Critter Country Show

This Critter Country version of the show marked the very first appearances of Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at Disneyland. Following the closure of State Fair’s Pigmania Show, John Marshall joined with Kirk Wall and Dennis Fetchet, as well as fellow castmember, Mario Hildalgo to form a street show for guests waiting in line at Disneyland's soon-to-be newest attraction, Splash Mountain.. In the “Disneyland Today” guides at the time, the boys were simply listed as Billy and the Hillbillies. The show was performed for the opening of Critter Country on November 23, 1988 and continued to be performed for the opening of Splash Mountain on July 17, 1989. The usual Billy Hill schedule was 3 to 5 days a week with 5 shows a day, depending on the time of year and the size of expected park attendance. The attraction had originally been scheduled to open in February of 1989, but construction and design problems plagued the attraction and delayed the opening. The Billy Hill Show was later removed and following a brief lay-off, the boys were returned to the streets of Frontierland, where in December of 1994, they officially took over the stage of the Golden Horseshoe Saloon.
The Billy Hill Critter Country Street Show The show begins with Billy Bass [John] and Billy Banjo [Mario] calling out to find their long lost brothers, Billy Guitar [Kirk] and Billy Fiddle [Dennis] on the streets of Critter Country. Once guests have gathered around, the two brothers launch into their first song with the bass and banjo squaring off on “Dueling Banjos.	The song breaks into a “Spanish Flamenco” style, where they are joined by their long lost brothers as they dance about flamenco style and play the jug [Dennis] and washboard [Kirk].

As all the brothers gather together, Billy Fiddle [Dennis] begins to sing a song called “Billy Hill Music”. He is accompanied with John on bass, himself on mandolin, Kirk on washboard [an early doo-hickey version with all the extra doo-dads] and Mario on guitar. The Song goes like this:
Dennis: Way down south in Critter Country, Billy Hill music sounds so sweet to me, Chorus all: Because it sounds so sweet, ah, huh, It’s hard to beat, John: [sung deeply and from behind] YEAH Chorus All: Billy Hill music certainly was a treat to me. Dennis: Went out with my girl, she was talking to me, Didn’t pass me the jug, cause it wasn’t for me, Chorus all: Because it sounds so sweet, ah, huh, It’s hard to beat, John: [sung deeply and from behind] YEAH Chorus All: Billy Hill music certainly was a treat to me. Dennis: Went back home, turned on my radio, It was Billy Hill music, but it’s not Bill Monroe, Chorus all: Because it sounds so sweet, ah, huh, It’s hard to beat, John: [sung deeply and from behind] YEAH Chorus All: Billy Hill music certainly was a treat to me. Dennis: I took off my socks, I took off my shoes, danced all night to those Billy Hill blues, Chorus all: Because it sounds so sweet, ah, huh, It’s hard to beat, John: [sung deeply from behind] YEAH Chorus All: Billy Hill music certainly was a treat to me. Yes, Billy Hill music certainly was a treat to me.

This song now becomes the “Chicken Reel” where the brothers challenge each other to play their instruments, while also playing various whistles, noise makers and kazoos at the same time and still managing to do a series of complicated choreography moves. Brother Billy Guitar now announces that his big brother, Billy Bass will now *“pick his nose”*.
Following the objections of his other siblings, he announces that his big brother will now *“pick his toes.”* More objections arise until Billy Guitar finally announces that his brother will *“attempt to play two instruments at once, as he picks the bass with his toes.”* Billy Bass removes his shoe, rolls up his "toeless" sock, lays the bass on it’s side, grabs his fiddle and proceeds to accompany himself on the song “Cripple Creek” while he is joined by his family on washboard, guitar and mandolin.

Next, the brothers announce that they are hungry and pull out their “brown bag” lunches from their wood crate. Each has a sandwich except Billy Fiddle, who is eating a hot dog. They discover that the sandwiches can play harmonica music and they launch into “Oh Susannah” with Billy Fiddle in the lead. Sometimes in place of the above song, the brothers would do their version of “She’ll Be Coming Round Splash Mountain When She Comes.”

Following lunch, the brothers return to their prior instruments and proceed to play “Old Joe Clark”. This song leads into “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” with the following changes:
*Will the circle be unbroken,* *bye and bye, boys, bye and bye,* *I’d a rather be a playin’ what’s* *been played by the other guy.*
At this point, Dennis hands his mandolin to Kirk Kirk hands his guitar to Mario Mario hands his banjo behind Kirk’s back to Dennis As John keeps a steady beat and they continue to sing
*Will the circle be unbroken,* *bye and bye, boys, bye and bye,* *I’d a rather be a playin’ what’s* *been played by that other guy.*
Dennis now hands Mario’s banjo to Kirk Kirk hands Dennis’ mandolin to Mario Mario hands Kirk’s Guitar behind Kirk’s back to Dennis and still, John keeps a steady beat, as they sing…..
*Will the circle be unbroken,* *bye and bye boys, bye and bye,* *I’d a rather be a playin’ what’s* *been played by that other guy.*
Finally Dennis hands Kirk’s guitar back to Kirk Kirk hands Mario’s banjo to back to Mario Mario hands Dennis’ mandolin back to Dennis behind Kirk’s back and John now announces that “…he’s getting’ tired.”

	This leads them into “Mama, Don’t Allow” with the following introduction by Billy Guitar [Kirk]: “This song is all about Mama and there’s nothing we love better than … aggravating Mom. We’re gonna do all the things that Mama don’t allow.”
	*Mama, don’t allow no BLUE’S HARP playing here.* *Mama, don’t allow no BLUE’S HARP playing here.* *We don’t care what Mama don’t allow,* *play this BLUE’S HARP anyhow.* *Mama, don’t allow no BLUE’S HARP playing here.* Billy Fiddle [Dennis Fetchet] begins to play the Blue’s Harp. [Holding one note indefinitely and than going into a blues riff].
	*Mama, don’t allow no SPOON playing here.* *Mama, don’t allow no SPOON playing here.* *We don’t care what Mama don’t allow,* *play them SPOONS anyhow.* *Mama, don’t allow no SPOON playing here.* Billy Banjo [Mario Hildalgo] begins playing the spoons while dancing wildly about on one foot.
	*Mama, don’t allow no BASS SLAPPING here.* *Mama, don’t allow no BASS SLAPPING here.* *We don’t care what Mama don’t allow,* *SLAP this BASS anyhow.* *Mama, don’t allow no BASS SLAPPING playing here.* Billy Bass [John Marshall] begins to “slap his bass”.
	*Mama, don’t allow no FIDDLE playing here.* *Mama, don’t allow no FIDDLE playing here.* *We don’t care what Mama don’t allow,* *play this FIDDLE anyhow.* *Mama, don’t allow no FIDDLE playing here.* Billy Fiddle [Dennis Fetchet] begins the intro into his “Orange Blossom Special”.

Sometimes the street show ended at this point. Others times, this next part would be added for variety. It is here that we see the beginning of the “infamous” *Puddle Prance* circle, although it is not referred to as this in 1988.

Standing back to back, the four begin playing “Devil’s Dream” as they start to rotate clockwise a few times.

Next, while still playing, they break the circle up and begin to march in a clockwise direction, than they turn around and march counter-clockwise. They join in the middle and touch with their left feet, than pair off to do interlinking arm “doe-si-doe’s” in smaller circles.

At this point, they link arms [a very familiar position to Billy fans over the last 10 years] and in a straight row, shoulder to shoulder, they side-step to the right for 16 beats and than to the left for 16 beats. At the finish of the song, they bow and run off into the mountains of Critter Country.