Chicago Fan From The Beginning

Here is an email of a KAAY listener from Chicago, who heard the change from KTHS to KAAY:

I saw some of your information about KAAY on the Internet. It brought back many memories. I listened to KAAY here in the Chicago suburbs during the early to mid-sixties. I was just a young kid at the time, and I used to try to pick-up AM DX on my radios at night. I first discovered KAAY as KTHS. I was captivated one night when KTHS kept playing "The Baby Elephant Walk" and the announcer kept reading names out of the Little Rock phone book. One of the promos that night was, "What in the name of backward radio? YAAK."
The DJ said, "Tune in tomorrow night for a big surprise." I couldn't wait. I was sure there was going to be a call letter change. I was not disappointed when I tuned in the next evening. In fact, I couldn't wait for it to get dark, so there would be good signal propagation between here and Little Rock. I was not disappointed that evening. I was never sure what they meant about the legendary "Big KAAY elephant" coming to Little Rock. Somewhere lost in my house, I have about one minute of a tape recording from that night before the call letter change. I wish I could find it.

I was always disappointed when I would try to tune into KAAY, and find the Spanish programs intended for Cuba during the Cuban Crisis. Even as a kid, I realized those broadcasts were important, but I wanted to here Rob Robbins. I made the best of it.

I have been searching for the "Big KAAY Twist" for many years. My parents were not happy with the long distance phone charges I incurred trying to get one by calling Franklin 5-5311. That phone number is engraved in my brain along with Franklin 2-1090.

Would it be possible to send me an MP3 of "The Big KAAY Twist" and any early jingles? Thank you for taking the time to post all of the information. They brought back many memories.

Sincerely,

Ron

Ron, If you will check out the "archives" over on the right, and click on "April" you will see "The Big Kay Twist". You can save the file by right clicking on the link and choose "save target as". Also, scattered through out the archives are jingles like the Pams sonovox "Big Kay".

I will mail you the 45 of "The Big KAAY Twist" if you can find the recording of the change of KTHS,(the reading of the phone book that you mentioned.

Let me make this a contest for everyone. The first person to get me a recording of the reading of the phone book change from KTHS to KAAY, will get a 45 record of "The Big KAAY Twist.

Also, it is interesting to note a listener from Chicago, since that city had two fine rock and roll stations WLS and WCFL.

The reference to the "elephant" was to tie in "Baby Elephant Walk" to the elephant symbol that was used on the early surveys (see archives for March). The elephant was a symbol of size also, so that's why it was chosen. It was dropped in later years.