“Giant Ants Ate the Blues Player,” an entry on Undead Backbrain

“Giant Ants Ate the Blues Player,” an entry on Undead Backbrain


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Giant Ants Ate the Blues Player
Kaiju Search-Robot Avery has discovered that Bakersfield, California country blues player Hank Ray is making a movie about giant ants.





Taking the classic truth-in-advertising approach to titles, it’s called Giant Ants Eat Bakersfield. It will be about 30 minutes long and the director hopes that it will be available online after a run at the Kern Country film festival. He’s billing it as:

The first Country Music Horror Film ever! It’s A Musical And It Has Giant Ants Eating Bakersfield.




Apparently, filming began about a year ago. Hank commented to Avery: “I filmed this all over Bakersfield. We almost got busted filming on the roof of the old BUCK OWENS recording studio. The film is not finished, and I sort of put it on the shelf. I have had some really good feed back lately so I will start on it again this weekend. Yours was the best feed back so far. I will keep you updated.”

So Avery’s enthusiasm for no-budget independent monster flicks may have caused a potential renaissance in the Bakersfield Giant Ant film industry.

Below is a conceptual image for the film (NOT the real advertising poster), which Hank bodgied up from a classic poster from one of his film’s inspirations, the greatest giant ant movie of all time — Them!




According to Hank, the giant ants are a metaphor for the way the New Country music has come in and taken control of the Old. Now that’s a metaphor that hasn’t been explored in giant monster films before this. He told the Backbrain:

Well, Bakersfield used to stand for an underground or rebellious response to Nashville country Music. When Buck Owens passed away a while back, I went to his funeral. I later wrote some songs about that and one was called “Giant Ants”. It was as though corporate music was like giant ants that took over country music and Bakersfield was one of the things the corporate ants ate. I suppose I am a nut.

Here are the lyrics of Hank’s song on the subject:


ACT ONE SONG:
The old country music is gone

The old country music is gone
You know it never had a chance
The old country music is gone
Corporate music killed it just like giant ants.
Corporate music came to call
Like some giant ants they killed it all
I’d like to hear more like Clarence and Hank
But big corporate music owns all the money in the bank
The old country music is gone
You know it never had a chance
The old country music is gone
Corporate music killed it just like giant ants
America has sold it’s music out
They forgot what Bakersfield and Nashville was all about?
Watch ‘em on TV become a Nashville star
I can’t believe it’s gone this far.
The old country music is gone
You know it never had a chance
The old country music is gone
Corporate music killed it just like giant ants.

The film is meant to be a take-off of those really old B-moster movies where the monsters are so fake that they are cool. Like the tree monster and some of the ones on the old Star Trek.

Anyway, I went to Buck Owen’s ranch and made a mini film of Buck’s son’s band BUCKSHOT for Brighthouse. It showed on cable. That’s how it started. I have others that are helping — Dr. B.L.T., a local song writer, and some local hot-rod club members. My friend Ron Ramos, who almost got pinched on the Buck Owen’s studio roof, helped a lot.

The reason we had to get on the roof was, the studio had just sold, so we made a sign — like the studio was still open and put it on the marquee . Then we took a giant ant off an old pest control truck and painted it with rubberized undercoat, so it looked better. After that I bought some fake human skulls at the holloween store in Bakersfield and some dry ice for smoke.



One night I was wrestling the ant under the giant Bakersfield Arch sign at Buck Owen’s Chrystal Palace. It was so bizarre a sight that the 99 Freeway slowed to a crawl above the Palace.

A lot of the film footage got ruined when I spilled beer on it at a local honky tonk where I’d been filming.

Ah, the unique difficulties that come with country music monsterdom!










Below is a clip of Hank singing a song about a mastodon:

Woody’s Dream


Good luck with the film, Hank.

Source: Hank Ray via Kaiju Search-Robot Avery
Hank Ray’s Journal
Hank’s MySpace page (where you can hear more of his music)

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Published: Apr 19 2009 / 10:03 am
Category: Big Bugs, Film, Giant Monsters, Kaiju Search-Robot Avery, Music, News

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3 Comments
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Avery

04.19.09 / 10am
A country musical with giant insects?! I can’t wait to see more from this cool little big bug flick! It looks like a blast. Hank’s a great guy too! Lots of fun!

Giant Ants Ate the Blues Player

04.19.09 / 10am
[...] Original post by Undead Backbrain [...]

Topics about America » Archive » Giant Ants Ate the Blues Player

04.20.09 / 2am
[...] After Armageddon created an interesting post today on Giant Ants Ate the Blues PlayerHere’s a short outlineKaiju Search-Robot Avery has discovered that Bakersfield, California country … America has sold it’s music out [...]

Status On Giant Ant Movie

Ran Ramos, his Daughter and I were running all over Bakersfield and Oil dale the other night filming scenes for the film. The I went down to LA and filmed Jeffery Michaels' Band and than last night my son and I recorded song #1 and then I drove over to the "Buck-a-room" and recorded another ant song with Dr. BLT. Last Sat I filmed some of the bluegrass jam at Dagny's Coffee house.








I think perhaps this entire project was a mistake, oh well -I'm doing it anyway.





ACT ONE SONG -The old country music is gone


-The old country music is gone
You know it never had a chance
The old country music is gone
Corporate music killed it just like giant ants.
-Corporate music came to call
Like some giant ants they killed it all
I’d like to hear more like Clarence and Hank
But big corporate music owns all the money in the bank
-The old country music is gone
You know it never had a chance
The old country music is gone
Corporate music killed it just like giant ants
-America has sold its’ music out
They forgot what Bakersfield and Nashville was all about?
Watch em on TV become a Nashville star
I can’t believe its’ gone this far.
--The old country music is gone
You know it never had a chance
The old country music is gone
Corporate music killed it just like giant


The 1st Country Music Horror Film ever!





The 1st Country Music Horror Film ever! It's A Musical And It Has Giant Ants Eating Bakersfield. Hank Ray is doing a musical with the theme of Zante Misfits or "THEM!" but it takes place in "Nashville West" that's the old name for Bakersfield, California. Bakersfield was the stomping grounds for such country music rebels as Buck Owens, Merle
Haaggard and Clarence White.
Hank Ray is making the low budget country horror musical short as a statement; "The ants represent the new musical styles coming into Bakersfield and the Ants prey represent the old school Bakersfield musical styles." Hank is a huge fan of all things "Bakersfield Sound" and the musical is made to pay homage to "Bucks music" as well as say a sad good bye to it, as it is really rare nowadays. Hank contacted many of the younger hold ons of the Bakersfield sound but none wanted to be in the film...image that!
One or two have expressed some interest however and I will blog those as they evolve.

Anyone interested in being a part of this film let me know...


MySpace URL:

http://www.myspace.com/hankraycountryblues


Dr. BLT is fired up to help on the project.

Fresh back from the Bakersfield Country Music Awards (BCMA) at Trouts Dr. BLT is fired up to help on the project. BLT is truly an inspiration and go between for underground country!


"Dr. B.L.T. (Bruce L. Thiessen, Ph.D.), but you can call me Bruce or Dr. BLT. I'm a singer/songwriter who writes, records, and produces his own music in his own storytelling style, but he also brings in other artists as performers, vocalists, and co-writers who offer their own creative interpretation of his unique style. My music credentials include: recently placing a song on the top 30 at #21 at mp3000.net with a song that has become known as The Black Santa Song; getting national airplay; and having a cameo on an MTV-award-nominated music video by Cake for a song called Short Skirt/Long Jacket. In addition to being a singer/songwriter, I have a day job. I am a clinical/forensic psychologist, a university instructor. I was born and raised in Canada, but I am a dual citizen, a long-time resident of California, and a current resident of Bakersfield. For ten years, I've been write articles that integrate psychological principles and spiritual insights for Vocations and Prayer magazine. For nearly as long, I've been writing an advice column, writing interview/profile pieces, and doing CD reviews for the e-zine, Phantom Tollbooth: http://www.tollbooth.org I am the "Fan in Black," who wrote and released an entire CD featuring original songs about the life and music of Johnny Cash. If you've visited Russo's at the Marketplace recently, you'll also notice that I've released several other CDs, including Confessions of a Buckaholic, a Buck Owens tribute CD featuring original songs about the life and music of Buck Owens. I listen to, write, and record modern rock, alt rock, retro rock, classic rock, country, alt country and many more styles of music. I write and record a new song almost every day. What can I say? Music rocks! PS: "I am always looking for vocalist and other musician to perform, and record my many many songs. So if you live in the Bakersfield area and would like a chance to record one of my songs please contact me" THIS IS FROM BAKOTOPIA.COM

The 1st Country Music Horror Film ever! It's A Musical And It Has Giant Ants Eating Bakersfield.

The 1st Country Music Horror Film ever!





The 1st Country Music Horror Film ever! It's A Musical And It Has Giant Ants Eating Bakersfield. Hank Ray is doing a musical with the theme of Zante Misfits or "THEM!" but it takes place in "Nashville West" that's the old name for Bakersfield, California. Bakersfield was the stomping grounds for such country music rebels as Buck Owens, Merle
Haaggard and Clarence White.
Hank Ray is making the low budget country horror musical short as a statement; "The ants represent the new musical styles coming into Bakersfield and the Ants prey represent the old school Bakersfield musical styles." Hank is a huge fan of all things "Bakersfield Sound" and the musical is made to pay homage to "Bucks music" as well as say a sad good bye to it, as it is really rare nowadays. Hank contacted many of the younger hold ons of the Bakersfield sound but none wanted to be in the film...image that!
One or two have expressed some interest however and I will blog those as they evolve.

Anyone interested in being a part of this film let me know...


MySpace URL:

http://www.myspace.com/hankraycountryblues


Dr. BLT is fired up to help on the project.

Fresh back from the Bakersfield Country Music Awards (BCMA) at Trouts Dr. BLT is fired up to help on the project. BLT is truly an inspiration and go between for underground country!


"Dr. B.L.T. (Bruce L. Thiessen, Ph.D.), but you can call me Bruce or Dr. BLT. I'm a singer/songwriter who writes, records, and produces his own music in his own storytelling style, but he also brings in other artists as performers, vocalists, and co-writers who offer their own creative interpretation of his unique style. My music credentials include: recently placing a song on the top 30 at #21 at mp3000.net with a song that has become known as The Black Santa Song; getting national airplay; and having a cameo on an MTV-award-nominated music video by Cake for a song called Short Skirt/Long Jacket. In addition to being a singer/songwriter, I have a day job. I am a clinical/forensic psychologist, a university instructor. I was born and raised in Canada, but I am a dual citizen, a long-time resident of California, and a current resident of Bakersfield. For ten years, I've been write articles that integrate psychological principles and spiritual insights for Vocations and Prayer magazine. For nearly as long, I've been writing an advice column, writing interview/profile pieces, and doing CD reviews for the e-zine, Phantom Tollbooth: http://www.tollbooth.org I am the "Fan in Black," who wrote and released an entire CD featuring original songs about the life and music of Johnny Cash. If you've visited Russo's at the Marketplace recently, you'll also notice that I've released several other CDs, including Confessions of a Buckaholic, a Buck Owens tribute CD featuring original songs about the life and music of Buck Owens. I listen to, write, and record modern rock, alt rock, retro rock, classic rock, country, alt country and many more styles of music. I write and record a new song almost every day. What can I say? Music rocks! PS: "I am always looking for vocalist and other musician to perform, and record my many many songs. So if you live in the Bakersfield area and would like a chance to record one of my songs please contact me" THIS IS FROM BAKOTOPIA.COM

Hank Ray's "B" Bender Strat

HOWARD YEARWOOD WITH HIS TELECASTER WITH PARSONS WHITE STRING BENDER AT TROUTS IN BAKERSFIELD. (ABOVE)





Howard Yearwood with his string bender at world famous Trouts. Theresa Spanke looks on, getting ready to sing. (Above)




HOWARD YEARWOOD B bending my Strat.From what I read there are several benders : "One is the routed B Bender like the Nashville Tele has. Its mechanism is linked to the strap button near the neck. Pull down on the neck while wearing a strap and it stretches the string. Then you can also have the hipshot that is activated by the hip pushing a lever by the tail of the guitar. It mostly is a B string thing too. The third version is the palm bender that attaches to the bridge tailpeice and you use your palm to push it down thus stretching the string."





ROCKWELL AT THE BLACKBOARD/ HANK RAY AT BAKERSFIELD SOUND STUDIOS FOR BLT RECORD


The Parsons/White B-Bender is still the world's best B-Bender. The first B-Bender, built by Gene Parsons for Clarence White, changed the history of country rock and the Telecaster guitar. I have a Hip Shot that mounts to the tail piece of my Mexican Fender Stratocaster. Howard Yearwood mounted mine on my Strat this winter. I had not seen Howard in 25 years or so and he was playing lead guitar for Homer Joy ( Homer Joy is no relation to Homer Simpson, but did write "Streets of Bakersfield for Buck Owens).
It was at a show set up by Rockwell at the WORLD FAMOUS "BLACK BOARD STAGE" at Trouts
in Oildale, just North of the Bridge from Bakersfield, California. It was a great show
and Howard lit up the stage with his maple Tele with bending that would have made even Clarence smile (he didn't smile much). Homer sang and played rhythm (Theresa Spanke- sang back up and lead on a couple outstanding tunes) Howard did the B bendin'. After the show howard and I talked for dozens of minutes about his life and mine and the love we both had for the music of Clarence White. He invited me over to his home in the San Fernando Valley and he hooked me up with his old "Hip Shot" B bender. I have not seen one on a Strat before, but he adapted it and it works great------BOOYYYING...TWANGGGG! The first I used it was on the recording sessions at Bakersfield Sound Studio on BLT's next record. I can't wait to hear it. I will be recording a demo with it soon with the "Fried Burritos" (that do songs about the
original band).
About Howard Yearwood
SESSION GUITARIST AND RECORD PRODUCER * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **** Instruments played: GUITAR (acoustic, electric, high strung, Gretsch, various Telecasters w/B benders, baritone, 12 stg. acoustic and electric, Coral electric sitar)***** BASS (electric and upright)***** DOBRO***** WEISSENBORN***** LAP STEEL***** MANDOLIN***** BANJO***** UKE***** KEYS***** ********************************************************************** People with whom I've performed and recorded: DIANE MARIE AULT, JEFFREY MICHAELS, HOMER JOY, ALBERT LEE, ROBERT HEFT, JOHN FOGERTY, FREDDY FENDER JR., VINCE GILL, BYRON BERLINE, MICKEY JONES(Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers), ROSE MADDOX,THERESA SPANKE, CHARLIE RICH, KEVIN McKENDREE, LEROY MACK, LEE SKLAAR, JAYDEE MANESS, Al PERKINS, ED PONDER, GREG LEISZ, THE GOSHORN BROS., CANDY GIRARD, FRED NEWELL, TOMMY SPURLOCK, GARY MORSE, ERIC NILSEN, DOUG ALTMAN, RYS CLARK, BUDDY & JULIE MILLER, JIM LAUDERDALE, THE LOST CANYON RANGERS, MAYF NUTTER, JAMES INTVELD, SHARON CORT, MICHAEL CHAIN, TERRY HANSON, BILLY BLOCK, RONNIE COX, EDDIE DEAN, JOHN JORGENSEN, GEORGE HIGHFILL, GARY HILL, DAVE RAVEN, JEFF CONNORS, CHRISTINE CLARK, JACK DANIELS, PAUL MARSHALL, JIM CHRISTIE, JONATHAN YUDKIN, SPADY BRANNEN, BILLY PANDA, SAMANTHA ELIN, JO ANNE KURMAN, TRACY BARNES, LANIE MITCHELL, ERIC WHITE, JOHN AND NANCY STEVENSON, DEAN DOBBINS, JAN MICHAEL VINCENT, DAVID CARRIDINE, ERIN O'BRYAN, & (oh yeah) FRANK SINATRA ...................... opened for WILLIE NELSON, RICK NELSON, MEL TILLIS, BILL MONROE, LESTER FLATT, MARTY STUART, JIM AND JESSE, RALPH STANLEY, DEL McCOURY, DOC WATSON, THE COUNTRY GENTLEMEN ........and too many So. Cal and Nashville artists to mention ****************************************************************** HOLLYWOOD STUFF ************************************************************************** FILM: "Letters from a Killer) (Patrick Swayze), Man on the Moon (Jim Carrey), The Theory of Everything (haven't been paid yet), Revamped (vampires, bikers, bar fight, I wrote the song)* TELEVISION: Beauty and the Geek (banjo @ hodown), The Home Show, Days of Our Lives, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (recurring role), FamilyMatters, Beverly Hillbillies video (promo for the film with Jim Varney and Jerry Scoggins)**************************************************************** COMMERCIALS: Dr. Pepper w/Charlie Rich and David Naughton, Continental Airlines, VanDeCamps ******************************************************************** VIDEO GAMES: Redneck Rampage (soundtrack)

Howard and I have been Clarence White fans since the late 1960s. We spend hours in the late 1970s talking about Clarence and his music and trading rare tapes. Howard used to teach me Clarence style bluegrass flat picking but I am fairly inept and was only able to pick up a little here and there. My brother Ted and I were giant fans of all thing Clarence and we still collect his stuff today. I used to live in Palmdale not far away from where the accident was, it still makes me sad. I did get tojam with Eric White fairly often when I lived in the Lancaster/ Palmdale area, usually at "Del Sur Gardens" and "The Buffalo Club".

Clarence White (FROM THE FENDER PLAYERS' CLUB)

"An extraordinary country flatpicker, Clarence White inspired the emerging country-rock scene in the late 1960s. Influenced by Bill Monroe and Doc Watson, White began his career playing bluegrass and country with his brother Roland in their bands the Country Boys and the Kentucky Colonels, before moving into session work in the mid ‘60s.







In 1966 he signed with Bakersfield International Records, where he and friend Gene Parsons formed Nashville West, and along the way, invented the Parsons/White String Bender, an amazing device attached to a guitar strap that allows guitarists to get a pedal-steel string bend from a Fender Telecaster.
Also influenced by British rock bands of that time, White found his talents in demand with the hitmaking folk-rock band the Byrds at the same time their personnel lineup was falling apart. He participated in the Byrds’ direction change into country music during Gram Parsons’ brief tenure with the band, and played on the groundbreaking album Sweetheart of the Rodeo in 1968 before joining the band full-time along with Gene Parsons (no relation).





White made five albums with the Byrds, all heavily country-influenced, until the band broke up in 1973. Following the breakup, he hooked up with his brother again along with other country-rock artists of the time for touring and recording. Tragically, at the very peak of the country-rock scene he had helped create, Clarence White was killed by a drunk driver while loading his car after a gig in California in July, 1973. "