Dusting the Cobwebs Off Oldies Radio

A radio revolution is taking place in a musty little basement in Salt Lake City. It is there in a makeshift studio that "Donovan" and "Premium Deluxe" put together Vinyl Cobwebs, a weekly internet program devoted to playing "obscure oldies all the time."

In an era where radio stations refuse to take listener requests but then pay thousands of bucks to consultants to tell them what listeners want to hear, the DJ–driven Vinyl Cobwebs is a real anachronism.

Culling playlists from nearly 10,000 obscure vinyl records rescued from local thrift stores, Vinyl Cobwebs treats its fans to the best rhythm and blues, rock, soul, psychedelia and novelty records that they've never heard. That's what keeps people from as far away as Australia and China downloading the program each and every week.

I.F. recently caught up with music and comedy mastermind Donovan to discuss broadcasting, oddball humor, and how a creepy Colonel Sanders mask purchased on eBay inspired an underground movie.

I.F.: There’s not a place in North America where you can’t find an oldies station or two on the radio dial. Why put a show on the internet?

Donovan: First and foremost, 99% of every oldies broadcast station is consultant driven, meaning that they are geared towards making money thru advertising, etc. They are limited or "handicapped" as we call it, to playing a limited set of tunes that are deemed worthy by the listening public. This includes only the remembered hits. To sustain a show of obscure oldies we found no other avenue but to put it on the internet. No corporate oldies stations would take a chance on our eclectic format.

I.F.: Any college kid with a nose ring and a CD collection feels qualified to gripe about the radio industry. But you guys actually know what you’re talking about -- you have legitimate broadcast backgrounds.

Donovan: Legitimate! (laughs) I guess you could say so... I worked for several years here in Salt Lake City back in the early 90s for KTKK and KCNR, both talk stations. Premium also did some stints at community radio playing his brand of oldies but goodies.

I.F.: What do you enjoy best about being on the internet?

Donovan: The fact that we have don't have a program director! Total freedom. We can just let loose, play whatever we feel like playing, say whatever we feel like saying... That's what makes Vinyl Cobwebs so great. There's no real formula, just two guys spinning what we call "the platters that matter."

I.F.: How has the internet community reacted?

Donovan: We've received quite a lot of praise over the craziness and wackiness of the whole format of the show. We've also had some insulting e-mail in regards to our lame antics and characters on the show. But we love those insulting e-mails almost more than the praise! The funny thing is that 90% of the nay sayers keep e–mailing back every week, so we know they're still listening!

I.F.: It must be like a car wreck... They can't look away...

Donovan: Yeah, right. Some listeners complain weekly, yet they've been on board for years!

I.F.: Oddball humor and hip old records aren’t the first things that come to my mind when I think of Salt Lake City. What’s it like living in the backyard of the Latter Day Saints?

Donovan: Maybe the whole obscure oldies trip we're on comes from living in a strange environment. Utah has a very strong counterculture, and we feel that might contribute to our strange and sometimes devious humor on the show. Everyone has this crazy idea that people in Utah, particularly Mormons, live like the old Quakers of yesteryear. But in reality they drive cars, have electricity and some of them even drink booze! Shocking!

I.F.: Your creative partnership with Premium Deluxe has expanded beyond the radio program. Tell me about your first film venture, Wun Blee Chun Dee.

Donovan: The film follows the plight of a 40 year-old man living with his parents who has a nightmare where a mentally challenged indian gives him his indian name -- WUN BLEE CHUNG DEE! He discovers that this holy name means "heart of a chicken" and embarks on a journey as the Chicken Man -- in a Colonel Sanders mask -- to lead all believers unto the Lord!

I.F.: I'm speechless! Did you ever wonder if you were taking the humor too far?

Donovan: I've never thought that things could go too far! What makes film making fun for me is pushing the envelope. My criteria is that if something makes someone laugh, then it's funny! It doesn't matter how politically incorrect it may be deemed! I've always loved bizarre and b-movie stuff like John Waters and David Lynch films.

I.F.: Joe Bob Briggs would be proud.

Donovan: When we first showed the film at the Utah Media Arts Festival, we saw first hand how some folks were uncomfortable with some of the footage, especially the blackface scene we included. Yet some folks were rolling in the aisles. I guess it just depends on what kind of outlook you have on life.

I.F.: Did any professional media critics see the film?

Donovan: I don't think there's anything "professional" about the Utah Media Arts Fest! It's one of the cheesiest amateur film fest showings around! So no real "media critics" had the opportunity to lambast the film. But reaction from the audience was wild. Love it or hate it, people always had something to say about it.

I.F.: Were you making a statement about religion and race or just being silly?

Donovan: IF a statement exists among the content of Wun Blee Chun Dee, you can find it if you have an open mind.

I.F.: ?

Donovan: Actually, I've never liked it when anyone, including movie makers, story writers, song writers, etc. goes out and insist that you understand their message. It's all up to the listener or viewer. What they make of it is what they make of it... How's that for avoiding the question? I should be a politician!

I.F.: Or a member of the Salt Lake Olympic bid committee!

Donovan: --

I.F.: When should our readers expect to see Wun Blee Chun Dee at their local movieplex?

Donovan: (laughs uncontrollably) How's that for an answer? It should be left among the wasteland of movie wastelands. However good or bad it may be, it's meant to stay underground. I want it to stay underground.

I.F.: You guys are really on a creative roll with the weekly radio show and your first movie. Where would you like to see the Vinyl Cobwebs empire end up?

Donovan: I believe that Vinyl Cobwebs will be appreciated more when it's gone. You know, how the old artists never were truly appreciated until they died. They never got to see their paintings sell for millions of dollars. I hope someday 40 or 50 years from now, someone somehow will be shopping in a thrift store and be intrigued by a copy of Wun Blee Chun Dee they come across in a dusty old bin of stuff or maybe find a Vinyl Cobwebs show on CD.

I.F.: The same way you and Premium came across most of the gems you play on your program.

Donovan: Or try this scenario on for size... A consultant-driven radio station discovers that people want to hear more than Surfin' Safari for the millionth time and decides to syndicate Vinyl Cobwebs for all to hear!

I.F.: So mote it be!

Donovan: It would be great to wake up some of the stale music radio stations that salt and pepper this terrestrial earth!

I.F.: Are you ever concerned about the recording industry killing off the internet radio community just like they polished off Napster?

Donovan: Not really. The industry is more interested in killing the big guy than dealing with hobbycasters like Vinyl Cobwebs. That's why I love the fact that our show, our movies and our lives will stay in the small time underground. There are people out there who don't want us to sell out. Those are Vinyl Cobwebs kind of people!

I.F.: To a lot of your fans, you guys are like “the little DJs that could.” What advice would you give to those poor souls who feel stifled working in the communications industry?

Donovan: First -- poor baby, you feel stifled! Second, never do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. If you are unhappy, get the fuck out!

Curious about Vinyl Cobwebs? Then point your web browser to www.vinylcobwebs.freeservers.com to downloaded this week's program in convenient mp3 format files or www.live365.com/stations/215676 to listen to an 24 hour a day streaming webcast. Instructions to purchase Wun Blee Chun Dee on VHS or DVD can be found at their website.