Norm Nathan's Vault of Silliness with Tony Nesbitt

Welcome back to another thrilling episode of Norm Nathan’s Vault of Silliness. On the docket today is a NNS from May 13th, 1996, which shall be titled: Scrumptious Radio Treats

Steve Adams was producing.

It begins with Norm asking the age-old question: Is it good news or bad that he would be there all thru the night? Norm was filling in for Bob Raleigh and had just come on after WBZ aired a baseball game. It was a weird time when BZ was making bipolar broadcasting decisions by airing random games no one cared about. It was most likely laying some groundwork to the eventual creation of The Sports Hub…maybe…as it only took another 10 years or so for that to materialize.

We are joined by our guest: Perry “Perry A” Arledge, author of “People Are Just Desserts.”

Are you what you eat? A reflection of choices in your lives? Are you sweet, wrinkled and dried up? Then you’re a prune. Get it? Well, you will. And it gets wildly interesting and philosophical. Another entertaining guest booked by yours truly and brought to life by the great interviewing skills of Norm.

She takes some calls:

Glenn in Brighton but it’s cut off

Then someone I believe Norm referred to as Dayla?

Bruce from Gardner

An Unknown Caller

Shirley in Dorchester

Robert in Marlborough

And another unknown Caller

Post interview we move on with:

Rick

Alan who works for WPSX TV Ch 3 a PBS station in PA

A Caller

Another Caller

And a snippet of a call with Robert from Everett!

Ep 287, Scrumptious Radio Treats, melts its way to your ears…now.

Let’s see here listeners of the Vault of Silliness…we have a DBG/NNS from May 8th and 9th, 1994.

Our title shall be: A Purrfect Broadcast

Players:

Dorothy from NJ

The purring Jeanie in Hyde Park

Barry from Worcester

Stephanie at Brandeis, then Louis, then Rob, then Mike

Man about Town Adam Wolf playing in Studio

Emilio Marotta producing and playing in Studio

Rob Floyd in Traffic

Bdays for 5/8
Don Rickles

Toni Tennille

Peter Benchley

Alex Van Halen

5/9

James L. Brooks

Albert Finney

Back to 5/8 for some Dates in History:

In what year did Alfred E. Newman appear for the first time on the cover of Mad Magazine?

Coca Cola was introduced by pharmacist, John Pemberton in what year?

Now I do believe this was from May 9th, if not, well I’m declaring it is now…

We get an interview already in progress with…Pete Seeger!

His book was “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”

And we hear two calls for him:

An Unknown Caller

And Charlene

Other cool calls:

Bob Bachelder

Unknown caller

Manny

An Unknown caller with an issue

And Glenn from Brighton

Some nice Commercials fill our airwaves too:

Riopan Plus

Tony Randall & Jack Klugman in The Odd Couple live on stage at the Colonial Theater!

Dave Dinger Ford and their amazing Red-Carpet Lease

Johnson Drug and Office Supply in Waltham

Norm read for the Vermont Teddy Bear Company and the Birthday Bear-gram

Ep 286, A Purrfect Broadcast, rumbles its way to your ears in 3, 2 & 1.

Xin Chào to Vietnam! Thanks for being here and adding to our audience in the Teen Canteen.

Not only is this a throwback because it’s a DBG from April 23rd, 1995, but the birthday’s featured are as well.

And with that knowledge let’s title this: The Situation Normedy (or ‘SitNorm’)

Players:

Jacque

Jim in Pepperell

Larry from Orleans

The whispery Hope Schauer producing and playing in studio

The whispery Keith Shields producing and playing in studio

The romantically voiced Ken Newman in traffic

Bday:

Janet Blair

Shirley Temple Black

Sandra Dee

Joyce DeWitt

Valerie Bertinelli

Lee Majors

Warren Spahn

Tony Esposito

Jan Hooks

Other silliness:

Norm reads an AccuWx forecast

Teases guest: Linda Rosencrantz co-author of The Last Word on First Names: The Definitive A-Z Guide to the Best & Worst Baby Names

A post-game call:

Jean on a car phone in VA

Suddenly we will hear what sounds like a transistor radio being recorded on another device. Norm is in slo-mo at the start as we pick up his story of “‘playing’ for the Red Sox.”

Lastly, we enjoy some brief Jack & Norm repartee and a hilarious commercial read for the traffic sponsor.

And we gots some great Commercials:

Silver City Ford, Hyundai, Coachman & Silver City Dodge Toyota

A Bob McMahon voiced spot for a sleep study at Brigham & Women’s Hospital

Bromo Seltzer with Richard Marinucci from Marlton, NJ

Joseph Nailback of Susquehanna, PA for GB medicated Anti-itch CREAM

Dave Maynard’s ready to cruise on the Big Red Boat with Premier Cruise Lines and Caitlyn Travel

And the Great Sun Golf Cruise

And now, ladies and gents, I give you…Peepers 2026!

Ep 285, The Situation Normedy (SitNorm), travels its way to your ears, now.

Even though Easter was a couple of weeks ago, this is an eggselent episode. So good in fact that I have titled it:

Hopping Down the PUNNY Trail

It’s a DBG from April 18th, 1992 that starts with a silly drop in and then the world-famous DBG Theme by Linda’s League. 

Players:

Louie from Medford

John from Strausburg, PA

Joe in Lynn

Paula from Dracut

Tony Nesbitt Producing and playing on the phone from MC

Jack Harte in Traffic

Bdays w/ALL the SFX:

Barbara Hale

Haley Mills

James Woods

4/20

Jessica Lange

Ryan O’Neal

Dates in History:

In what year was the Real San Franciso Earthquake (not the that one from 1986)?

The first game played in Yankee Stadium was in what year? 

4/21

Tony Danza

Commercials:

Therapeutic Triple Action Gold Bond with a triple hit of dry, itchy folks: William Santa of S. Bend, IN, Sharon Doherty of Reading PA and Sandra Harrod of Albin, TX

The Club! And listen to all the now defunct stores.

Frugal Fannies!

WBZ Boston Marathon Contest Promo 

Post Game Call:

Norma from the North End who comes to my defense!

Ep 284, Hopping Down the PUNNY Trail, lops its way to your ears in 3, 2 & 1.

Ahhhh, the oh so sweet sounds of the Spring Peepers.

Looking for love in all the right bogs.

Thanks for being here for this week’s slice of silly.

We have a DBG from April 16th, 1994 which I have titled: The Insult-an of Sling

Because of the insults that are slung Norm’s way…get it? It’s a play on the Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits? Thank you very much.

Players:

Virginia in Somerville

Mary from Quincy

Jack Harte

Tony Nesbitt playing in studio

Emilio Marotta – producing and playing in studio

Bdays:

Ellen Barkin

Bobby Vinton

Edie Adams

Sir Peter Ustinov

Dusty Springfield

Jimmy Osmond

Henry Mancini

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Ep 283, The Insult-an of Sling, mocks its way to your ears, now.

I am looking forward to venturing out to capture the sounds of the spring peepers 2026. For now, this episode will have to do with the vintage calls of Peepers featured throughout this NNS from April 8th & 9th, 1994. And speaking of calls, we take a bunch and many fall under the “unknown caller” designation, hence out title: The Unknown Peeper

We dive right in with callers:

Sally doing her impression of Barbara Streisand singing “Secondhand Rose.”

A Caller asking about some of the game guests we have on.

Eleanor from the DC area on why no 800 number? NO KIDDING!! Also asks her own TriBond question and you have to hear that one!

Julie in MI

And Dan from Abbington

Moving on to 4/9:

We have Lovell Dyett and Norm talking Peepers!

And more calls:

Unknown Caller

Unknown Caller

Monica from Nahant!

And you guessed it, an Unknown Caller

We are also treated to a couple of Musical Interludes, Norm telling us about upcoming guests such as:

Jeff Pinsker with 20 Questions!

Some dude who collects sparkplugs and another who will discuss clock making along with an Author Jamie Barnard with her book “First Films.”

I should mention that we DO get to hear a little from both the Sparky and Ed Stone, the clock guy!

Commercials are here too:

Gold Bond with Eleanor Wallace of Xenia, Ohio

And if regular GB wasn’t enough, we will hear from Peggy Pergola of Kannapolis, NC about Extra Strength Gold Bond

Lastly, the eternal question is asked, “How Does Dinger Do It?” with Dave Dinger Ford in Braintree

 Ep 282, The Unknown Peeper, beckons its way to your ears in 3, 2 & 1.

Today we have a show that was marked as April 2nd, 1995, but April Fool’s on me as it was a NNS from May 14th, 1995.

Hang on because this one is titled: The Cliffhanger! 

It begins with a local feature that was hosted by Dave Maynard called ‘The Other Side.’ What, pray tell was the subject you ask?

How about some R-rated housekeepers? Yessiree. Sneak-a-Peak Topless Cleaning Service, located in S. Wayne, WI and owned by Vicki Henerdeson. You’re welcome.

Now it’s Norm time with Emilio Marotta producing

Callers:

Julie answers a question and wins a Peeper Keychain!

Michael talks about his DBG prizes and defended himself for a poor performance on Raleigh’s Quick Recall where Bob (and other callers) put him down 

Generosa!

Gloria from Duxbury

Jim in Hull

Fred from NJ with another wild, true story!

Paul Elwell! A local comedian who was possibly appearing at Sully’s in Gardner but is definitely doing 9 shows at the Comedy Stop at the Trop at Trop World in Atlantic City, NJ!

An unknown caller

Ruth Clennott with her entertainment report talking Harborlights, the amazing shows and the ticket costs and a cool Tony Bennett story

And another Unknown Caller:

Also included is this great highlight:

Norm reads the AccuWeather Forecast and some news including The Boston Brewers Festival, Sting & Nancy Wilson receiving honorary degrees from the Berklee College of Music, U.S. Coast Guard Band giving a free concert down in Eastham, Bradford and Becker Colleges having commencements.

Norm wishing to get a call from a small school to give the commencement address and receive an honorary degree. Maybe N.E. Barber School or a Pet Grooming School, N.E. Bartending School.

And please stay tuned for Storytime with Uncle Tony after the show.

Ep 281, The Cliffhanger, dangles its way to your ears in 3, 2 & 1.

Good gosh almighty, Episode 280 is broadcasting from the recently reorganized, plush but not overly ostentatious Norch Studios!

This will be a quick hit of a NNS from March 19th, 1994, with the ever so clever title:

A Quick Hit from Some Nit Wits

It features quick chatter and choppy edits.

A Jack Harte snowy traffic report with US AIR Shuttle as sponsor

Moving on to the Norm Show Open and some guest info that we never hear from.

Then Jack and Norm catching a train amongst more snowy traffic

Callers:

Caller: Poem about growing old

Caller: with radio on in background

Marie talking about her chihuahua, Peppe.

Monica from Nahant! Asking the burning question: Was Sunflower a ‘used horse?’ Norm explains that is not the correct term. She also asks to write a note to Bob Raleigh to put a birthday in HIS birthday book. So why did she need Norm to do this favor? You’ll have to stay tuned to find out and it’s pretty funny and ridiculous.

Wolfie aka Loco Lobo on a payphone

And a quick call from Generosa and her cuckoo clock

Other highlights:

I join in studio with someone else who I believe to be Rod the security guard. 

We learn about the latest temperature monitoring technology.

Norm mentions trying to remain on the air long enough to reach May 24th which would be his 50th Anniversary in radio! 

A barn burner rendition of ‘Hello Bluebird’ accompanied by some wacky band members

Ever wonder what would be my epitaph? Well, you’re going to find out.

I participate in a brief Academy Award quiz with that led to some talk about winners in different categories

And Norm reads a sweet story of a 5th grade class from Oceanside, CA.

Lastly, we hear some more teasers for guests we never hear from here, at least.

John J. Moran creator of ‘Daring Passages – The Board game in a Bottle’ promo for following night

Author Michael Rosen ‘The Kids Best Dog Book and Field Guide to Neighborhood Dogs’

Ep 280, A Quick Hit from Some Nit Wits, jabs its way to your ears, now.

Welcome back and thank you again for joining us here at NNVoS. Today’s episode, a DBG, was originally broadcast on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, 1996. Why don’t we call this one…A Pot-o-Radio Gold.

Players:

Jimmy from Winthrop

Marie in Quincy

Jeanie from Hyde Park

Bob in Peabody

Tom Howie producing and playing in studio

Ken Newman in traffic

Bdays:

Kurt Russel

Mercedes McCambridge

Patrick Duffy

Danny Ainge

Lesley-Anne Down

Rob Lowe

John Sebastian

Events in History:

What year did Eleanor marry Franklin Roosevelt?

The Campfire Girls Organization was formed on this day in what year?

In what year did the MA Legislature authorized the creation of the Wellesley Female Seminary (which became Wellsley College)?

Ep 279, A Pot-o-Radio Gold, shines its way to your ears, now.