Posted: 19 Apr 2010 07:06 AM PDT

By Dean Nelson in New Delhi
Published: 7:30AM BST 19 Apr 2010

The collaboration between the Indian composer and the British pop band went inspired psychedelia, the 1960s movement that blended mind-altering drugs with experimental beat music that was one of the dominant cultural influences of the decade.

It took The Beatles to India to meet the Maharishi, inspired George Harrison to take sitar lessons from Pandit Ravi Shankar, and had a deep influence on albums including Rubber Soul, Revolver and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Sitar sounds later featured on The Rolling Stones hit Paint it Black and Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours".

But according to McGuinn, founder of the American rock band that had hits with "Mr Tambourine Man" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!", has now spoken for the first time about the moment he introduced Ravi Shankar's music to The Beatles.

According to McGuinn, the birth of the counterculture movement began when the Beatles sent a limousine to collect him and fellow Byrds founder David Crosby to hang out with them at Zsa-Zsa Gabor's Bel Air mansion, which they were renting during their 1965 tour of the United States.

"There were girls at the gates, police guards. We went in and David, John Lennon, George Harrison and I took LSD to help get to know each other better. There was a large bathroom in the house and we were all sitting on the edge of a shower passing around a guitar, taking turns to play our favourite songs. John and I agreed Be-Bop-A-Lula was our favourite 50s rock record.

"I showed George Harrison some Ravi Shankar sounds, which I'd heard because we shared the same record company, on the guitar. I told him about Ravi Shankar and he said he had never heard Indian music before," McGuinn told the Daily Telegraph from his home in Florida.

"You can hear what I played him from the Byrds' song 'Why'. I had learned to play it on the guitar from listening to records of Ravi Shankar," he added.

Harrison became the first Western pop musician to play a sitar on the song Norwegian Wood, and visited Shankar in Kashmir the following year to take sitar lessons.

After discussing Indian music, McGuinn said the conversation turned to religion, and he asked Harrison "what he thought about God". Harrison, who later became a disciple of the Maharishi and an advocate of Transcendental Meditation and "yogic flying", replied: "We don't know about that."

"Then they didn't know whether there was a God or not or about anything going on in the spiritual world, they were oblivious to it," he said.

When he next met George Harrison on a plane some time later, the Beatle was so focused on Indian religion that he was "transcending" in his seat, McGuinn said.

"We talked about Transcendental Meditation and he looked like he was somewhere else. I asked him 'what's going on?' and he said he was 'transcending'," he said.

"We planted the seeds [of psychedelia]. We loved Indian music and did some things in that vein, but not as much as The Beatles. Later they went out there [to India], got some sitars, met Ravi Shankar and learned to play them, and got into the whole Eastern Thing. We didn't really realise it but it had an impact. We loved the Beatles and they loved The Byrds, and we were sharing influences," he added.

At the time, he said, LSD and Indian music were a natural fit at a time when many were trying to "discover the truth about spiritual things".

McGuinn's memories of introducing the Beatles to Indian influences were stirred when he read a Daily Telegraph article in which Ravi Shankar, who is proud of his role as a classical Hindustani musician, voiced his anger at the Beatles for turning him into a "pop star" and surrounding him with drugged-out hippies.

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Beatles and Ravi Shankar met at Zsa Zsa Gabor's LSD party: Byrds singer

Posted: 19 Apr 2010 03:47 AM PDT

London, April 19 : The Beatles were introduced to the music of Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar at Zsa Zsa Gabor's LSD party in LA, The Byrds founder Roger McGuinn has revealed.

According to McGuinn, the birth of the counterculture movement, the psychedelia rage of the 1960s, began when the Beatles sent a limousine to collect him and fellow Byrds founder David Crosby to party with them at Zsa-Zsa Gabor''s Bel Air mansion, which they had rented during their 1965 US tour.

He went on: "I showed George Harrison some Ravi Shankar sounds, which I''d heard because we shared the same record company, on the guitar. I told him about Ravi Shankar and he said he had never heard Indian music before," McGuinn told the Daily Telegraph from his home in Florida.

"You can hear what I played him from the Byrds'' song ''Why''. I had learned to play it on the guitar from listening to records of Ravi Shankar."

Harrison later became the first Western pop star to play a sitar on the song Norwegian Wood, and visited Shankar in Kashmir the following year to take sitar lessons.

McGuinn said a discussion on Indian music was followed by a conversation on religion, and he asked Harrison "what he thought about God".

Harrison, who was to later become the Maharishi''s disciple and an advocate of Transcendental Meditation and "yogic flying", answered: "We don''t know about that."

"Then they didn''t know whether there was a God or not or about anything going on in the spiritual world, they were oblivious to it," McGuinn said.

Talking about his next encounter with Harrison on a plane, McGuinn said: "We talked about Transcendental Meditation and he looked like he was somewhere else. I asked him ''what''s going on?'' and he said he was ''transcending''.

He added: "We planted the seeds [of psychedelia]. We loved Indian music and did some things in that vein, but not as much as The Beatles. Later they went out there [to India], got some sitars, met Ravi Shankar and learned to play them, and got into the whole Eastern Thing. We didn''t really realise it but it had an impact. We loved the Beatles and they loved The Byrds, and we were sharing influences."

--ANI

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ESCONDIDO: A Tribute to The Beatles

Posted: 18 Apr 2010 08:50 PM PDT

North County Times | Posted: April 18, 2010 8:31 pm | Loading… | Print

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George Harrison is portrayed by Robert Bielma of Abbey Road, A Tribute to The Beatles, during a live performance Sunday for 25 Escondido students and police officers at the Lawrence Welk Theater in Escondido. The event, made possible by the Escondido Police Officers Association, was held to reach out to the city's young people and give back to the community.

Posted in Escondido on Sunday, April 18, 2010 8:31 pm | Tags: Escondido, Inland, Nct, News,

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Beatles On Tap For Cincinnati Pops

Posted: 18 Apr 2010 08:50 AM PDT

CINCINNATI -- Fans of the Beatles will enjoy music performed by the Cincinnati Pops today.

The concert will feature music by John Lennon and George Harrison of the Beatles including "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds."

Conductor Steven Reinke will be at the podium starting at 3 p.m. for the Sunday, April 18 concert at Music Hall.

The concert, "For George and John: Harrison and Lennon Remembered," will celebrate the two legends on the 70th birth year of Lennon.

Tickets range from $20 to $93.

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The Beatles

Monday, April 19, 2010

“Beatles introduced to Ravi Shankar at Zsa Zsa Gabor's LSD party, Byrds singer reveals” plus 3

“Beatles introduced to Ravi Shankar at Zsa Zsa Gabor's LSD party, Byrds singer reveals” plus 3

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