Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: WSM Collection 1955-02-03 Push Button One
Date: October 12, 2025
Host: Harold’s Old Time Radio (showcasing archival radio content – this is a rebroadcast of a WSM show from February 3, 1955)
Theme: A snapshot of mid-1950s American radio—music, news, community info, and friendly banter, capturing the essence of radio’s golden age.

Episode Overview

This episode immerses listeners in “Push Button One,” a daily radio show from WSM, Nashville, originally aired in 1955. The program masterfully weaves together popular recorded music, contemporary news, weather, local happenings, and quirky host banter. Listeners are transported to the pre-TV era, with an irresistible mix of nostalgia, community warmth, and the comforting tick of the day's rhythms.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Opening Banter & Sponsor Segments

• Timestamps: [00:00] – [00:38]
• Hosts: Bill Williams & Dave Overton
• Highlights:
  • Lighthearted chat about the “perfect snack,” weaving in sponsor AM/PM’s craveable snacks.
  • Playful invention: “cravenient”—crave-meets-convenient.
  • “When you’re driving your car, be happy and gay. Keep your radio to 650 wave.”

2. Show Introduction & Format

• Timestamps: [00:38] – [01:14]
• Host: Dave Overton
• Description:
  • Invites listeners to enjoy top pop music, time and weather checks, brief news updates, and “occasional hints on traffic safety”—all between 4:30 and 5:30 PM, targeting the drive-home audience.
  • “Riding with music every day. WSM.” – [00:42] Dave Overton

3. Featured Music & Song Introductions

A hallmark of the show is its emphasis on popular tunes of the era, each introduced with commentary.

a. "Tweedly Dee" by Dorothy Collins

• Timestamps: [01:14] – [03:52]
• Upbeat and catchy, reflecting the 1950s musical zeitgeist.
• Dave Overton praises the selection:
  “Dorothy Collins, the first number on Push Button One today…” – [03:52]

b. "Paris Loves Lovers" by Henry Renee's Orchestra and Chorus

• Timestamps: [03:52] – [07:06]
• Considered “better class music,” regularly played by disc jockeys nationwide.

c. "Suddenly" by Jo Stafford

• Timestamps: [08:00] – [09:55]
• Soft, romantic croon.
• Memorable lyric:
  “Suddenly, only I knew I was part of you, and yet I told my heart, be still, be still…” – [08:22] Jo Stafford

d. Other notable records played (no full lyrics, only intros/closers):

• "Kokomo" by Perry Como ([16:16])
• "Melody of Love" by Billy Vaughn and the Orchestra ([21:43])
• "We’ll Be Together Again" by Rosemary Clooney w/ Paul Weston ([25:04])
• "Got a Date with an Angel" by Hal Kim and Orchestra ([29:46])
• "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" by Ames Brothers ([39:04])
• "Song from Moulin Rouge" by Percy Faith and Orchestra featuring Felicia Sanders ([45:21])
• "My Baby Don’t Love Me No More" by The DeJohn Sisters ([48:37])
• "That’s All I Want from You" by J.P. Morgan with Hugo Winterhalter ([55:28])
• Closer: "Caravan" by Les Brown ([57:53])

4. News Updates with Bill Williams

Regular intervals feature live news cut-ins and weather checks, providing a vivid sense of the world in 1955.

a. International Update: The Far Eastern Crisis

• Timestamps: [10:41]
• Red China (PRC) rejects ceasefire talks unless Nationalist China is ousted from the U.N. Security Council.
• Russia raises its military budget by 12%, signaling heightened tensions.
• Fresh reporting on the U.S. and Nationalist China deadlock over the offshore islands of Quemoy and Matsu.
• Quote:
  "There is no loophole for a compromise." – [10:41] Bill Williams

b. Curiosities & Features

• Chicago deep sea diver claims to have found ruins of a submerged Inca city in Lake Titicaca ([12:00])
• Czechoslovakia officially ends its state of war with Germany.
• News on Central Intelligence Agency oversight ([12:48])
• Stock market summarizes a “broad mixture of gains and losses” ([15:11])
• Weather updates—Nashville: 36°F, humidity 57%, NE wind, cold snap in the Northeast, heat wave in Paraguay ([35:30], [36:45])

c. Social Security Law Explainer

• Timestamps: [32:08]
• Major new provision: “freezing” records for the totally disabled.
• Debate over lowering retirement age.

d. Local Updates

• News of upcoming events, such as the Miss Nashville High contest at Lytton High School ([23:25]), and promo for the live filming of the Grand Ole Opry at Vanderbilt Theater ([38:26]).

5. Friendly Host Banter & Community Connection

• Throughout the episode

• Dave Overton and Bill Williams engage in playful sparring and dry wit:

  • On ambiguous references:
    “A letter of recognition—no, not of recognition, but recognition of what?” – [15:18] Dave Overton

  • On Social Security:
    “If he could get that age down to about 35, I might make it. In this case, I don’t think I’m going to make that 60.” – [34:52] Dave Overton

  • On local radio "celebrities" and cast members: “Buddy Hall and I were discussing that number today. We both agreed that [We’ll Be Together Again] is one of the prettiest we have in the pop record file as of now.” – [27:53] Dave Overton

6. Public Service Announcements & Safety Tips

• Timestamps: [57:53]
• Strong reminders about careful driving, especially between 5-6 PM—the most dangerous hour.
• “Three out of every four accidents occur on dry roads and in clear weather... it is not the machine, it is not the weather, it’s the person behind the wheel.” – [57:53] Dave Overton

7. Light Advertisement Spots

[Skimmed/briefly mentioned to preserve the flow]

• AM/PM convenience foods ([00:16])
• Wild Root Cream Oil hair tonic—witty musical jingle and enthusiastic testimonial ([41:42])
• Liberty Mutual “Limu Emu and Doug” segment (anachronistically inserted sponsor content)

8. Closing Remarks

• Timestamps: [57:53] – End
• Invites listeners to tune in the next day, thanks the team, and closes with, “So long, everybody. Until 4:30 tomorrow, WSM, the National Life and Accident Insurance Company, Nashville, Tennessee.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Show’s Eclectic Music Choices:
  “Who picks up the records for this so called show? Now, wait just a minute. I thought that was a fine number. A lot of people do, as a matter of fact.” – [07:06] Dave Overton
• On Local Weather:
  “Mother should have seen me at high noon today. I was surrounded by 12 of the most beautiful girls you have ever seen…” – [23:25] Dave Overton, on the Miss Nashville High Contest
• Traffic Safety Wisdom:
  “Three out of four accidents occur on dry roads and in clear weather. ... it is not the machine, it is not the weather, it’s the person behind the wheel using your common sense and obeying the traffic laws.” – [57:53] Dave Overton
• Lighthearted Host Interplay:
  “You mean like a bulging pocketbook?”
  “Yes, you’re so right.” – [50:52] Dave Overton & Bill Williams

“Push Button One” Experience: The Takeaway

Listeners are treated to an authentic radio time capsule, lively with swinging tunes, breaking news, comical digressions, and earnest community advice. The hosts’ camaraderie, big-hearted asides, and slice-of-life announcements animate the ordinary day with warmth, optimism, and gentle humor—making this episode a rich tapestry of 1950s American life, as shared around the nation’s radios.

For Further Listening:

• Tune in to tomorrow’s “Push Button One” at 4:30 for more music, news, and easygoing charm.
• Special event: Live Grand Ole Opry filming at Vanderbilt Theater, 12:30 PM.

[Episode Timeline Quick Reference]

| Timestamp | Segment/Highlight | |------------|-----------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Banter & AM/PM Ad | | 00:38 | Show Introduction | | 01:14 | “Tweedly Dee” by Dorothy Collins | | 03:52 | “Paris Loves Lovers” by Henry Renee | | 08:00 | “Suddenly” by Jo Stafford | | 10:41 | News with Bill Williams, Global Affairs | | 16:16 | “Kokomo” by Perry Como | | 23:25 | “Melody of Love” by Billy Vaughn | | 27:53 | “We’ll Be Together Again” by Ros. Clooney | | 32:08 | Social Security Law Segment | | 39:04 | “Naughty Lady of Shady Lane” by Ames Brothers | | 45:21 | “Song from Moulin Rouge” by Percy Faith | | 48:37 | “My Baby Don’t Love Me No More” DeJohn Sisters| | 55:28 | “That’s All I Want from You” JP Morgan | | 57:53 | Safety Talk & Closing |

In the words of Dave Overton:
“We’re here to advise you and to try to impress upon you the necessity of driving carefully, especially in this hour between 4:30 and 5:30 when most folks make their way home from a hard day at the office or wherever your job takes you during the day.” – [03:52]

So long, everybody—until next time.