What Difference Does It Make

Dave and Holly, your 80s music aficionados, talk to the artists and music industry insiders that made it the greatest decade for music. We are a proud member of The Pantheon Network - Podcasts for Music Lovers

Music Interviews
Music Commentary
Music History
176
Kathy Valentine of The Go-Gos
Anyone that has listened to our podcast for even a short period of time would probably recognize that we are huge fans of 80s music icons: The Go-Gos. You can imagine how much of a thrill it is to talk to Kathy Valentine, bassist of The Go-Gos. Kathy co-wrote "Can't Stop The World" and "Vacation", two songs that are easily in our top ten Go-Go favorites. Kathy's memoir is "All I Ever Wanted". It covers her childhood up to the early 90s and we try to cover as much as we can in our two-part interview.  By the way, the music in this episode is composed by Kathy and you can hear the album on SpotifyGet three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
45 min
177
Doug "Cosmo" Clifford Drummer for Creedence Cle...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Doug Clifford joins us at What Difference Does It Make.  Our discussion starts with the Golliwogs, the band that eventually morphed into Creedence Clearwater Revival and leads into Doug's solo album, Magic Window, an album created from recently located tracks and recorded back in 1985.Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It MakeSign up for our monthly newsletter
32 min
178
Drummer Glen Sobel talk continued
It's another great talk on What Difference Does It Make as Glen Sobel tells us the secret to getting into Alice Cooper's Band, his experience on a major label with Beautiful Creatures and we go way back to Glen's high school days to hear how he won the talent show with his percussive unit Offbeat.We highly suggest you check out Glen Sobel's Spotify Influence playlistGet three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It MakeCheck out past episodes and additional playlists on our website
33 min
179
Glen Sobel Interview
Glen Sobel, drummer extraordinaire for Alice Cooper and Hollywood Vampires tells us about his start in the business and the prep that needs to be done to make a show seamless. We had some much fun talking with Glen, so enjoy part one of this two part journey with one of the finest rock drummers working today.Follow our podcastGet three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
33 min
180
Valley Girl 2020
We got the opportunity to talk with Producer Steven Wolfe and Director Rachel Lee Goldenberg for the just released re-imagining of the 80s film, Valley Girl.This jukebox musical version is set in the present and Alicia Silverstone plays the grown up character of Julie originally played by Deborah Foreman. Her daughter is Jessica Rothe and her Randy, originally played by Nicolas Cage, is now played by Josh Whitehouse.Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
43 min
181
Andrew Gold "Something New" Part 2 talk with Le...
Our talk continues as Leslie Kogan Gold tells us all the exciting ideas she has to keep Andrew Gold's music fresh and exciting. Besides the new album "Something New" out now via Omnivore Recordings, Leslie discusses the possibility collaborations, a Broadway musical and of course the viral sensation that is Spooky, Scary Skeletons. We also try to figure out which Golden Girl would be Andrew's favorite. Thanks to Leslie and Omnivore Recordings for giving us permission to play Andrew's amazing music on this episodeGet three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make.
32 min
182
Andrew Gold album "Something New" talk with Les...
To celebrate the release of "Something New: Unreleased Gold" by Andrew Gold, we got the opportunity to talk with Leslie Kogan Gold. It was a real treat to learn all about this amazing musician Sure, he had hits with "Lonely Boy" and "Thank You for Being A Friend" but he also was able to steer Linda Ronstadt's musical direction from Country/Folk to Rock.. He has composed music with 10CC, Leo Sayer, Juice Newton, Nicolette Larson and the list goes on and on..Thanks to Leslie and Omnivore Recordings for letting us play his music on this episode. Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It MakeKeep up to date with us by signing up on our What Difference Does It Make website
31 min
183
Music Journalist Craig Rosen Interview
We talk to Craig Rosen, the man literally wrote the book on Number One Albums and R.E.M. We dig into Craig's origin story as a Valley Boy Hebrew School rebel cruising around in his Karmann Ghia. Craig not only loved The Clash and The Buzzcocks, but wanted to write about them. Hear how he got to do this and all his exploits on the What Difference Does It Make Podcast.A free audible book is available to you. Thanks for listening.Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
49 min
184
JC Douglas answers some questions
If you've listened to our show at all you know that Holly and Dave ask each other music trivia questions at the end of each episode. JC Douglas from C100 in Nova Scotia wanted to be a part of the fun, so we drilled him on some questions. Turns out, each question was just another excuse to go into more stories about the artists he has met...just don't ask him about Bryan Adams. We also learned how to tell the difference between an accent from Nova Scotia and one from Maine. Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It MakeIt's all on our all too brief podcast this week. Don't forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
23 min
185
JC Douglas Interview
We are thrilled to get the opportunity to talk to Nova Scotia radio legend, JC Douglas. We talk about all things radio including first jobs, favorite Canadian bands and a few 80s hijinks involving David Letterman and another with Tom Snyder. Of course we talk music and apparently JC is not afraid to bust out a tune or two. . JC made a Spotify playlist for us. It contains at least 35% Canadian content. It's all great fun. Enjoy!Sign up for our monthly newsletter on our websiteGet three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
58 min
186
KROQ 1983 Top 106.7 songs 10 to 1
Please, please tell me now! What was the number 1 song on the World Famous KROQ's, Roq of the 80s 1983 countdown? Well you'll just have to listen to the podcast because I think it is something you should know, but I'll say no more. In this episode we count down the top ten songs as determined by Los Angeles radio station KROQ from 1983. We talk about two different dances, "Safety" and "Let's" and the crazy dance attached to Tears For Fears "Mad World" video. We also talk creepy songs from "Every Breath You Take" to "Nights on Broadway", yes the BeeGees classic is super creepy. Listen to it all and check out all the songs and some special videos on our website Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
52 min
187
1983 KROQ Top 106.7 Songs 20 to 11
Well in this time of social distancing we heed the words of David Bowie, "I don't want to go out. I want to say in. And get things done". We do our best by consuming bagels and talking about haircuts, the German language and Weird Al. It's Madness from these two Talking Heads! Yes, both these bands are also on this ten song chunk of songs played in 1983 on KROQ Roq of the 80s. May I suggest you follow along on our Spotify playlist which can be found on our What Difference Does It Make website. Sign up for our newsletter while you're visiting.Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
50 min
188
1983 KROQ Top 106.7 Songs 30 to 21
Did you see the video? Holly continually swats away the question. Okay maybe she didn't see the videos, but she knows the songs. We discuss the most popular songs played on 106.7 KROQ in the year 1983. This episode we discuss songs 30 to 21 on the countdown.  We discover some high school wordplay from The English Beat's "Save It For Later", the awkward publicity photos Tears for Fears seem to embrace and recognize the concern of the parents in the song "Institutionalized". Check out the Spotify playlist and some of the videos discussed on our websiteGet three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
48 min
189
1983 KROQ Top 106.7 Songs 40 TO 31
This week's episode feels just like the video for "The One Thing by INXS as we devour Randy's donuts and try to figure out how to pronounce the dessert known as blancmange. In between donuts, there's talk of South Park's Randy Marsh, the proliferation of lingerie wearing models and Paul Anka. Listen up as we carefully dissect songs 40 to 31 from the KROQ Roq of the 80s playlist of 1983.To learn more about all our shenanigans sign up on our websiteGet three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
44 min
190
1983 KROQ Top 106.7 Songs 50 to 41
This episode includes talk of cover songs, alcohol and break-ups. No we have not switched formats to country music but each song we discuss this week seems to be centered around those topics. It's a fun talk and Holly and I are proud to be associated with it. Alan Smithee will not be a part of this podcast, although he is discussed. Sign up for our email list and listen to our Spotify playlist on our What Difference Does It Make website.Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
47 min
191
1983 KROQ Top 106.7 Songs 60 to 51
Counting down the hits from 1983 as played on radio station KROQ in Los Angeles entails more rabbits holes to go down. We end up analyzing the number one dance songs from 1983. This segues into stalking rock stars and bands that we thought were going to be arena rocks stars (Big Country) and songs we thought should have been ranked way higher (Blue Monday). Follow along on our What Difference Does It Make Spotify playlist. Sign up on our new website to start getting updates on everything on the podcastAnd last but not least get a free Audible book courtesy of What Difference Does It Make
47 min
192
1983 KROQ Top 106.7 Songs 70 to 61
This episode is dominated by Austrian superstar, Falco. We try to talk German, Alles klar? Der Kommissar and fail miserably. Falco talk naturally leads to After The Fire and Laura Branigan. Our favorite bands from Athens are also on this list and then there's Pat Wilson and Jimmy The Hoover?!? As Roman Holiday might say "Don't Try To Stop it!" We got a great ep from the year 1983 based on the ROQ of the 80s music charts from the World Famous KROQ. Follow along on our What Difference Does It Make Podcast Spotify playlist.And while your at it, get a free Audible book
47 min
193
KROQ 1983 Top 106.7 Songs 80 to 71
This episode we debate the significance of the age seventeen and the importance of the marimba. We wonder if Peter Garrett is 8 feet tall (he's actually 6 foot 4) and if "Doot Doot" is the ultimate make out song (It is). Yes, it's another deep dive in which we count down the top 106.7 songs in 1983 from the World Famous KROQ ROQ of the 80s. This episode features songs 80 to 71. Follow along on our What Difference Does It Make Podcast Spotify playlist.And while your at it, get a free Audible book courtesy of What Difference Does It Make.
47 min
194
1983 KROQ Top 106.7 Songs 90 to 81
This week we talk about songs we totally love like Aztec Camera and songs we that left us oblivious. Plus more parenthesis talk! However, instead of being positive like (Keep Feeling) and (Go For It!), the directions are negative (Don't Do It) and wistful (If I Had A Photograph Of You). And we get to talk about 2020 being the year of Sparks. Follow along on our What Difference Does It Make Podcast Spotify Playlist.Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It MakeWe are also sponsored by Audible. Get your free audible book courtesy of What Difference Does It Make
40 min
195
1983 KROQ Top 106.7 Songs 100 to 91
From haircuts (A Flock of Seagulls vs. Kajagoogoo) to TV and Film actors (Spandau Ballet) to literally parenthesis telling you to (Go For it!) and (Keep Feeling) we discuss it all. We're talking about the top songs from the World Famous KROQ, Roq of the 80s in Los Angeles. These are the most played songs from numbers 100 to 91 in the year 1983. Follow along on our What Difference Does It Make Podcast Spotify playlist. Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It MakeAnd while your at it, get a free Audible book
46 min
196
KROQ 1983 Top 106.7 of the year songs 106.7 to 101
We start off our KROQ countdown of 1983 by talking about mullets and the Love Boat. Don't worry it all makes sense. There are some lost classics contained at the bottom of this list including a B-Side from A Flock of Seagulls and one from Australian band Machinations. Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It MakeGet a free audiobook courtesy of What Difference Does It Make
35 min
197
1983 Pop Culture Part 2
The "olds" try not to be poseurs and stay woke in this Part 2 special looking back at Pop Culture of 1983. We are primed and ready as continue to talk about fashion and television and for some reason we talk about promise rings and Peanut Butter & Chocolate Pebbles. Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It MakeListen to our What Difference Does It make Spotify playlist to hear the songs discussed.
26 min
198
1983 Pop Culture Part 1
We kick off a new season of What Difference Does It Make by diving into the year 1983. Before we do our deep dive into the music we go down the rabbit hole (as we mention that phrase too many time to mention) and talk movies and fashion. Actually, Dave talks movies and Holly talks fashion. It was a good year for pop culture but I'm betting Holly will not like this 1983 movie soundtrack playlist featuring Frank Stallone, Barbra Streisand and Tangerine Dream. The one song she would like "Spring Break" by Cheap Trick is unfortunately not on Spotify however you can hear it on YouTube.Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
32 min
199
Dan McGrath Interview Part 2
Holly and Dave continue their lively talk with Dan McGrath, composer of The Strictly Come Dancing series in the UK and self-proclaimed 80s music nerd. Dan talks about how he was fortunate enough to witness an early performance of Depeche Mode at his school, we learn when it's the best time to interview Trevor Horn, we allow Dan to nerd up a little bit about his love of Roland and Moog Source Keyboards and we also learn a few new British phrases. Dan was not only kind enough to share his time with us but he created his own What Difference Does It Make Spotify playlist.Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
38 min
200
Dan "The Sound Man" McGrath Interview
The week we talk to Dan McGrath, composer of The Strictly Come Dancing series in the UK and self-proclaimed 80s music nerd. Dan talks about his love of Depeche Mode, Gary Numan and Yazoo and shares a few encounters he's had with Annie Lennox and his ultimate favorite, David Bowie. You can listen to a few of Dan's favorite songs on our What Difference Does It Make Podcast playlist. Get three FREE months of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make
31 min