YAHOWHA 13 ADDENDUM
The full story of this legendary hippie acid-rock commune from L.A can now be gathered via Gary Bearman's excellent interviews. Below is some additional info from an informal Q & A that I conducted with their former lead guitarist DJIN in May 2002.
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Q: When you joined Father Yod's group, had it already existed for some time or were you there as it "formed"? Was there a moment when a formal decision was taken on the group's purpose, who the members were etc?
A: It already existed for two years at the time I joined and our purpose was health and community. Our greater purpose was revealed to us as we became more loving, unified and wise in the practice of self developement. There was a time when father decided to seal the Family at 140, a prophetic number, and to get land for us. Then before he left his body, he gave the 140 the mission to gather the 4000 and then the 4000 to gather 144,000 to fulfill the prophecy of an exemplary "micro-city of light workers". Will it happen, who knows but living a noble purposful life in service to humanity is our aim and the best way to spend a life Whether prophecies come true or not. Q: It seems to me that Father Yod's teachings, at least as they come across on the LPs, cover a wide spectrum of belief systems. Were there any particular books or faiths that he would promote as the most central? A: We studied and practiced from east to west, and Father said the next spiritual awakening would come from the west and the west is based on the ancient name yhwh whose name means "to liberate the being i Am", among other things. The source of this name is the qabalah and torah and it is the root of all Esoteric sciences. The admonition in schools in which it is found is "man know thyself and thou shalt know All"
Q: "Destroy to build again - die to live again"...
A: It happens everyday, in everyway, to everything and everyone under the sun, get used to it.
Q: Could you say something about the Yod Ship Suite LP?
A: Yodship Suite was made by Sunlight and Osiris while in the family right before we moved to Hawaii, the first time. That's all I remember about that. Sunlight could tell you more.
Q: What were the circumstances around the YHWH13 recordings - were these considered special events, or did it happen on an ongoing basis?
A: Both actually. We went in to our garage studio to commemorate certain special events like with the Kohoutek recording but we also went in semi regularly for several years. Whenever we went in it was a special event because it usually had to do with something father was inspired to "lay down" and we were all eager and excited to be drawn in to it.
Photo courtesy of the "Source Family Recipe Book"Q: How much, and in what way, did you prepare for the recordings with Father in terms of songwriting, rehearsing etc?
A: We never rehearsed any of father's pieces, they took as long to record as it does for you to listen, no over dubbing or editing, but we did cursorily look over eachother's personal compositions for those recordings and then vamped the rest.We never knew when he'd sweep us in to the band room so we always had to be ready. When we were called in to record it was always at around 4am. And it was a kind of an Aquarian ritual ceremony done with much focus, reverence, nerve and joy. We had to put our beings together quickly and really BE ONE BEING, very cool.
Q: Also, a friend wants me to ask if any of you were involved with, or had relations with, the Zendik Farm project?
A: We didn't have anything directly to do with Wulf's doings but he and father knew each other from the "Nature Boys" days with Gypsy Boots, Jack La Laine and other Hollywood health figures. I like those people and their energy very much and went to visit them in the 80's to see what they were doing. Q: What do you know about Father's pre-1970s days? A: Pre 1970's... he did many things and masterfully, gaining the respect and admiration of many. In his being prepared by YHWH, GOD, for his 70's role as Earthly Spiritual Father YOD, and then Yahowha, Jim Baker was a top disciple with Yogi Bajan, the leader of the Western Sikhs, where he mastered surrender and service and Kundalini Yoga. Before that he was a spiritual truth seeker and sat at the feet of Manly P. Hall, was a Vedanta monk, was a famous health oriented restranteur, a World War II Marine decorated hero, a world champion Karate expert with his hands registered as weapons.Q: What type of recording equipment and microphone set-up did you use?
A: We recorded on a 4 track Teac. Octavius built our studio so he could tell you better but I think we had a 16 channel Teac or Tascam board. Sennheiser mike for fathers voice.Q: How many of the LPs were typically pressed? Were the LPs available commercially, or distributed only within the Group?
A: We pressed 9 of our recordings and sold them at our restaurant bookstore and by hand but we never had a record company deal too out of the box for then. As I recall I remember either "YHW13" or "Principles" was a 5000 copy run and all the others were 500 or 1000. YHW13 [aka "2"] is the one with "Warden", and the big face of father's. The back cover is one of my favorites. [note: it seems likely that this was the LP that was pressed in 5000 as it's easier to find than most of the others]. Q: There are a few passages when Father speaks where I'm unable to make the words out; on the "I'm gonna take you home" LP as an example. It would be great to have all these statements and lyrics collected somewhere. A: I would absolutely love to sit down and spend a day writing out the lyrics to them all as I remember them and hear them, but right now time is tight. I'm extremely pleased to know people are digging and receiving benefit from father's "over the top" metaphysical instructions and soul comfortings. All he wanted was for everyone to "AWAKEN AWAKEN AWAKEN AWAKEN", etc. "To The Principles" grand finale. I think his voice and words have been used in some techno sound bites. That's what I'm talkin would be cool now with Octavius, Sunflower and myself, at least, and others, doing some new music.
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© Lama Sivart Doz 2002