KAAY: Tommy Riggs' 45 Record, The Cotton Bowl Ambush

Another great record (remember records?) from the A.J. Lindsey audio archive --- we'll let A. J. explain in his own original post:

"At least it was good television. And the score was good through 3/4 of the game Arkansas fans are very frustrated. No longer is the entire state one big pep rally. The radio stations are just semi involved. It's been a long time since there was a Razorback record or CD produced.

In 1975 Tommy Riggs a/k/a Rock Robbins had left KAAY for Pine Bluff. He was Program Director and later Manager of KCLA. Pat Walsh needed a Razorback Record for the Cotton Bowl so he called Tommy to come up with a song. At the time "Convoy" by C.W. McCall had been a big hit and served as the inspiration for this song. Tommy picked a new name for himself, "T. Tommy & The Gray Ghost Crew". Greg Fadick a/k/a Hot Scott Fisher of KLAZ fame did the engineering. Recorded off the air, and for educational purposes, here is "Cotton Bowl Ambush"

---A.J. Lindsey, Oct 21, 2008

Tommy Riggs was a consumate performer; for much more information about Tommy, please use the search box in the upper left-hand box and type in "Tommy Riggs"...there's lots more about Tommy on this blog.


(or download here)

Although I haven't heard from him in quite some time, I presume Greg Fadick is still alive and kicking- I'll have to direct him to this post, maybe he can give us more insight into this record having been made!

Thanks to A. J., Tommy, Pat Walsh and Greg Fadick...and thanks to Dave S. for his rescue efforts and computer wizardry to bring back these formerly lost historical audio bits!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Nice E-Mail From Tom Nichols!

"Greetings from Memphis!

While reading your blog, it occurred to me there was no mention of how KAAY was almost saved a second time. I’m not sure if anyone knows but the three people involved.

In 1985, I was assistant Chief Engineer at WRVR Memphis, a Viacom station. As 24 year old radio geek, I didn’t have much patience for the Adult Contemporary format or the suit culture of Viacom. So, after a bit of searching, I was hired as Chief for a new station in Little Rock, KZOU or Zoo98. I started in April of 1986. I was also in charge of Zoo’s sister station, KOKY, at that time on 1250. I have always had a soft spot for AM directionl arrays and the legendary stations, so I spent a lot of time with Felix McDonald at KAAY.

Sometime in 1987 or thereabouts, KAAY went up for sale again. I met Felix out at the transmitter site, took a lot of pictures, and put together a proposal for KZOU / KOKY GM Hal Smith. My idea was to either simulcast KZOU, move KOKY over to 1090 (at that time Power 92 did not exist and KOKY was pulling respectable numbers), or make it a vintage oldies station.

By this time Dick Oppenheimer had sold KZOU / KOKY to Encore Communications, headed by former Metromedia exec George Duncan. Hal arranged for me to talk with Duncan the next time he was in town, which was only a few days away.

The short of the story is it…almost…I think...happened. The selling price was 1.5 million at the time. Although George Duncan was interested and I think made a few inquires, the selling price was the show stopper. I didn’t know it at the time, but KZOU / KOKY was carrying the Encore group, and financial troubles for the company were looming. I would like to think if Encore had been financially solid, it might have actually happened.

I still have that proposal around here somewhere, and if I can find it I’ll scan it for you. It was, of course, done on a typewriter and copy machine.

Tom Nichols
KZOU / KOKY 1986-1989
KSSN 1989-1990
WMC AM/FM Memphis 1990-1994
WMC-TV Memphis 1994-1997"

Thanks for writing in, Tom!  We're looking forward to the scanned documents...we're very interested in the hidden history of KAAY!  Please keep in touch...

...and, for anyone who reads this blog, no matter how trivial you may think something may be regarding KAAY, PLEASE send it on in for us to share with others...it MAY be a link to something they've been searching for, for years!

Again, thanks Tom!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY: Light Hoss Harry Jones, By The Rivermen

Another 45 RPM record, produced for/by KAAY!  In A. J.'s words:

"If KAAY were a music station today, it would probably be playing a song about Mitch Mustain.

KAAY was always involved in Arkansas Razorback promotion. Many records, (45s with the big holes) had their beginnings at KAAY. In the era of payola, Pat Walsh wisely decided the station didn't need to be directly involved with the records. Also, if a Razorback song came from KAAY, other stations wouldn't play it. Enter J. Paul Scott. He wrote and produced may of the Razorback records on his labels and with his talent. Today's feature is a song about Light Hoss Harry Jones. As best I can date it. 1965. The group is The Rivermen, sounding a lot like the Kingston Trio. The flip side is "Quarterbackin' Man" which also got a lot of play. For legal purposes this was recorded off the air and is used here strictly for educational purposes.

Where are the radio stations today doing anything like this? "

---A.J. Lindsey, Oct 9, 2006

(or download here)

Yes, why aren't more radio stations doing anything like this?  In some cases, of the stations that ARE doing this, I have heard some raunchy stuff done by "shock jocks" (now an old term?) who barely skirt the law regarding slander and good taste...and, numerous years ago, I remember a duo who left Mobile, AL, worked in Birmingham, AL and I think in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, who got busted several times by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) for their raunchy lyrics.  They got the ratings up at the stations who employed them, but at what cost to decency?

Where's the original, quality programming?  The cookie-cutter conglomerates just keep pumping out "the hits" (I wonder WHO decides some of this stuff is a hit?) via a computer base, located hundreds, or sometimes thousands, of miles from the targeted audience.  I still cruise the AM airwaves for something fresh, but rarely on the FM band, because the latter's stations all sound alike....

They don't make 'em like they used to....my hat is off to those deejays who are still in the business, doing what they love- but I'll bet they're not having as much fun....

That's my rant- thanks to Dave S. for all his help in linking this audio for you to enjoy!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY: Beaker Street/Beaker Theater, Ken Knight, Dec. 1974

Here is the second aircheck that  our very own Greg Barman sent to A. J. back in 2006, as promised:

"The second aircheck is with Ken Knight, from December 1974. Note the Spanish ID and 'Greetings QSLers', the ad for a hard rockin' local band, and the intro for Beaker Theater."

---Greg Barman, Dec 21, 2006

Wow, what memories!  Thanks to Greg Barman for his original contribution!

(or download here)
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY: Beaker Street, Clyde Clifford, June 1, 1972

Beaker Street has always been a favorite of mine; searching for it a few years ago, in fact, led me to A. J. Lindsey and his blog!  In my efforts to help him with material for his blog, I searched out more audio, contacted and traded with collectors and such, and sent him whatever I could find.

This particular audio clip was originally sent in by our own Greg Barman to A. J.; I do not recollect if we have ever posted it here or not, so please forgive us if we have and enjoy it once again!  Herewith Greg Barman's comments from A. J.'s blog:

"Beaker Street Memories

A few reminiscences. I grew up in Evanston IL, a northern suburb of Chicago. And while the big city rockers like WLS and WCFL provided no shortage of great listening, I was an active DX-er and was fascinated by that exotic station from Little Rock that boomed in every night on 1090. What really made KAAY unique was Beaker Street, which sounded like nothing else on AM in Chicago or anywhere else. In the early 70's, album rock and 'progressive FM' was on the air locally but it lacked the mood of Beaker Street with the 'Head' music bed, Clyde Clifford's laidback style, and the blues and country-flavored music that rarely made it on the air in Chicago. It was strange and spooky, and I loved to listen to it at night as I went to bed. For a young man who was fascinated with radio and eager to work in it, Beaker Street and KAAY was radio magic for me. I occasionally airchecked KAAY and years later I was glad I did.

Here are two airchecks of Beaker Street. Both have mostly good skip reception with some fading. The first is Clyde Clifford from June 1, 1972. The music selection is tremendous, including Eric Clapton, the Grateful Dead, The Flock, Robert Johnson, Leon Russell and Judy Collins. Itâs interesting to hear the spots for the New Orleans club called A Warehouse, with the $4 concert price tickets - imagine that!

---Greg Barman, Dec 21 2006

This aircheck may well be the best and most representative of the original Beaker Street.

(or download here)

The second Beaker Street aircheck Greg mentioned will follow in a later post....

Many thanks to Greg Barman for this material sent in to A. J. in 2006 and to him for us sharing it again here...and to Dave S. for his great help!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY: The Blue Goose, Timeless Tracks Tribute

We've mentioned The Blue Goose here before, after I was priviledged to visit Little Rock awhile back.  Jerry Sims and David B. Treadway and I met at the KTHV television studios and Jerry posed on the stairwell in front of where The Blue Goose WAS; I used it to sketch what was in my mind's eye and I posted it on this blog, as well.  Timeless Tracks' audio was taken and Greg Barman, our ever-faithful audio technician, pieced what we were able to find and made about a 45-minute audio bed, which we also posted on this blog.  Please put "Blue Goose" in the upper left-hand corner to search these items...now, in A. J.'s original words from his blog:

"From the Timeless Tracks broadcast here is a discussion of The Blue Goose and more:

The original Blue Goose was at 8th and Izard across the street from KTHV.KAAY, at that time was located on the 2nd floor of the Channel 11 building. Howard Watson, known as Ken Knight on KAAY started referring to the "elegantly appointed Blue Goose". He built on this illusion for the listeners by describing the LR elite arriving for the floor show.Night after night to 40 states and 19 foreign countries he painted a vivid picture of a great night club with floor shows and all the trappings. Of course locals knew there were only two tables in the Blue Goose and those were usually taken by George Moore or other KTHV celebrities. The bar-b-que was great and the beer coldest in town.  One evening a couple appeared at the door looking quite bewildered and lost. Come to find out they were from Wisconsin and had called trying to make reservations for the floor show. Of course the Blue Goose owner and help were completely oblivious to all that was going on. By propping open the control room door and looking out the windowed stairway, "the weird beard" could see all that was going on and verbally fantasize even more."

--_A.J. Lindsey, Feb 22, 2008

(or download here)
Tony Warner was the host of Timeless Tracks; I envy him holding court with all these Greats of KAAY!  I'll bet it was wild in that studio that day!

(Later, after we had posted the 45-minute version, Charlie Scarbrough ("Charlie King") had found the full, 4 CD version of the show and sent it to me!  It, too, is in safe storage...)

Thanks to Dave S., to Tony Warner and to Charlie Scarbrough, all 'round, for your contributions!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

JOHNNY CASH "LIVE" ON KAAY !

Johnny Cash was a musical giant that became known as "The Man In Black".  He was also "Arkansas Own",  born  in Dyess, Arkansas.   

Through the years his friends included many whose names you know:  the Reverend Billy Graham, Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Horton, Kris Kristofferson, "Cowboy" Jack Clement...and many more too numerous to mention. 

I had followed Johnny Cash's career since I was a teenager in 1956, and was privileged to receive a phone call from him while I was Music Director at the 50,000 Watt Giant on May 31st of 1972, when I was doing the Mid-Day Shift.

That call turned into an On-The-Air Interview that I'll never forget, and Johnny Cash was one of the most courteous and kind individuals I've ever known.  His music had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember, but his thoughtfullness and warmth that came through the phone that day during our conversation will forever live in my memory banks.

That live Interview was the talk of the town in Little Rock for days: "Johnny Cash on KAAY !"  And, if you're reading this and remember it, you were among the privileged few, as the equipment I had to record it on in our Main Studio that day had a problem...and I never was able to save it !

Johnny Cash was an American "original" in every sense of the word.  His body of work continued for over five decades, and his life, his music, and the impact of his great career, continues to touch all of us...years after his death. 
 NOTE:  My favorite Johnny Cash songs ?  Many have asked me that through the years, so here's my list: "I Walk The Line", "Home Of The Blues", "I'd Just Be Fool Enough", "Understand Your Man", "I Guess Things Happen That Way", "I Got Stripes", "Get Rhythm", "Folsom Prison Blues" (live), and "Sunday Morning Coming Down".
My ultimate favorite though for many reasons, some personal, is the haunting, beautiful "I Still Miss Someone" from 1958.  If I were to loose all of the rest, this is the one that I'd have to save.  

Jonnie King

NOTE: For my complete Tribute to Johnny Cash, and a Review of "House Of Cash" written by his son, John Carter Cash, simply go to this Link on my WebSite:  http://www.jonnieking.net/gpage31.html

KAAY Christmas Jingles

Yes, it's a little late for this past Christmas, but the cheer is still there!  We've used these jingles a couple years ago when we had numerous former KAAY deejays lend their talents to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  These are the "raw versions" that were aired as spots in season.

Courtesy of A. J. Lindsey:

(or download here)
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Memorial Day

"All gave some, but some gave ALL...."

Please remember those who have fought, and those who died, so that we and others may be free.

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Dickie Goodman: The Flying Saucer

A.J. Lindsey, in his own words:

"If you listen to the newscasts that have been featured on this blog, you understand that times were trying just as they are now. At KAAY we were always looking for the bizarre, the ridiculous and satirizing all that we could. You have seen the "Ear On Arkansas" discussions. Later, I will feature some recordings from "Ear". Today, I ran across a record that the oldies stations never play even though it reached number one. And several of his succeeding records also were as big. Even in the KAAY days I don't remember playing this song as an oldie. This is a little bit of history that needs to be brought forward. Read about it and then listen to an off the air recording, for educational purposes only:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Dickie Goodman (April 19, 1934 - November 6, 1989) is considered one of the earliest proponents of sampling in music, through a series of "break-in" records he created from 1956 to 1986. His first song, "The Flying Saucer," was co-written with partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a description of a news-covered invasion of earth from a Martian space ship. While Goodman asked questions of pedestrians, scientists, and even the Martian himself, their responses were "snipped" from lyrics of popular songs of the day, including tracks from Fats Domino, Elvis Presley and Little Richard.

Although "The Flying Saucer" became a major hit, it also landed Goodman in court for infringement of copyright - e.g. the songs he used to create his "break-in" records. The lawsuits were later settled out of court when the judge ruled that Goodman's records were burlesques and parodies, and were original creations in and among themselves.

Goodman later recorded other break-in records, usually based around a political theme, or having his reporter alter-ego interviewing Batman or Neil Armstrong. In 1975, Goodman returned to the pop charts with "Mr. Jaws," a break-in record in which he interviews several characters from the motion picture Jaws.

Goodman's singles often had instrumental numbers (in which his actual role is uncertain) as B-sides. These are not found on either his original LPs or his CD compilations.

Goodman died in 1989 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His son, Jon Goodman, continues to promote and administer his father's works. In 1998, Jon supervised the issue of Greatest Fables, the first authorised CD collection of Dickie Goodman's recordings, which included Jon's own tribute, "Return Of The Flying Saucer". (This included sound bites from The X-Files and Hanson, among others.)

Goodman also is survived by his son Jed and daughter Janie.

Goodman is recognized by Billboard Magazine as the #1 Novelty Artist of All Time."

---courtesy of A.J. Lindsey

(or download here)

I remember this compilation when I was a kid and thought it hilarious!  I'll bet this enjoyed plenty of air time on KAAY!

The posts A. J. mentioned in his comments above were from his own blog, now dormant after his passing.  You may search his blog on this link:

http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Dave S. for snagging this one!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Where It All Began....

As many of you know, KAAY began life as KTHS 'way back in the early days of radio (1924), in Hot Springs, AR at the Arlington Hotel.  I was priveledged to have an entry accepted in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas regarding KTHS and KAAY:

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6423

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6228

KAAY engineers Hollis Duncan and Dave Montgomery have included me in some of their e-mails back and forth regarding the Arlington Hotel and included some pictures for all to enjoy, both past and near-present:

As you can see in the first photograph from 1925 (about a year after KTHS's birth), there is a radio tower on the roof.

Enjoy the articles and the pictures...thanks, Hollis and Dave!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

The Beatles On KAAY (Teenage Wasteland I)

The radio in my Mom's '65 Ford Galaxie 500 was pretty good. Nice bass response for a 6X9 dashboard speaker and instant-on thanks to transistors. We're flashing back to about 1965 here; there may be some fuzziness about dates, but the Big Picture is beaming in loud and clear. Every note is as pristine as it was Back When. The message will not end.

Every now and then, I'd catch a ride to school with Martha on her way to teach Biology at Malvern High. She had long since learned that the radio belonged to me and she was okay with it (loved her some Wilson Pickett, she did). Naturally, that radio was tuned to KAAY and cranked up as loud as she'd let it go.

I was fourteen and clueless (I would not know everything in the world until I was fifteen), but there was just something about Beatles records on my favorite station. Compared to everything else on the air in those days (with the great exception of Motown), they seemed to leap out of the speaker. They demanded attention, they dared you not to listen. I always tried for an extra notch of volume when one came on.

I would not learn the why of this audio magic until decades later, when I read George Martin's elegant book, All You Need Is Ears. He wrote about compressing Beatles recordings so they'd be as loud as possible when played on the radio. He and his team of engineers were also fascinated--and frustrated--by the amount of bass that Motown records could achieve. If they cranked up the bass on Beatles recordings beyond a certain point, the arm of the cutting lathe would jump up off the turntable and ruin the master. "We could never figure how the Americans were doing it."

Turns out there was some more audio magic at work up in Little Rock, where KAAY played those Beatles 45's on Gates turntables into a Collins vacuum tube console. From there, it was off to Wrightsville and into some more (huge, glorious, delicious, creamy, fat) tubes in the mighty RCA BTA 50-F transmitter. At the last minute, the sound would pass through Felix McDonald's legendary 70-cycle "choke," where anything below that frequency would disappear--and the remaining bass notes would get shaped and clarified, cut like a bodybuilder's torso. (To this day, Felix maintains that anything below 100 cycles is just hum.)

Oh. There was one other bit of magic afoot in those fabled days. On one of our morning rides, I discovered that I could predict when the next record played on KAAY would be by The Beatles. It only worked when I was in the car with Martha (go figure), but I hit it every time. Now what do you suppose that was?

David B. Treadway
Doc Holiday VII
The Last PD

Bonus Points: When I was grown and working for a living on the air, it disturbed me that every available version of Penny Lane was missing those seven piccolo trumpet notes at the end, which I was certain I had heard every time KAAY played it. Where had they gone? Had I only imagined them? Nope. The original promotional copies of the 45 had, indeed, contained that wistful signature at the end of the song. Subsequent mixes and releases did not. When you hit the link below, you can hear what we all heard on The Mighty 1090.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH8f-HGsgJ4

Life In The Funmobile‏

The recent picture of Ron Owens (and Sonny Martin III, just to his left) at a remote broadcast in 1969 made me go time traveling again, back to the days when taking KAAY on the road was a pretty big deal. Now, you just stick a DJ with a cell phone into the store of whichever client is willing to pay the freight, send along a few t-shirts and the station banners and it's called going "On Location." It's also supposed to fill the store with customers, but it mostly never does--unless there are some Monster Trucks or Pro Rasslers on display.

In the Glory Days, a KAAY remote broadcast took some doing. We rolled our portable studio--the Funmobile--to the client location, hitched it up to a specially-ordered telephone line and cued up the 45 RPM records on QRK turntables (we called 'em Rumble Kings) positioned to either side of what is, to this day, the smallest audio console I have ever seen: a Sparta four-pot with a single VU meter. It was identical to the one below (ignore the microphone; we had a duplicate of our studio mic in the Funmobile).

 

We did use a gooseneck--a fair bit longer than the one above--to mount the Electro-Voice 667 A (I've never been sure of the model number, but it was a big honking beast that made voices sound huge on the air). It was nice to cuddle up to something nearly as big as your head:

In a time before widespread use of Marti remote pickup transmitters, a specialized phone line had to be ordered a week or two in advance of the remote. It was known as a 15K equalized loop, the "15K" referring to the highest audio frequency that it would carry: 15,000 cycles per second, now referred to as Herz. The human ear (especially the female human ear) can detect frequencies a bit higher than 15K, but such a limit was plenty good for music and voice. (Ah, we always went for Maximum Sound Quality, didn't we?) One end of the loop would be installed at the client location, the other end would come to the 1425 West 7th Street studios and terminate at the studio patch panel in the control room equipment racks.

In my memory, it generally fell to the unfailingly cheerful Dave Montgomery and his all-around assistant, Larry, to hitch up the Funmobile to what we'd now call a big SUV and tow it to the location. Larry would get out the jacks and set about leveling the unit, while Dave powered it up, connected it to the loop and sent a test tone to the studio. Depending on the time of broadcast, all this would have to be done early in the day or the day before. It was also important to ensure that there was enough AC power on-site to pull a rather large air conditioning unit; the Funmobile could double as an oven in the summer.

Music Director Jonnie King, a mighty man his ownself, kept a duplicate set of the 45's that we were playing in a sturdy wooden box in the Funmobile, divided by category and stored out of direct sunlight to prevent warping. Music and DJ content would come from the remote, with commercials inserted by a board operator back at the station. When the spot break ended, the board-op would hit a jingle and we'd take it again.

The Funmobile was what you'd probably call a camping trailer. We got it second-hand from WBBM in Chicago, where it was the BeeMobile. I am pitiful at estimating dimensions, but it looked about twenty feet long by ten feet wide by ten feet high, with huge windows to the front and to either side of the DJ position. There were horn-type speakers on the front and Pat Walsh (who must surely have been the P.T. Barnum of his time) had heavy cardboard signs printed for each DJ to put in the windows.

And did we draw some crowds or what? The Razorback football pep rally remotes with Sonny Martin and George Jennings on game days would pack 'em in downtown for a block or so. I remember one Jackpot self-serve gas station remote where the traffic got so bad that the police had to show up to break the jam and try to restore some semblance of a flow. Once when I ran out of prizes, I noticed that Sonny had left his hairbrush in the Funmobile, so I forged his initials on the back of it and gave it away on the air. Six women immediately showed up to try to win it! (I have never before confessed this. Sonny, this is what happened to your brush back when we were all famous.)

Remotes then were a bunch of work, but that Funmobile helped KAAY to always be bigger than life.

David B. Treadway
Doc Holiday VII
The Last PD

Tom Bigby Checks In!!!

As per Tom's comments:

"Phil Beckman passed this site on to me this morning.....what a trip down memory lane.. I was one of the originals.. Itty Bitty Buddy Car.. Mccormick gave me the name when I came up from Odessa Texas.. I think I was 21 and doing PM Drive on this big Monster Radio Station...would love to know how many of the originals are still around.... Sorry to read of AJ's passing...."

Tom Bigby, Tom Bigby Media Pros, Sports Radio Consultants Dallas, Texas on KAAY 45 RPM Record: The Pig:

http://mighty1090kaay.blogspot.com/2013/04/kaay-45-rpm-record-pig.html



Tom, it is a pleasure to hear from you!!!  We would like to know more of your stories, please!  Would you contact me at my e-mail address below?  Thanks in advance, Bud Stacey   BudS. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY: Ron Owens

Snatched from the jaws of obscurity by our own Dave S., here is a formerly "lost" clip of Ron Owens with Bill Edwards, with Comex Contemorary News opening this aural treasure!

(or download here)

Here is the link in A.J.'s blog to info about Ron Owens:  http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/search?q=ron+owens

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY 45 RPM Record: The Pig

Another great piece of history, from A.J.'s archive...we'll let him explain in his own words:

"Continuing the history of Razorbackmania as promoted by KAAY. I need you help guys on the year this song was played. It's "The Pig" by the Pacers. J. Paul Scott wrote it and Bobby Crawford and the Pacers recorded it. Please email me the year and any other stories you may have connected with this record. Bobby and The Pacers still play dates today. As with all of the airchecks featured on this blog, it was recorded off the air and is presented here for educational purposes. "
---A.J. Lindsey Oct 22 2006

As A.J. has passed on, you may e-mail me at my address below if you have any info that A.J. originally wanted....

(or download here)

Thank you, Dave S., for the audio work!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Jonnie King Shares An E-mail

Hi, Bud!

Just got this eMail and wanted to share it with you ! Just so excited that this GREAT listener found my www.jonnieking.net Website and got to re-live a part of our KAAY History !

Feel free to Post this if you want...and I'll have something very cool to share next week !

BTW: In that photo you have of Walt Sadler (Ron Owens) by the KAAY Funmobile, that's Matt White (Sonny Martin) looking over his shoulder...wearing sun glasses. AND, it's definetely a Summer '69 photo !

Here's how that went down: I had just gotten there April 21st, as you may remember, and so I know the info well as the Album they were giving away was "Johnny Cash At San Quentin"...and the #1 Single out of it that we were playing was "A Boy Named Sue"...it had first hit the Billboard Chart on July 26, 1969, but we had played it l-o-n-g before that !

All the best to you, Bud !

Jonnie

eMail from Alfred Mussert:

" Dear Jonnie,

Me and my friends used to listen to you on KAAY in 1969-70 from Havana Cuba. I was 18 or 19 at the time. Many of us were never into Cuban music had developed a habit of listening to WQAM (Miami) during the day and to KAAY from Little Rock in the evenings. We all listened to WQAM from 1963 on.

KAAY became the main attraction in the evenings as soon as we discovered the Beaker St show. (also because of its powerful signal) I bet you guys never knew you had fans in Cuba !

Yes, we were quite a group of anti-communist "misfits" in that weird environment back then. The ones among us who spoke English had to translate for the ones who didn't. I used to record a lot of music off the air, using my dad's reel to reel recorder and then play it back at our little dance parties on Friday or Saturday nights.

Many thanks for making these pages available and with so much info. I never dreamed I would some day be able to see what you looked like.

I really miss those years just like you do. You should know that in 1969-70 KAAY was as powerful or more than the local Havana radio stations, and we were with you every night !

Alfred Mussert"

Ear On Arkansas Parody

KAAY's "Ear on Arkansas" was another satirical "news program", this one spoofing Arkansas's "Eye on Arkansas" TV news program.  Again, rescued from A. J. Lindsey's site before the players quit, I'll let A.J. explain in his own words and his original post:

"I've referred to "Ear On Arkansas" in some old posts and one of the Timeless Tracks has a discussion of Ear. Briefly, it was a weekly 30 minute satirical review of the news in Arkansas. This was one of the features that made KAAY unique and not just another music station. Over the years, many different individuals assumed the responsibility of putting the program together. As I listen to some of the Ear recordings, I realize how times have changed and things that were important them, can hardly be recalled. Also, in 1967 no one would have guessed that the Arkansas Gazette (the old grey lady) would cease to exist. Here are a few cuts from an album that was pressed and given away about the year 1967. There was a second album done for 1968. Listen now to about 40 minutes of Ear On Arkansas"
---A.J. Lindsey, Nov 14, 2006

I was personally given one of those albums by Charlie Scarbrough ("Charlie King") a while back; it is in great shape, but I dare not put it on a turntable without a way to back it up to digital...maybe in the future, but it is in safe storage for now.  Please enjoy!


(or download here)

From A.J.'s blog:  http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/search?q=ear+on+arkansas

Thanks, Dave, for the audio!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

KAAY Montage

From the A. J. Lindsey archives, previously posted on his blog, Dave S. has rescued this montage of audio from early on in KAAY's history, opening with the Rob Robbins Oldies Show, with Mike McCormick sitting in.  Hang on and enjoy nearly a half-hour of 'scoped audio!

This version has a "horn honk" at each division where it is 'scoped.  It has been quite some time since I have been able to listen to A.J.'s archives, and I don't remember this little phenomenon.

Thanks to Dave S. for retrieval, archiving and linking- Dave, we couldn't do this without you!

(or download here)

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

David B. Treadway Moves To Mornings On US 97!

Hooee, this ol' boy (who we all enjoy his prose and thoughts on the blog) has teamed up with Vicky Parker on the morning shift at KQUS, "US 97"!  The results are an almost out-of-control country music team (you MUST hear their "Morning Song"!), tearing up the airwaves in Hot Springs, AR- and the world beyond!  Link in and listen at:

http://www.myhotsprings.com/

Click on the "US 97" link at the upper right, turn up the speakers...then sit down, buckle up and hang on for the ride!  Their shift is from 6AM to 10AM Central, Monday through Friday.

David B., "The Voice Of Arkansas", you have re-gained this listener!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)