Hello guys, I'm new here. (sorry for my bad English, I'm German)
So, I wanted to ask you guys if you know anything about this Country Bear Jamboree ripoff called the Country Bear Jubilee.
I'm a big fan and collected lots of information, pictures and videos of this show. But there's always something missing. So I wanted to ask anyone who knows this show. It was made in 1979 by a company called Creative Engineering inc who also build the famous Rock-afire Explosion show for 200 Showbiz Pizza Place restaurants which are now Chuck E. Cheese's.
This is the alpha version of the show which was presented in the IAAPA convention in 1979
This is the show that once operated in Calaway Park.
Knoebels show. This show still at Knoebels, but behind the wall in the Laser Runner building. They retrofitted them once, changed their band name to Rockin' Billy Wilbur and the Bear cats. Slapped new outfits and a new showtape on.
The Country Bear Jubilee is made out of three stages. The left stage with two bear brothers who work at a gas station called Smitty's Super Service Station. The center stage, with four bears playing instruments, called the Hard Luck Bears (which is the main focus of the show). And the right stage where the mama bear and the Gooney Bird in the barrel sing their songs.
Their former locations:
Calaway Park in Canada
Knoebel's in Pennsylvania
Playcenter in Brazi
Carowind's in North Carolina
Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the United Kingdom (moved to Frontierland, Morecambe)
Mundo Magico in Chile (moved to fantasialandia and is the only show that still operates)
All shows except of fantasialandia's are out of order. However, the show is retrofitted and in horrible condition.
Fantasialandia in Chile
Dead eyes of a 30 years old show, without any maintenance.
So, there's still some Information out there and I would like to know more. I still know a lot about this show but, pointing everything out would take too much time.
If you want to take a listen to the audio, I collected four showtapes of this show and I would like to share it with people that might recognize the audio.
1. The original Hard Luck Bears showtape http://picosong.com/NTni/
2. Country Bear Picinic at Knoebels Groves http://picosong.com/NTFT/
3. Hard Luck Bears Show with Mortimer and Buford http://picosong.com/NTRZ/ (Mortimer and Buford were two new animatronics that were added to the Country Bear Jubilee's predecessor called the Bear Country Jubilee (1977) as they came back destroyed from Morey's Pier)
4. Rockin' Billy Wilbur and the Bear Cats (Knoebels) https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fdfxfpxcvsts5nd/AAAin3zH5GI-OhsBofWSrPg2a/Hard%20Luck%20Bears/Hard%20Luck%20Bears%20-%20Rockin'%20Billy%20Wilbur%20and%20the%20Bear%20Cats.mp3?dl=0
Here are some pictures
Promotional photo of the Hard Luck Bears (Country Bear Jubilee)
Repete thornsberry (left) and Pete thornsberry (right) at Playcenter
Another picture of Playcenter's show
Playcenter's show
Mundo Magico
Billy Boy (drums) and Billy Bob (bass)
Another picture of "Show de Osos" in Mundo Magico. The show is also translated into Spanish.
What's left at Knoebels. This is the mama bear animatronic.
Pete and Repete at the museum in Knoebels. The show is in quite good condition, even the rest of the band behind the wall. I hope someday, that they will restore them. It's a extremely rare show and for all ages.
Here are some videos
Promotional video
Playcenter behind the scenes
Fantasialandia
Another clip of Fantasialandia
Playcenter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj1q9M1H-q0&nohtml5=False
Another clip of Playcenter
Pete and Repete at Playcenter
Mundo Magico Commercial
If you have any pictures or videos of this show, please let me know. I hope you guys enjoyed it so far!
I'm excited for your story!