Krsna Culture in Music - Part 7
BY: JAHNAVA DEVI
Sep 13, CANADA (SUN) — Today's article on Krsna culture in music looks at albums published by temples and devotees that were promoted in the popular music market. Many of these albums were pressed on ISKCON labels, while others were produced independent of the society. Each in its way contributed to spreading Krsna Consciousness around the globe.
The small collection below represents a fraction of the 45 and LP releases in the devotee/temple genre, but will give the reader a sampling of the range of music to be found in this category.
Pictured above is a 45 RMP released in the early 1970’s on the ISKCON Media label, featuring Swami Bhaktivedanta and His Disciples. Side A is the Hare Krishna Mantra, Side B is Chintamani
"Hare Krsna Festival"
Released 1974 (German)
Label: Hare Krsna Records No.HKR2001/11
Benediction Moon
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - "Govinda"
Released 1973
This ISKCON produced album includes an insert with "Prayers to the Six Gosvamis".
HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - "Maha Satang"
Label: ADC, Italian Pressing
Released 1968/69
Italian release of an ISKCON record including a full-side LP interview with Srila Prabhupada, and B side devotional songs.
Hare Krishna
Label: Radha Krishna Productions RKP1005; HKR 1003, German pressing
Released 1974
Hansadutta dasa - “Hare Krsna Festival”
Released 1974
Side A is "Vande Ham" and side B is "Jaya Rada Jaya Krsna."
Prahlad - "Through the Eyes of a Child"
Label: EMI, Australia
Released 1986
Prahlad was a teenage lad from the Krishna community in Northern NSW. The album is a collection of inspirational pop songs, with a focus on world peace and social harmony. One track pleads for the release of Krishna detainees being held in Russia
Ananta - "Wheels of Time" and "Night and Daydream"
Label: Govinda Records RA-107 and Touchstone
Released 1978
Ananta was one of the early fake out albums produced in the UK for ISKCON 'street sankirtana' sales. While the record cover promoted "contributions by Alice Coltrane, George Harrison, Bob Marley, and Stevie Wonder, these personalities didn't actually contribute anything musical to the album.
There were numerous ISKCON albums in this genre, including Night and Daydream. Once, when the devotees were visiting the record producer's office, the head executive of the company said that he was dumbfounded by the sales the devotees were getting on these albums, which didn't even have big name musicians on them. He said if this was an actual commercial venture, the devotees would have to be awarded a gold record for the high sales.
'Street sankirtana' with records was very lucrative for a time, until the buyers became a bit more discerning. The UK devotees then bought deleted records from the record company (those being rolled out of the catalog), and sold them on the street.
J.O.B. Orquestra - “Open Hearts”
Label: Govinda
Released 1978
Like the above, the ‘street sankirtana’ album cover says: “Special thanks to: George Harrison, Stevie Wonder, Richie Havens, Alice Coltrane, Turiyasangitananda”. Instead of the typical UK album, this one was produced in New York City. When ‘street sankirtana’ sales proved excellent, the idea quickly moved across the water.
Written, produced and arranged by Jorge Barreiro (aka J.O.B.), the album features NY boogie soul music, including a cut called “Hare Hare”, along with “Govinda” featuring Vakresvara Pandit.
Progress - "Busy Making Progress"
Label: ISKCON UK's Sudarshan Disc
Michael Cassidy & Jeffrey Armstrong
Released 1978
Inspirational progressive pop rock
Patrick Bernhardt - "Angelic Mantra Music"
Label: EMI
Released 1986
This boxed set contains four of Bernhardt's albums, Atlantis Angelis, Solaris Universalis, Shamanyka, and Reconciliation. The artist took first initiation from Srila Prabhupada in 1974, then took Gayatri from Srila Sridhar Goswami in 1986. He has produced at least twelve albums of devotional music, some of which have sold 500,000 copies.
The Rainbow Band - Self-titled album
Label: ELEKTRA EKS-74092
Released 1971
This Krishna folk/psych album was done by the blissed-out duo of Mahesh and Pavarthi. Cuts include Rama Rama, Lotus, Simple Song, Midnite Sun, Song of the Navajo, etc.
Sergius Golowin - Lord Krishna von Goloda
Label: OHM #KK58002
Released 1973, Germany
This album falls into the "Kraut Rock" category, and is one of the original "Cosmic Courier" productions. The album is quite difficult to find today, even in der Faderland. The music on Lord Krishna ebbs and flows around the devotional chanting of Sergius Golowin. It was mixed by Ash-Ra Tempel and the "Seven-Up" project that Timothy Leary was associated with.
Werner Pirchner - “Ein halbes Doppelalbum”
Label: Private pressing, Austria
Released 1974
This album includes approximately 30 brief tracks which range from haunting spacey acid folk like Sergius Golowin´s Lord Krishna to avant garde, folk, spoken word, jazz, classical, and Kraut rock.
Michael Cassidy and Virginia Johnson - “Take Me Back”
Label: Golden Lotus Records
Released 1979
This bluegrass album was an ISKCON project. Songs are all about higher consciousness, bhakti, etc.
Paolo Tofani & Claudio Rocchi - “Un Gusto Superiore”
Label: ISKCON Records
Released 1980
A progressive rock album.
Prahlad and the Krishna Kids - “Mr. Gorbachev Please Let Our Friends Go”
Label: EMI No. 108, Australian Pressing
Released 1986
Another album of social conscience and protest songs from Prahlad and his friends down under.
Rasa - “Everything You See”
Label: Trisklion Music, BMI.
Released 1978
“The Beautiful Hare Krishna People”
Label: Hare Krsna Records, German issue
Double album.
There continues to be a proliferation of first class popular and devotional music produced by devotees. In the future, we’ll take a comprehensive look at the music of the 1990’s and 2000’s. Meanwhile, the Krsna Culture in Music series will conclude with segments on the Beatles/Apple recordings and the hardcore/Straight Edge phenomenon.
