"I firmly believe that some music contains healing properties that aligned with your subconscious mind can bring about healings as well as joy, happiness and peace. Remember the saying that music soothes the savage beast..."

Billy James: The King Ant-Bee Musik

Ant-Bee is the brainchild of Billy James, formed thru a series of musical experimentations in the recording studio back in 1987 in Los Angeles, Ant-Bee was born. The first Ant-Bee album was Pure Electric Honey, and received rave reviews worldwide. The Ant-Bee became an overnight legend in the European underground. In 1990 the live Ant-Bee ensemble was assembled and gigged throughout Los Angeles to the astonishment of most audiences. An EP of new music was released in Germany and several magazines and European labels released rare Ant-Bee tracks. Also, during this period Billy James/Ant-Bee began a long relationship with the original ex-Mothers Of Invention. Thus began a series of recordings, filmings and gigs with these legendary artists (Bunk Gardner, Don Preston, Jimmy Carl Black, Motorhead and Roy Estrada). The Ant-Bee was the first to reunite the original Mothers and record them together in 25 years! From this unique collaboration came the second Ant-Bee album With My Favorite Vegetables & Other Bizarre Muzik (released Divine Records UK 1994). In 1994 Billy James relocated to the east coast to record the third Ant-Bee album Lunar Muzik. Now in an elaborate 24 track facility, the third album will soon become a true Ant-Bee masterpiece. Again, the original Mothers make guest appearances along with the legendary Daevid Allen of Gong/Soft Machine, Harvey Bainbridge of Hawkwind and the original members of the Alice Cooper Group, making Lunar Muzik the most ambitious and pioneering project of the decade! Also, to promote the release of this album is the psychedelic video Child Of The Moon.                                              (Photo: Ant-Bee is the brainchild of Billy James)

After a tour of the east coast with Michael Bruce the Ant-Bee has begun work recording the fourth album- Electronic Church Muzik which promises to be an even bigger extravaganza then the previous album. This album also features a host of legendary artists like The Mothers, Alice Cooper Group, Jan Akkerman of the legendary band Focus, Peter Banks of Yes and Flash, Zoot Horn Rollo of Captain Beefheart, Daevid Allen of Gong and Gilli Smyth of Mother Gong, to name a few. Billy’s Glass Onyon PR is a multi-faceted publicity company specializing in the promotions of bands, labels, releases, tours and gigs. Glass Onyon PR differs from most commercial/AOR press agencies due to our expertise in the promotions of alternate genres of music – Hard Rock, Classic Rock, Progressive Rock, Heavy Metal, Alternative, Avant-Garde, Blues and Country.

Interview by Michael Limnios           Special Thanks: Billy James (Glass Onyon PR)

How has the Rock and Rock n' Roll Counterculture influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

For me it all comes down to The Beatles - if it was not for them, I would not be in the music business - I probably would have gone into fine art or comedy writing for TV. From the moment I saw them I wanted to be a Beatle (which is true for many, many well-known and not so well-known music artists). Although I never became a Beatle (heh heh), I did achieve some level of success with ANT-BEE.

How do you describe Ant-Bee sound and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

ANT-BEE Muzik is indescribable - but for a reference - take all my musical influences and put them in a blender and out comes ANT-BEE Muzik... I have many influences - here's a few... The Beatles, Beach Boys, Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention, YES, ELP, Daevid Allen & Gong, Alice Cooper Group, Magma, Grand Funk Railroad, Santana, John McLaughlin, Godley & Creme, Guru Guru, Capt. Beefheart, Todd Rundgren, Popol Vuh, Miles Davis. I have been fortunate to have many of my musical heroes’ guest on my ANT-BEE albums like the original Mothers of Invention members, Alice Cooper Group members, Magic Band members, Peter Banks, Jan Akkerman, Moogy Klingman, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth and others.       (Photo: BillyJames & Daevid Allen)

"The original germ for Glass Onyon PR started when I was working with Don Preston and Bunk Gardner of The Mothers of Invention back in 1990. I had mentioned that I was working with them to a journalist who said, "Those guys still around?" - and yes they were still around and very active musically at that time (still up until today). So that was when I decided to start Glass Onyon PR as many of the music artists of the past I loved, as did many others under the radar, needed publicity and most of the PR companies out there at the time only worked with large well known music artists and charged a fortune on top of that."

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

There has been several life-changing moments in music that I have experienced over the years - 

One was going to Frank Zappa's house in 1983 after jamming with Steve Vai and a 12-year-old Dweezil that afternoon. We went to his house around midnight and stayed until the wee hours listening to the London Symphony Orchestra tapes on his brand-new digital system - it was unlike anything I had ever heard before or since...truly magnificent!

Another major moment in my musical journey was getting the gig doing publicity for Jon Anderson who, along with YES, has been a major influence on my life... in many ways. I have had the honor of being his publicist for 12 years now and it has been a wonderful journey!!

How did the idea of Glass Onyon come about? What characterize Glass Onyon philosophy?

The original germ for Glass Onyon PR started when I was working with Don Preston and Bunk Gardner of The Mothers of Invention back in 1990. I had mentioned that I was working with them to a journalist who said, "Those guys still around?" - and yes they were still around and very active musically at that time (still up until today). So that was when I decided to start Glass Onyon PR as many of the music artists of the past I loved, as did many others under the radar, needed publicity and most of the PR companies out there at the time only worked with large well known music artists and charged a fortune on top of that.

"It is hard to tell what is going to happen in the future with the music industry - but guaranteed something of novelty will hit and be big for a while etc. - just like the SACD. I think it is probably going to get more and more difficult to make a living in music - although it has always been difficult from the beginning." (Photo: BillyJames & Mitch Mitchell)

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I sometimes wonder if I am one of those people who were Elvis fans and said music ended when The Beatles arrive on the scene - for me I have not really been 'into' a new band since the 80s - although there are some new sounds from my clients that I do like etc. but frankly my preferences are 1965-1979 and ended with some of the 80s bands like XTC and the English Beat - I just don't have much interest personally in what the popular bands of the day are releasing other than the ones still around from the 60s and 70s like Peter Gabriel, Kevin Godley, Justin Hayward, Magma and Jon Anderson etc.

Artists and labels will have to adapt to the new changes. What are your predictions for the music industry? How do you think the music industry will adapt to it?

It is hard to tell what is going to happen in the future with the music industry - but guaranteed something of novelty will hit and be big for a while etc. - just like the SACD.

I think it is probably going to get more and more difficult to make a living in music - although it has always been difficult from the beginning.

"ANT-BEE Muzik is indescribable - but for a reference - take all my musical influences and put them in a blender and out comes ANT-BEE Muzik... I have many influences - here's a few... The Beatles, Beach Boys, Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention, YES, ELP, Daevid Allen & Gong, Alice Cooper Group, Magma, Grand Funk Railroad, Santana, John McLaughlin, Godley & Creme, Guru Guru, Capt. Beefheart, Todd Rundgren, Popol Vuh, Miles Davis. I have been fortunate to have many of my musical heroes’ guest on my ANT-BEE albums like the original Mothers of Invention members, Alice Cooper Group members, Magic Band members, Peter Banks, Jan Akkerman, Moogy Klingman, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth and others."

(Photo: Billy James & Frank Zappa)

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

I firmly believe that some music contains healing properties that aligned with your subconscious mind can bring about healings as well as joy, happiness and peace. Remember the saying that music soothes the savage beast... 

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