Friday, July 29, 2016

Airchecks from contributor Joe Martin -- Sonny Martin on July 29 1974

We love hearing from people who have discovered old KAAY tapes that have been sitting in boxes for 40 years or more.  Joe Martin of Wichita Falls TX let us know on a Facebook group recently about a tape he had with airchecks of 7 KAAY jocks, all recorded on Monday July 29, 1974 -- 42 years ago today (whew!).

Joe is an ex-radio guy who has worked numerous stations in TX and who almost came to work at KAAY.  Here is his story:

"I spent a number of hours recording this in 1974 in hotel room in Hot Springs on my Akai reel to reel.  I think I got every jock that worked the 24 hour period recorded.  

Here's my story.  In 1973, I was working at top 40 KTRN in Wichita Falls TX.  I blindly sent out a number of airchecks to about 20 stations looking for a new gig.  Many of the stations I had never heard before.  KAAY was one I had never heard.  I had been in Wichita Falls 18 months and was ready to move.  A short time later, I received a phone call from KAAY program director Wayne Moss informing me the all night show was coming open for a program called Beaker Street.  I knew KAAY was a top 40 operation with a strong signal, but I knew nothing of Beaker Street.

I told Wayne I would drive to Little Rock (420 miles away) to visit with him and see the station.  When I got to town on a Sunday, I checked into a motel and met with Wayne the following day.  After a tour of the downtown operation and meeting Sonny Martin, Wayne took me to lunch.  He suggested I visit the transmitter site that night to sit in on Beaker Street.   I do not remember who the jock was, but I am pretty sure Clyde Clifford had already left and I would be replacing his replacement that was moving on.  I could go into detail about my good impressions of what I saw at the transmitter site, but to keep things as short as possible, I contacted Wayne and said I would accept the job offer.  After I slept a while, I woke up and decided I was homesick for my girlfriend and called Wayne back and thanked him for the offer, but I felt I needed to return to Texas and KTRN.  

The recording you have here was recorded the following summer when I took my vacation with my girlfriend to listen to KAAY one more time.  I never heard it again.  I married the girlfriend and was divorced within 4 years.  Where am I now at age 65?  I'm still in Wichita Falls TX where I have lived for the last 44 years.  Remind me someday to share my KOMA story with you (lol)."

We will post these telescoped airchecks one by one, starting with Sonny Martin on that morning of July 29, 1974, from 6:36-7:40am.   Thank you Joe for your aircheck contribution and for your story!

(or download here)

Greg Barman

Monday, July 18, 2016

Stayin' Up Late At Night....

I'd sent A.J. a note a number of years ago (posted 12/19/2007) about how I'd stay up late at night during the summer, listening to KAAY and Beaker Street:

"Beaker Street Theater Remembered
You know, Doc, I also remember when I was a kid, keeping that ol' Bakelite green Zenith table radio's volume 'way down, especially when that spooky creaking door opened on the Theater at 2:00AM! I'd be snuggled right at the edge of the bed, with my head as close to the radio as possible, while having the covers over my head! Of course, I knew that old tube radio generated heat, so I didn't put the cover on it! But, this was during the summer, while I was out of school and I could sleep a little late in the morning, until I got yelled at to go feed the chickens & cows! Heck, it was worth it! Lotsa spooky fun!

Oh, to have some of those recordings and airchecks of the Theater! Are any available?"
http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/2007/12/beaker-street-theater-remembered.html
Since then, the players on A.J.'s blog have broken, the site not being maintained, since no one in his family had his password and could not send it on to anyone to continue maintaining the blog.  We here at The Mighty 1090 KAAY Blog have now become the leading authority and repository for many, many airchecks and full recordings of KAAY during many hours of the day, including prime time and Beaker Street!  This because of your kindness and your contributions, dear reader!
Thanks to the Lindsey family, giving us permission to continue on in A.J.'s tradition; we have done as much as possible to continue the legacy, and expand upon it for the enjoyment of all who visit!
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Goin' Retro: Unidentified Poster

Just got to thinking about what antics KAAY participated in during the summer...and I found this post on A. J. Lindsey's KAAY blog:

"Beaker Street Comment Posted On Amazon":

http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/2007/12/beaker-street-comment-posted-on-amazon.html

I never found who the poster was.

I'd also commented to A.J. about something similar:

"A.J., here's a similar bit of trivia and comments on Blivet 2.0 about KAAY, Beaker Street and Jaime Brockett's "legend of the U.S.S. Titanic", much along the same lines of this comment:

http://halrager.org/WordPress/jaime-brocketts-legend-of-the-uss-titanic/

Bud, Mobile, AL"

More to come, as we "go retro"....

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Monday, July 11, 2016

"Hot Seat" Revisited.

I'd looked for a picture of the "reviled" yellow Funmobile for years now...it MAY be by chance that one has popped up on Facebook!


To keep from re-explaining it all, here is the link to the original post, related by engineer Dave Montgomery:

http://mighty1090kaay.blogspot.com/2009/10/hot-seat.html

It was also related by David B. Treadway that they hated the yellow Funmobile.  It burned on the side of the road one day, most likely from a leaky gas line, on the way back from a remote location.  here is the Facebook link:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1739527516336091&id=100008365783774&comment_id=1739902736298569&notif_t=comment_mention&notif_id=1468151389596079

I hope some more light can be uncovered on this; as in Mark Wallace's words:

"Mark Wallace Yes, I can fill in the blanks on what happened, Jay C. Jayson Brentlinger and I were bringing the vehicle back from a remote in Conway. I was behind it in a news car when I spotted smoke pouring out of the back. Jay pulled over and got out quickly and we stood and watched the vehicle burn to the ground in a matter of minutes. The fire department got there just in time for the gas tank to explode. I have some photos of it somewhere, I'll have to dig through some boxes. They figured out there was a leak in the gas line somewhere that caused the fire. That was a crazy day!"

And: "Mark Wallace

I don't remember it being yellow though. Perhaps it had been repainted. It was totally ragged out at the time anyway, it lived a good life. I spent many days in that thing at the State Fair giving away albums and tee shirts. I do miss those days. Radio just isn't the same anymore. 😔"
Well, it's all very interesting...we hope this IS a picture, we'll know for sure later, perhaps!

Thanks to all who is involved in this research, unearthed via Facebook!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)











 

Sunday, July 10, 2016

From July 10, 1977 -- KAAY's David Brian Treadway

Hey all, how about a re-post from the old KAAY Blog -- an aircheck from 39 years ago today.

I was in-between radio jobs, and took a long drive from the midwest out to the west coast and back.  I hooked up a cassette recorder to the car radio and airchecked stations along the way.  On my way back I drove thru Arkansas, eager to hear KAAY on the groundwave and capture it on tape.  This was Sunday afternoon July 10, 1977, and David Brian Treadway was on the air.  It sounded like KAAY was pared down to the very basics at this point -- I didn't hear any jingles or fancy voiceovers or ID's, just the jock, songs and spots.  

You'll hear that KAAY was promoting an upcoming Doobie Brothers concert with advance tickets going for just 6 bucks!   Hard to imagine that now.


(or download here)
Greg Barman


Monday, July 4, 2016

Jerry Don Pitcock, R.I.P. June 29, 2016

It is with deep sadness that we have been informed of Jerry Pickock's passing.  Jerry was a "Ken Knight" back in the late 1960s.

Here is the funeral announcement:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/jerry-pitcock-obituary?pid=1000000180509467%2F

Tell the others who have gone before "hello" for us, and we'll see you later, Jerry....

(Thanks to Doug Virden for the information.)

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Happy Independence Day

Here's hoping everyone has a safe Independence Day, and please reflect on our Forefathers, who paid such dear a price for securing our freedom.

It's what Pat Walsh would want you to do....


Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)