopher and Kari Race host a podcast called Hey! Remember The 80s? We‘re happy to have them as our guests this week to talk about their podcast, their love of 80s music, and to hear their opinions on songs 60 to 51 from the 1987 year-end KROQ playlist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 17, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 14Ep. 7
Marco Collins may be best known as the Music Director at KNDD/The End in Seattle during the height of the grunge era. His career actually started at 91X in San Diego, but he had to commute to the station, located in Tijuana, Mexico, to get to his overnight shift. It's part glamour and part squalor. The Glamour & The Squalor also happens to be the name of his own documentary. We’re treated to a look into the life of Marco Collins, and we give him a chance to share his love of 80s music, as we...
May 03, 2024•1 hr•Season 14Ep. 6
The breadth of the Midge Ure music catalogue is one to behold. His career started in the 1970’s with the boy band, Slik, followed by Rich Kids through to Visage and Ultravox and a thriving solo career. That's even without mentioning the historic work he's done for Band Aid & Live Aid in the 80’s. We are thrilled Midge Ure can join us on the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 26, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 13Ep. 8
Founding member of The Cure and Rock Hall Inductee, Lol Tolhurst, joins the podcast to chat about his second book, entitled GOTH. It's a deep dive into the dark Romanticism of Goth music. Of course, since we like to keep things upbeat, we also discuss the eclipse, family, sunny California, and his new album, Los Angeles, with his old friend Budgie, drummer from Siouxsie & The Banshees, and Jacknife Lee, producer of records by U2, REM, and Taylor Swift. Yes, we are mentioning Taylor Swift in ...
Apr 19, 2024•39 min•Season 13Ep. 7
Dylan Chambers is one soulful dude, as a listen to his EP For Your Listening Pleasure! will prove. His first single, "High (When I'm Low)," featuring LunchMoney Lewis and Dave Koz, will immediately put a smile on your face. Dylan steps into our studio to discuss his beginnings in Arlington, Texas, and his many collaborations with artists from Mark Ballas, (of Dancing With The Stars fame), to Aldae, co-songwriter of “Flowers", by Miley Cyrus. To top off our episode, Dylan plays an acoustic set fo...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr•Season 13Ep. 6
