KAAY Last hour of Timeless Tracks

If you are a long time reader of this blog, you know that I have had frequent clips from the Timeless Tracks broadcast by Tony Warner. This was an FM radio program about the 40th anniversary of KAAY. Tony did a super job of getting old employees and air checks together for a 4 hour broadcast. Today is the last hour with no cuts. All the commercials and music are included. As always, this was recorded off the air and is presented here for educational purposes. Enjoy:
Select the first choice, it's label is messed up. It reads: "&Nbsp;"

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FLASH! Join Now

The Emperor rides again!
Join now, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

A.J.
1404 Kingswood
Alma, AR 72921

You will receive the reproduction of the original Emperor Holiday membership card and some surprise goodies.

George J. Jennings & Doc Holiday at Theater Opening

The opening of a "Twin" cinema.Big news in those days. Drive-ins were on the way out. The movies were big advertising dollars for KAAY. The primary movie chain's advertising was handled by the General Manager Len Carl. When Len was promoted to manage, Lin Broadcasting's first television stations (WAND, Decatur, IL) I took over the account and when I left KAAY, George assumed the account. Much time and grooming when into the person that handled the theater's account. Soft drinks and beer were also big dollars. KAAY even had a seperate "beer" rate card. These three catagories also contributed to the "sound" of KAAY. This was the era of "It's the Real Thing", "This Bud's or you". The movie ads were great pieces of production. One time we recorded the entire sound track of a movie and produced our own spot because the national spots were no good.
It's been a long time since an advertising jingle become a hit record.

George J. Jennings in the KAAY News Room

Behind George, cart machines, and an old reel to reel magnacorder. In the rest of the station, Ampexes. George was at KAAY twice. He was in the original sign on crew. He went to WDGY and couldn't stand the winter. We were happy to get him back. About a year ago I was driving on a short trip and listening to XM Radio. The sixties at 6 were spotlighting WDGY and they ran a full 5 minute broadcast of George. You never know what has been recorded and when it will surface.

More about Hillbilly Heaven

The story and music clip that follow, is about Tex Ritter's recording of "Hillbilly Heaven". When you hear it, you may wonder how a hardcore country song made it on top 40 stations. For those of you who weren't there here are the facts. Hillbilly Heaven peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 9/4/61. A couple of different versions are available on ITunes, Walmart Music, and Rhapsody.

KAAY in Hillbilly Heaven

I have made a major find in my limited archives. In late 62 or 63 Tex Ritter had a crossover hit called "Hillbilly Heaven". He then started doing special recordings for radio stations that mention the station's jocks at the end. I had one made for KXLR where I was program director at the time. Then, when I went to KAAY I asked Tex to make one for us. I found the acetate recording, and have transfered it to digital.For educational purposes only.
Select the first choice, it's label is messed up. It reads: "&Nbsp;"

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Even More Music Surveys

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More KAAY Music Surveys

As always click on the image to enlarge.

Thanks for the link

Thanks for the link to this blog and the comments on KAAY.
Read the comments at: http://jabartlett.wordpress.com/

1st Rob Robbins KAAY

The first Rob Robbins on KAAY was Tom Campbell. Here is the bio as sent to the national rep firm, followed by an aircheck from Thanksgiving evening 11-22-62. On the player, be sure and select "KAAY 11-22-62". This aircheck is not your usual aircheck. This was recorded by Ron Henselman (you've read about him in previous posts) with a microphone in front of a radio, off the skyware, in the Chicago area. The original recording was on recycled acetate reel to reel tape. It was then transferred to digital with some problems. Ron has taken this recording and cleaned it up to a very listenable aircheck. If it were not for great listeners like Ron, this moment would be lost forever. The stations, nor most of the DJs failed to perserve much. Thanks Ron! Our responsibility to the future, is to keep moving what we have forward, utilizing the technology we have today.




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Buddy Karr Bio

Click on the above to read. This is the bio sheet prepared by KAAY to be sent to the national rep firm. This is the first Buddy Karr, a/k/a Tom Bigby. An air check follows.

The 1st Buddy Karr

This is a 15 minute airchex of the first Buddy Karr.


The first Buddy Karr was Tom Bigby. Tom moved on to bigger stations and became a station owner. Notice when Buddy starts talking out of the record, there is a "KAAY one oh nine oh" jingle playing in the background. We had a cart machine stuck out of the way in a rack with just that jingle. A button was located under the desk, and the jock had to push that button when he turned on his mike comming out of a record.

Also notice the use of "K double A Y". This was standard parctice at the start, until we discovered listeners were not understanding what we were saying. So, Mike McCormick a/k/a Jim Hankins instituted a new way to say the call letters. We were to hit the first "A" much harder.(kAay) In fact, saying K double A Y could get you in as
much trouble ss segueing records.

KAAY 1-31-72

I've heard from someone who said "enough clippings give us some audio". Return with us now for 45 minutes of KAAY morning drive with Sonny Martin and George J. Jennings. Leisure suits were 2 for $100, they were promoting a cow chip throwing contest, and the breakfast serial.

This is a new player. You can even download the clip to an Ipod. Let me know what you think.



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KAAY Mow Off

Click on image to enlarge and read. This 1965 newspaper article is yellowing fast. Save it before its gone.

KAAY Tops Newspaper Editoral Page

Click on the above image to read it.
Rarely do newspapers give radio much press. KAAY was different. We got lots of press. The above is from the top of the EDITORIAL page of the Arkansas Gazette, (the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi, now defunct). I still can't believe an editoral writer raved about something on radio.

The KAAY Album

In 1963 with the help of Chess Records we put out a 33 1/3 record. It's called "Silver Dollar Specials Vol 1" (never a vol 2) The elephant ties into "The Baby Elephant Walk" used for the call letter change over to KAAY.


Starting at the top left, Ken Knight (the first), Mike McCormick, (the First), Buddy Karr (the first) Sonny Martin (the first, left and came back under his real name Wayne Moss), Rob Robbins (This is really B. Bruce Jenkins a newsman. The first Rob Robbins had left and we were probably not sure who would have that name) Doc Holiday (The Second, that's me with a flat top. I was at the station twice, first as Doc Holiday then I came back as Emperor Holiday.

A closer look at the pictures on the back:

These are the songs on the album:

KAAY Response Map

This is part of a brochure that was printed for sales purposes and the national rep for KAAY, HR. The story behind this map, is that these were people who sent in money to buy a book about the Beatles. I forgot what the book sold for, but 14,437 mail responses was huge in those days. In fact, today the reason why you always hear contests with the 7th caller, is that no one writes any more. Even in those days, it was hard to get listeners to send mail or go to a sponsor to register.

(Click on the map for a larger view)

KAAY Bigger Than Life

Click on the images to enlarge. This is from an article that appeared in the Arkansas Democrat 4-7-85. This article filled about 3/4 of a newspaper page. The format was very wide which presented a challenge to reproduce here. Enjoy and save a copy.

KAAY In the Begining......

There was no date on this clipping. To view larger just click on the above image.

More on Stan's Record Shop heard on KAAY

From the internet:

Stan Lewis is the owner of the seminal blues/R&B/gospel/rock label Jewel-Paula-Ronn-Records. In 1948, Lewis opened a record store, Stan's Record Shop, on Texas Street in Shreveport, LA. A frequent customer was a young performer on "The Louisiana Hayride" radio program, Elvis Presley. Lewis became a one-stop operator (other record stores would buy from him) and distributor of independent record labels: Atlantic, Chess, Modern, Specialty, and Imperial. Lewis began a mail-order operation, advertising on John R's (and KAAY) nightly blues/R&B show on Nashville's WLAC-AM, whose powerful clear channel nighttime signal was heard in most parts of the country.

The record entrepreneur began to write and produce R&B and rock & roll acts. Fellow Louisianan Dale Hawkins' 1957 number 27 pop hit on Chess, "Susie Q," was written about Lewis' daughter Susan. In 1963, Lewis founded the Jewel label and soon after the Paula and Ronn imprints. The roster included Big Joe Turner, Inez Andrews, John Lee Hooker, Reverend Oris Mays, Clifton Chenier, Charles Brown, Lowrell Fulson, Ernest Franklin ("My Lord and I," "There's a Leak in This Old Building"), Ike & Tina Turner, the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, Reverend C.L. Franklin, Memphis Slim, the Violinaires, Lightinin' Hopkins, Reverend Clay Evans, Bobby Rush, Reverend W. Leo Daniels, Roosevelt Sykes, and Toussaint McCall. Also in the Jewel catalog are recordings by Aretha Franklin, Fats Domino, Redd Foxx, and B.B. King. In the late '60s, Lewis bought the masters of Chicago blues label Cobra Records, owned by Eli Toscano, whose roster included Harold Burrage and "West Side" blues guitar stars Buddy Guy, Otis Rush ("I Can't Quit You Baby" -- written by Willie Dixon, number six R&B, fall 1956) and Magic Slim.

Paula act John Fred & His Playboy Band held the number one pop position for two weeks in January 1968 with the million-selling Beatles/"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" parody "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)." The follow-up, "Hey Hey Bunny" went to number 57 pop in February 1968. Chicago group Magnum Force had a dance hit on Paula with "Cool Out," number 72 R&B in early 1985.

Lewis was still active in the music business in the '90s, working with Southern soul singers Carl Sims and Vickie Baker. A Jewel Records boxed set was issued by Capricorn Records in 1993. Tiring of the rigors of trying to run a competitive independent record label in a major-label dominated industry, Lewis decided to offer Jewel for sale while still retaining control of his music publishing companies and the Susie Q and Gospel Jubilee labels (Doug Kershaw, Ace Cannon). Several major labels and music companies expressed interest.

During the summer of 1999, EMusic.com purchased the master recording rights of the Jewel family of labels from Lewis. One of the few remaining pioneers of classic '40s, '50s, and '60s blues, R&B, and rock & roll, Stan Lewis plans to act as a consultant with a Redwood, CA-based Internet music merchant. ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide