Norm Nathan's Vault of Silliness with Tony Nesbitt

Hey, hey. Glad to have you tuning in again for the latest episode on NNVoS. Today we have a SMQ from April 3rd, 1996 which is titled: Dedicated to Darrell.

The wonderful WBZ news anchor, Darrell Gould, had passed away a few weeks before. He was an occasional panel member of the SMQ and was scheduled to be a part of this very show. I might add, to the best of my knowledge, he also gave the DBG its name. Norm would ask Darrell to guess the ages of celebs who had a birthday and at one point Darrell commented that the game was dumb. And the rest is history!

The panel of Luminaries are:

Ed Mullen, Tony Nesbitt (that’s me), Jack Harte, Fred Allen, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sophia Loren and some guy named Norm.

Categories:

Rock n Roll, Big Band, Jazz, Musical Comedy

Before we get to the fun, the rules had to be explained. And if you’re familiar with this show, you know how well that went. Ed pleaded for contestants to adhere to the very simple rules. Norm reiterated the rules to clear up any confusion. Listen later on as we try in vain a third time! And all of that to win a Decaying Music Certificate.

Thanks to the vigilant editing of Joan from Tewksbury, this Quiz is jampacked with callers. By my count, 39 to be exact!

John in Wellesley

Arlene from Braintree

Larry in Orleans on the Cape

Bill from Lexington

John in Peabody

Wayne from Boston

Tess in Somerville

Dennis From Malden

Josh in Hingham

Donna from Stoneham

George in Washington, DC

Ed from Weymouth

Jim in Framingham

Helene from Belmont

Scott in Allston

John from Livonia, Michigan

Joe in Weymouth

Andrew from Milton

Hour 2

Tim in Beverly

Side B

Lisa

Ken from Manchester, NH

Jean in Sharon

John from Dorchester

Tom in Boston

Ron from NY state

Ed in Braintree

Mark from Beverly

Kathleen in Halifax, MA

Rachel from Toronto, Canada

Kevin in Andover

Rick from MD

Jay in W. Va

Amanda from Andover

Jim in Winchester

Robert from Everett

Jack from Norfolk

Tony in Milbury

John from Somerville

And Robin in Lynn

Episode 133, Dedicated to Darrell, casts to your ears in 3,2 and 1.

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We are a mere 3 subscribers away from 150 on YT. If you haven’t, please do so and subscribe and follow everywhere else too, including Patreon, where you will find exciting, exclusive content, we can chat and you can help support the show.

As a matter of fact, there’s a special NNS episode airing there now that has Tom Cuddy and I whooping it up with Norm from April 17th, 1994. Speaking of April 1994…How about a DBG from April 2nd?

We begin with a full line-up, and then it slowly whittles down.

Because of that out title is: Hanging Up is Hard to Do

Players:

Lisa from Topsfield

Chris on a car phone

Dick in W. Yarmouth

Paul on a car phone as well

I’m on the phone

Jack Harte

And Emilio Marotta producing and playing in studio

Bdays:

Buddy Ebsen

Sir Alec Guinness

Emmylou Harris

Don Sutton

Linda Hunt

4/4

Robert Downey Jr.

John Cameron Swayze

Christine Lahti

Kitty Kelly

Other bad connections:

WNSH – they did not have their act together

Other stations go dark because they cannot compete with the DBG

Jed, Barnaby, Abraham, Capt. January and Shirley Temple

Ascots and scarves

Cleaning out one’s sinuses

The Dangerous Years

Mel Gibson & Stan Laurel

Having a strong character yet the inability to realize it’s getting you nowhere fast.

A cameo by Jack Benny

The bone falls of the meat!

The 37th Cone!

Leland Powers School of Broadcasting and the honorable Mr. Gilbert

The Camel News Caravan 

Timex: Taking a licking but keeps on ticking

Norm Nathan’s personal inflatable passenger balloons

Class & Style

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For the uninitiated, the sounds you just heard were Spring Peepers.

A brand new recording for 2023. My usual spot was quiet. I was driving by a very small pond and heard these sweet sounds and had to stop, record and share.

I plan on making another recording at the larger area when that one gets-a-peeping.

Now,  for those who may be tuning in for the first time, my name is Tony Nesbitt. I produced Norm’s show from 1989 until 1996. I worked with him in studio and then when I moved to the David Brudnoy Show, I continued to book all his guests and make appearances that have become legendary. ;-)

The Vault of Silliness has been broadcasting for nearly 2.5 years! I’m just so thrilled that we can relive these classic radio moments that Norm graced us with.

I recently started a Patreon acct to help support the program. Please consider helping out and become a subscriber there. Once show costs are covered, I will be donating a % to the Berklee College of Music in Norm’s memory. The link is in the description box. Thank you again to those that have become Patrons.

Before we get to the meat of today’s episode, I also wanted to mention that WMCT here in Marlborough, MA, our local community cable outlet has expanded the reach of NNVoS. In addition to their public channel, they have added it to their ‘government channel!’ You can hear it on Friday and Saturday nights at 11pm just like those radio days of yesteryear. If you’re local, it’s on Comcast 8/Verizon 34.

Alrighty, today the Vault has spilled forth a DBG from March 25th, 1995. I have titled it: Amusing Musings.

We begin with Norm introducing Jack first and he was not quite ready.

The rest of the panel:

Joe in Boston

Howard from Laconia, NH

Alice in Quincy

Glenn from Brighton

Jim Frawley producing and playing in-studio

Bdays:

Howard Cosell

Gloria Steinem

Aretha Franklin

Anita Bryant

Elton John

Paul Michael Glaser

Mary Gross

Joseph Barbera

A sample of the many Amusing Musings that took place:

Variety is the spice of life

The DBG rules are taught to every school child for those hoping to be part of the game someday

The DBG is being considered for the Olympics and Jeopardy.

Nick Lowe & Bonnie Bedelia

Wickedly cool ideas

Millard Fillmore firsts

Norm’s cheap 72 – 77 key piano, The SteinPoop

“Mr. Ugly”

Tasteless, worthless material

Tension and hate

The hybrid talk/game show idea is genius!

Do we have a time traveler on the panel?

And dwarves envy.

Ep 131, Amusing Musings, brings a smile to your ears in 3, 2 and 1.

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Norm Nathan’s VoS is back for Episode 130. It’s a DBG from March 19th, 1994. Norm gets right to the game so I’ll only prepare you for it by letting you know that I have titled it, Punning Rampunt!

The esteemed panel:

The lovely Arlene in Philadelphia

Bob from Pittsburgh

Howard and Dave in Kingston

Rod the Security Guard

Emilio Marotta

I'm also in studio

And Jack Harte.

Bdays

Glenn Close

Phyllis Newman

Philip Roth

Bruce Willis

Ornette Coleman

Patrick McGoohan

And Ruth Pointer

More ridiculousness:

Sangawiches, the pixah show, this afta?

Norm is yet again way behind in sending out lots of prizes. DBG and stuff from guests.

The Quad State Area, NY, NJ, CT and PA

Portnoy’s Complaints

Counting the huffs and puffs

Drinking, smoking and thinking of women

NooseRadio 1030

A Cameo by Jack Benny

Norm began his 50-year career at the age of 51.

That’s the Limit…in Canada!

And Optical Illusions

Episode 130, Punning Rampunt, begins right now.

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Today brings us what was listed as March 11th, 1994 but turned out to be APRIL 11th, 1994. So instead of combing through the Vault for an appropriate March date I figured we should just roll with it and because of that a title was spawned: Misdated Madness

It’s a DBG that has a few side conversations that are a lot of fun.

Players:

Brian

Mark in Hudson

I’m on the phone from home

Keith Shields producing and playing in studio

Rob Floyd from WBZ’s 24-hour traffic network and marching society band.

Bdays:

Ethel Kennedy

Joel Grey

Ellen Goodman

Louise Lasser

Oleg Cassini

History:

What year was Napoleon Bonaparte banished to the Island of Elba?

What year was Jackie Robinson signed as the first black player to play for a major league team?

How about a bday from April 12th?

Tiny Tim – hang on…he will not be tip toeing through the tulips

So the game wraps with David Letterman.

Other goofiness:

Norm tells his moving story of how he lost his Congressional Medal of Honor

Silly Pooks

Norm will be in for Bob that week but a mystery lady, Victoria Jones will be subbing for a couple of days too.

Bubbling out of your undershorts

Norm has been Middleton Town Moderator since 1978! Term limits anyone?

We do get a little insight in to Middleton’s small-town politics.

Homonyms, Homophones and Palindromes

Emerson College Emersonians and their distinguished graduates.

The Little Building

Jack’s Joke Shop

Episode 129, Misdated Madness, begins ‘Marching’ to your ears in 3,2 and 1.

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It appears the trickery worked as last week’s entire episode played through without clipping at the end. I know the realization of missing my extraordinary closing pieces was an eye-opener (more like an eye-roller). You don’t know what ya got till it’s gone.

Today brings us a DBG from March 3rd, 1995. I found this an enormously entertaining show that has a little bit of everything in it. Because of that, I’ll go with titling it: Junk Drawer Radio.

The Players:

Russ

The very affectionate Val in Needham

Kevin from Dorchester

Ed from Melrose

I’m in Studio

Jim Frawley producing and playing in studio

And Jack Harte with a solution to a radio conundrum that was being discussed

The Bdays:

Emilio Estefan, no Emilio Estevez..no Gloria Estefan. Close, it’s her husband. Nah…forget it.

Chastity Bono

The attractive woman in a different kind of way, Katherine O’Hara

Barbara McNair

We move on to Monday, 3/6

Rob Reiner

Ed McMahon and Norm really gets a kick out of Ed’s resumé

And Tom Arnold

Other mildly useful stuff:

It is rumored that Norm was curmudgeonly the first half hour but has brightened up since then.

My stash of Woodsman Weather Sticks

Old Time Radio with Norm playing all the roles?

Chin Whispering

The story of a bright man (ahem) who wears two hats and may be very interested in what Norm has to say.

Star-studded cameos by George Burns, Fred Allen, Arthur Godfrey, Jack Benny, Kasey Kasem and Lionel Barrymore

The mystery of being simultaneously appeased and aggravated

Leeza Gibbons gives Ken Newman some air time

Observant TV talk show points

Y is the cousin to the other vowels

Buying the movie rights to Norms wonderful stories.

My other answers

Mumbling birthday formulas and bathroom breaks

Bad company polluting the minds of good kids

Publisher’s Clearing House and subscribing to every magazine such as: Woodworker’s Monthly, Alaskan Antler Collector, Magazine Subscribers Monthly, and other wonderful periodicals

Horse-questrian Crossings?

And loving your ‘fishterish.’ You know what I’m saying, my ‘butch-kala-cahnan-oh-ma?’

Episode 128, Junk Drawer Radio, slides open to your ears, now.

Welcome back to the Vault of Silliness, or should I say Vault of Clippiness? Yes, the clipping at the end of the episodes continues and the powers that be are fighting the good fight to resolve it properly. Buuuuut for now we have agreed to try a little trickery. A bit of video voodoo. Some audio abracadabra.

What is it? Well thank you just so darn much for asking!

I will add around 30 seconds of silence at the end of each show. The hope is that it will now clip off the added silence and my wonderfully entertaining close to each show will be heard in its entirety.

I’m sure some of you are saying, “He should add the silence at the start of his close.”

Let us venture back to February 25th, 1996 for a NNS show I have titled: Wolves at the Studio Door.

We have three guests all of whom will be speaking about the wolf.

Guest 1

Fred Keating from Loki (prn Lo-keye) Clan Wolf Refuge in Conway, NH – A shelter for wolf hybrids – wolves mixed with a domesticated dog. He provides excellent info on wolves and their abilities, explains all that his Refuge does and what started him on this journey.

Guest 2

Paul Saffron from the North American Wolf Foundation and Wolf Hollow in Ipswich, MA. At the time he had seventeen, 100% pure British Columbian Timberwolves – and they were howling in the background! He tells us about the horribly senseless and cruel ways the wolf was treated and exterminated in the past and how governments are trying to right those wrongs. And, of course, he talks about his Foundation, his experiences, and the presentations he and his wife, Joanie, do at Wolf Hollow.

Guest 3

Rick McIntyre – Author of ‘War Against the Wolf.’ He adds even more perspective on the anti-wolf mindset of the time and now, thankfully, a change in attitudes and philosophy about the wolf and its importance in the environment.

We do take some calls with Rick:

Joe from Quincy

Paul Saffron returns to speak with Rick

Jim in Georgetown

John from MI

Barbara in Brookline

Pauline from Westborough

Bruce in Boston

And Pat from Plainville

Episode 127, Wolves at the Studio Door, howls it’s way to your ears, now.

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A NNS from February 17th, 1996 graces the airwaves again with this episode. Because of the subject matter I have titled it: Help Wanted, Guidance Given!

We get a nice Show open and Norm teases the upcoming guests.

First will be Brandon Toropov – a Job Search Expert – His Book: “303 Off-the-Wall Ways to Get a Job.” He doles out resumé suggestions, advice and a whole lot of other strategies!

Later we talk with ‘Mr. Scholarship’ Dan Cassidy – Pres. and founder of the National Scholarship Research Service. Back then, 2.7B $ in financial aid went unclaimed!

Callers for Brandon:

Christine from Abbington

A Caller from Canada

Laurie

Dave

And Fred

Before we get to Dan Cassidy, Norm does some sports and talks up Sunday night’s guest which was to be Rupert Holmes, writer, composer, singer and multi-Tony award winner. His latest project that was airing on AMC was a series titled: Remember WENN

Now it’s time for Mr. Scholarship. Dan talks about the many different criteria that can lead you to get a scholarship and provides a ton of info! Some reference books that were mentioned were: For Undergrads…The Scholarship Book, The Worldwide Graduate Scholarship Directory for Masters, PhD and post-doctorate and The Worldwide College Scholarship Directory for foreign students studying in this country or a student from the U.S. looking to study abroad.

Callers for Dan:

Chris in NH

Jeremy from Cambridge

Beth in Easton which jumps to Side B

Joanne in Boston

Virginia from Hyde Park

Mary in Marshfield

Glen from Danvers

Mark in Taunton

Carol from Quincy

And Dawn in Medford

Norm does a quick station ID and we hear Jack Harte with a snowy traffic report sponsored by N.E. Car Stereos Rockin’ President’s Sale!

Bonus time:

The tape concludes with more Norm, but we walk it back to December 28th, 1995?

Callers:

Don

A Birthday Girl who’s turning 14

Anne from N. Reading

And an unnamed caller

Jack returns with just a sponsor read for the Christmas Tree Shoppes and we close with Kristin from Dorchester and yet another unnamed caller.

Episode 126, “Help Wanted, Guidance Given!” benefits your ears…now.

Patreon

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Welcome back to another episode of Norm Nathan’s Vault of Silliness. Episode 125 if you’re keeping track at home.

Just a brief reminder that you can support the show by becoming a subscriber/patron on Patreon. Some generous souls have joined and I’m forever grateful. But more assistance would be an excellent achievement. Exclusive content is posted every week. Link is below.

Let’s venture back to February 10th, 1996 for a scantily clad DBG. And because of this, the title is… “Lingerie-dio.” Huh? Pretty good, right?

Our players:

The dazed and tired Ed LeClair – producing and playing in studio

Jack Harte back from a relaxing couple of days off

Denise wearing her feather boa and celebrating her bday

Mary in Peabody armed and dare I say, legged with some lingerie knowledge

The wheezy Jack from Braintree

And Chris in Worcester with some questions

Bdays:

Robert Wagner

Mark Spitz

Leontyne Price (Lee-on-teen)

Roberta Flack

Donovan

Lenny Dykstra

And Laura Dern

Date in History:

In what year did “Death of a Salesman” open on Brodaway?

The tape switches to side B and Chris from the game talks more about Death of a Salesman.

We pick up after the news with about 8 minutes of Bob Hernandez playing one of his games.

Callers:

Manny

Anne

George

Sam

Fred

John

Beth or no Beth?

Spencer

And Scott

Other naughtiness:

Jack’s nightly outfit is described

Actuarial tables

Norm describes his nighttime ensemble. Jack makes a suggestion that Norm is excited about and will be adding.

Court TV

Fred Graham and his dirty jokes

The Asthma Inhaler Club

Theo-Dur asthma pills

Plunging necklines and dainty voices

Drumrolls and the native dances of Shagra

Falling on your spits

Water forming on your condenser tubes (you should probably see a doctor about that)

Pietro Mascagni

Norm pours his soul out

Open Doo-dahs

Library fines

The Hotel Ovary…I mean Avery

Tommy Carr and his Men of Melody

Norm with a great story from his WMEX days

Tony David at the organ live from the Silver Dollar Bar

AND cameo appearances by Tonto and the Lone Ranger, Jack Benny and an extremely elderly Alex Trebek from Jeopardy in the year 2100. 

Episode 125, Lingerie-dio, brings its silky tones to your ears in 3, 2 and 1.

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It would help us a whole bunch if you would click on the like button. That can influence the algorithms on all the platforms and we may show up on more people’s casual scrolling or recommended shows. Let’s pack the Teen Canteen every week. 

Also, each of the past few weeks, I’ve started uploading on Saturday’s. It appears as though we receive more views and listens with that strategy. I will continue to tinker with that as needed.

Let’s start the second month of 2023 with a DBG from February 4th, 1996. I should mention that ALL episodes this month, for no particular reason, will hail from 1996.

The Title of this one: A Handpicked Panel of Lovely Ladies.

The Players:

Eddie LeClair producing and playing in studio

Ken Newman in Traffic

Deena from Bradford, Ontario, Canada

Marie in Quincy

Lisa from Cortland, NY

Lana in Boston

The Bdays:

David Brenner

Conrad Bain

Lisa Eichhorn

Clint Black

Alice Cooper aka Vincent Damon Furnier

Dan Quayle

Betty Friedan

Ida Lupino?

Rosa Parks

And we have time for 2 Post-Game Callers:

Ed in Somerville

And Richie from NY

Other realities:

Coded Traffic Info

Traffic Reporter University

Vac-U-Traffic w/Kevin Brennan

No gloss, all soul

Cheek nibbling and head stands

Morals of an alley cat

CBS Radio Mystery Theater

Big Beaks

Numerology

It is revealed that the excitement of the DBG may contribute to breathing difficulties. If you find yourself in distress, please visit the WBZ Clinic on the 42nd floor.

DBG Rules and Handbook and the DBG H.o.F. where you can purchase pictures of muti-game winners for $5.00 each.

‘Llyod from Boxford’

George Burns

Solar calculators

Apples

School Music Programs

Ep 124, A Handpicked Panel of Lovely Ladies begins…now.

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