Hindu Influences on Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock is a genre that was heavily influenced by the sounds and culture of the Hindu world. In this blog post, we explore some of the key ways in which Hindu music and philosophy shaped the development of this genre.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways that exerted a profound influence on the development of pop music.
The Beatles and India
The Beatles’ trip to India in early 1968 had a profound and lasting impact on the band members and their music. The experience influenced their subsequent recording of the album The Beatles (commonly known as the White Album), as well as their psychedelic masterpiece, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. In addition, the trip had a significant impact on George Harrison’s spiritual development and introduced Hinduism and Eastern philosophies to a Western audience.
The Beatles’ interest in India was sparked by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whom they met in 1967. The Maharishi was a charismatic guru who preached meditation and self-transcendence, and his teachings resonated with the band members, who were searching for meaning and direction at this time in their lives. In February 1968, the Beatles traveled to Rishikesh, India, to attend a three-month meditation course at the Maharishi’s Ashram.
During their time in India, the Beatles wrote many songs, including “Happiness is a Warm Gun” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” They also recorded demos for several songs that would eventually appear on the White Album, including “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey” and “Oh! Darling.” In addition, they began work on what would become some of their most iconic songs, such as “Don’t Pass Me By” and “Revolution.”
Upon their return to England, the Beatles went into seclusion at George Harrison’s country estate to continue working on new material. It was during this time that they wrote and recorded some of their most experimental music, including “Helter Skelter” and “Revolution 9.” This period of creative ferment culminated in the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, an album that incorporated many of the ideas and influences that the band members had encountered in India.
The Beatles’ trip to India was a transformative experience that had a profound impact on their music andtheir lives. Through their music, they introduced Hinduism and Eastern philosophy to a Western audience, sparking an interest in these traditions that endures to this day.
The Beatles and Transcendental Meditation
The Beatles were a hugely influential band, not only in terms of their music, but also in terms of the zeitgeist of the times. They were at the forefront of the counterculture movement of the 1960s and their music reflected this, both in terms of their lyrics and in their experimental approach to sound. One key influence on the Beatles’ sound was Hinduism, specifically the practice of transcendental meditation (TM).
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones were one of the first Western rock bands to experiment with Hindu-inspired sounds and themes. The band’s use of sitars and tablas on their 1966 hit “Paint It, Black” popularized the sitar in Western rock music. The band continued to explore Hinduism on their 1967 album, Their Satanic Majesties Request. The album’s cover art and title are both references to the Hindu god Shiva.
The Rolling Stones and India
The Rolling Stones and India have been connected since the band’s formation in 1962. The group’s frontman, Mick Jagger, visited the country in 1967 and was instantly fascinated by its culture, music, and history. The rest of the band followed suit, and soon the Stones were incorporating elements of Indian music into their own work.
The result was a new sound that blended the best of both worlds: the raw energy of rock ‘n’ roll combined with the meditative qualities of Indian music. This fusion proved to be hugely popular with audiences around the world, and it helped to cement the Rolling Stones’ reputation as one of the most innovative and forward-thinking bands of their generation.
Today, the Rolling Stones are still hugely popular in India, thanks in part to their willingness to experiment with new sounds and styles. In recent years, the band has even performed concerts in the country to rapturous receptions from diehard fans. It’s clear that the connection between the Rolling Stones and India is as strong as ever – and it shows no signs of weakening any time soon.
The Rolling Stones and the Maharishi
In 1968, the Rolling Stones famously visited the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh, India. Although their time there was short-lived – Mick Jagger left after a week, and the rest of the band left soon after – it had a profound effect on their music. The trip to India exposed them to Hinduism and Indian classical music, both of which had a significant impact on their subsequent work.
The Maharishi’s teachings influenced the Stones’ lyrics, particularly on their 1968 album Beggars Banquet. Tracks like “Street Fighting Man” and “Sympathy for the Devil” reflect the social upheaval of the times, but also contain references to Hindu concepts like karma and rebirth. The album’s cover art – a bruise-colored montage of newspaper clippings – also includes a photo of the Maharishi.
The Stones’ trip to India also had a lasting impact on their sound. After returning from Rishikesh, they began experimenting with sitars and other Indian instruments on tracks like “Paint It Black” and “Lady Jane.” They also incorporated elements of Indian classical music into their own work, as on the sprawling, hypnotic “Shine a Light” from 1972’s Exile on Main St.
The Rolling Stones’ experience with the Maharishi was just one example of the way that Hinduism has influenced popular music. From Beatles songs like “Across the Universe” to Stevie Wonder’s hit “A Place in the Sun,” countless artists have been inspired by Hindu concepts and traditions.
George Harrison
Hindus believe in a thing called karma, which is often described as the cosmic principle of cause and effect. According to Hinduism, good deeds lead to good results, while bad deeds lead to suffering. This concept of karma is often cited as one of the influences on psychedelic rock.
George Harrison and India
George Harrison’s spiritual journey to India had a profound effect on his music and the Beatles’ sound. In February of 1968, George, his wife Pattie, and close friends including Eric Clapton and Robert Friar traveled to Delhi. They spent time at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, where they participated in Transcendental Meditation (TM) and received instruction in the practice. The group then traveled to Rishikesh, located in the foothills of the Himalayas, where they studied yoga and meditation for a period of six weeks. The experience was life-changing for George Harrison; he later said that it was during this trip that he “really woke up.”
The influence of Hinduism and Indian classical music is evident in Harrison’s solo work, especially on his first post-Beatles album, All Things Must Pass. The album includes several songs with Hindu themes, such as “My Sweet Lord” and “Awaiting on You All,” both of which were inspired by the Bhagavad Gita. In addition, the album features several Indian instruments, including the sitar (played by Harrison) and tabla (played by master musician Zakir Hussain).
Following his return from India, Harrison continued to explore Hinduism and other Eastern religious traditions. He helped found the Hare Krishna Temple in London and became a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He also became good friends with Ravi Shankar, one of the world’s greatest sitar players. Under Shankar’s tutelage, Harrison became an accomplished sitar player himself; he can be heard playing the instrument on Beatles tracks like “Within You Without You” and “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown).”
George Harrison and Ravi Shankar
George Harrison’s interest in Hinduism and sitar playing began in 1966 after meeting sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, with whom he would later study. Harrison attended a number of Shankar’s concerts in England and the United States, and their collaboration on the song “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” for the Beatles’ album Rubber Soul in 1965 marked the first time a sitar had been used on a pop record.
In 1967, Harrison traveled to India to study with Shankar and participate in the recording of the latter’s album Sound of the Sitar. He subsequently became a devotee of Hinduism, taking the name “Hari Krishna” and incorporating spiritual themes into his music with the Beatles and as a solo artist. His song “My Sweet Lord” (1970), which topped charts worldwide, is seen as a pioneering example of modern devotional music.
The Kinks
The Kinks, who are commonly considered the fathers of psychedelic rock, were greatly influenced by Hinduism. The Kinks were one of the first British rock bands to incorporate Hindu-inspired sitar playing into their music. The Kinks were also one of the first bands to use feedback and distortion, which would later become synonymous with psychedelic rock.
The Kinks and India
In 1967, The Kinks released their fourth studio album, Something Else by The Kinks, which included the song “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian).” The song, written by Ray Davies, tells the story of a Native American man who is displaced from his land and forced to move to an Indian reservation.
The song was a commercial success, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart and number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was also nominated for two Grammy Awards. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Davies said that he was inspired to write the song after hearing about the displacement of Native Americans in the US: “I read a lot about the history of America and how the Indians were cheated out of their land. I felt very sorry for them.”
Davies has said that he was also influenced by Hinduism while writing the song. He explained: “I became interested in India and Hinduism around that time. I started reading books about it, and I think that may have come through in ‘Indian Reservation.’ It’s not a particularly pro-Hindu song, but I think there are certain spiritual aspects to it.”
“Indian Reservation” is just one example of how Hinduism has influenced psychedelic rock music. Other examples include The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),” which includes references to Hindu mysticism, and The Byrds’ ” Eight Miles High,” which uses a sitar to create a psychedelic sound.
The Kinks and Transcendental Meditation
The Kinks were an English rock band, formed in Muswell Hill, North London, in 1964 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most important and influential rock bands of the 20th century. The band’s music was influenced by a wide range of genres, including rhythm and blues, British music hall, folk and country.
One of the band’s most significant influences was the Hindu practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM). In 1966, the band’s frontman, Ray Davies, traveled to India to study under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Davies began practicing TM and incorporated its philosophy into his songwriting. The Kinks’ 1967 album, Something Else by the Kinks, includes several songs with Hindu-influenced themes, such as “She’s Got Everything”, “Situations”, and “Death of a Clown”.
Davies continued to practice TM throughout his life and credited it with helping him to overcome addiction and find inner peace. In 2010, he said: “It was only when I started Transcendental Meditation that I realized there was another way of living… it gave me a great sense of balance.”
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys were an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961. The group’s original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. Influenced by the pop music of the time, they initially catered to the party crowd at surf music hangouts such as Kokomo. By the mid-1960s, however, the Beach Boys developed their own style, which incorporated elements of western and Indian music.
The Beach Boys and India
The Beach Boys were one of the most influential bands of the 20th century, and their music was greatly influenced by the Hindu culture of India. The band was introduced to Hinduism by their manager, Murry Wilson, who was a devotee of the religion. The Beach Boys would often chant mantras and play sitars and tablas on their records. They even had a hit song called “Sanskrit” which featured Indian instruments and sounds.
The band’s love for India continued throughout their career, and they even went on a pilgrimage to the country in 1967. The trip had a profound effect on them, and they came back with a new appreciation for Indian culture and music. They would continue to incorporate Hindu influences into their music for the rest of their career.
The Beach Boys and Transcendental Meditation
The Beach Boys were one of the most successful rock bands of the 1960s, and their music has been influential in many genres, including psychedelic rock. The band’s connection to Hinduism and Transcendental Meditation (TM) began when musician Mike Love met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1967. The band soon began practicing TM, and their 1968 album, “Smile,” included several tracks with Hindu-inspired themes.
While the band’s connection to Hinduism was initially tolerated by the mainstream music industry, it eventually became a source of contention. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Beach Boys’ use of Indian instrumentation and vocal chanting on tracks like “She’s so Good to Me” and “All I Wanna Do” was criticized by some as being culturally insensitive. The band continued to experiment with Hindu-inspired sounds on subsequent albums, but they ultimately returned to a more traditional pop sound in the 1980s.
