A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make?

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1988 Pop Culture Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

It was the year of debuts, from The Wonder Years to Roseanne toYo! MTV Raps. The Grammys finally recognized the significance of Rap and Heavy Metal, but (spoiler alert) failed to recognize the true innovators in each genre. It was also the year we believed two completely different looking men could be Twins and three womanizing bachelors could raise an infant. What would Brian Boitano do, besides win Gold at the Olympics? For more, you'll just have to tune in to our look back at the year 1988 in pop culture.

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Stereo MC's Get Connected Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

Rob B and Nick Hallam, collectively known as Stereo MC’s, have been releasing music since the mid-1980s when they co-founded the Gee Street recording studio and record label. They had massive hits in the 90s with "Elevate My Mind", "Step It Up”, and "Connected". They then focused on their studio work, creating re-mixes for artists like Madonna, U2, and The Jungle Brothers. They now have their own label, "connected", and have since become established in the ever-popular Afro House genre. Stereo MC's are now re-introducing themselves to a US audience with a brief tour, and the promise of new music, as well as stepping it up for a chat with the What Difference Does It Make podcast.

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The Go-Go's Kathy Valentine: All I Ever Wanted Jan 03, 2025

Show notes

Back in 2020, we had the opportunity to chat with Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go's. She had just released her rock n’ roll memoir, All I Ever Wanted. Since then, the Go-Go's have released their official documentary, and they were finally inducted into the Rock Hall. Since January 7 is Kathy's birthday, we wanted to recognize one of our favorite Capricorns by revisiting what previously was a two-parter, into one glorious podcast episode.

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Christmas And Holiday 80s Music Favorites Dec 13, 2024

Show notes

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Holly finds a couple Hanukkah songs favorites via friend of the show, JC Douglas. We talk "Baby, It's Cold Outside" which leads into the film Little Mermaid and Holly reveals a shocking truth. Dave talks up the Phil Spector Christmas and we bring up the Die Hard controversy. And of course, what is an 80s Christmas podcast without talk of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" How many artists can you name that participated in the song? So do like Prince and enjoy a banana daiquiri and enjoy our talk of Holiday favorites

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What Difference Does It Make Best Of 2024 Dec 06, 2024

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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.

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The World According To Allee Willis Nov 15, 2024

Show notes

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 personality. It's a fascinating documentary about a fascinating individual that personally documented most every moment of her life since 1978.

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Mindy Smith Needs A Quiet Town Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

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.

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Robert Hilburn Has Some Words In Defense Of Randy Newman Nov 01, 2024

Show notes

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 has been a favorite of ours since we first became music fans, so it’s a true honor to have him on the show. Let’s dive in!

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Iain Matthews Tells Us How Much Is Enough Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

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.

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Steve Diggle finds harmony with The Buzzcocks Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

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 of A Buzzcock.

Steve talks all about the band, the ,loss of Pete, and the new album on this episode of the What Difference Does It Make podcast.

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