Sit Properly

I’m, of course, way too young to have been a part of the Radha Damodara Traveling Sankirtan Party. And honestly, I don’t know much about it – mostly just from Srila Prabhupada Memories DVDs and the random story here and there.

There’s also a huge book about it.

Nevertheless, I’ve got a tape full of RDTSKP just for you!

KT-10 Radha Damodara Traveling Sakirtana Party Kirtans
w/ Vishnujana Swami

And again, thanks to Brian, I’ve got scans of the original tapes to share with you. Haribol!

This is the track list, which is quite different from the original tape (pictured above). This is from the BBT rerelease of the tape (as all of mine are).

1) Govinda Jaya Jaya
2) Sadha Bhakata
3) Gaur Nityananda Bol
4) Kabe Habe Bolo Sabi Nam
5) Gopinath
6) Manasa Deha Geha
7) Sri Rupa Manjan
8) Jai Sachinandana
9) Han Haraye Namah
10) Kirtan

This is some good stuff. What kirtans should sound like.

Click here to download.

Hey folks! I don’t have a lot of time to write this out – working retail during the Christmas season. But this is a good one. You should check it out.

119 of you downloaded last Saturday’s. Thanks! That really makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

So check this out. Yamuna, Dannanath and a mess of Acyutananda! Can’t go wrong. No way, no how!

KT-09 – Delhi Pandal Kirtans

1) Kirtan Lead by Yamuna devi
2) Kirtan Lead by Dannanath das
3) Hari Haraya Namah by Acyutananda Swami
4) Radhe Shayama by Acyutananda Swami
5) Kiba Jaya by Acyutananda Swami
6) Radha Govinda by Acyutananda Swami

Click here to download.

After weeks of Hamsadutta, don’t you deserve some Visnujana? Why yes, I believe you do.

So here you go, a whole take of Visnujana Swami. And this is a real treat. My second favorite tape in the whole KT series (first favorite is KT-14, but we’ll get to that in a couple months).

KT-8 Visnujana Swami – Aratik in New York City

Click here to download.

1. Visnujana Swami – Studio Recording
2. Hare Krishna Kirtan
3. Aratik in New York
4. Nrsinga Prayers
5. Hare Krishna Chant

The first side (tracks one and two) starts off with a 26 minute studio recording with Visnujana Swami at the helm. It’s really got some bass to it. Maybe it’s just the way that I mixed it from the tape, but you’re going to want to pull your bandanna down real low for this one.

Track two is pretty much just a guitar and female-led Hare Krishna bhajana. I’m not sure who the vocalist is, but Visnujana Swami is there in response. Great song and pretty heart-wrenching. I don’t usually go for the western instruments thing, but this isn’t at all bad.

Side two gives us a super awesome kirtan done over a background of aratik bells (that are possibly cowbells). This gets to be all sorts of fun at the end.

My favorite bit on this tape is this all acapella version of the Nsringa Prayers. It’s done in a call and response that sounds a lot like an old negro spiritual. This is really well done.

Probably added as filler, this two minute kirtana, also led by a woman (same women as track two?) is a bit strange in the melody department. It really sounds like something out of the 70′s (which it is). But I think I like it.

Anyway, glad to be able to bring you another edition of Classic ISKCON Tapes. Happy Saturday!

I’m writing this on Friday night, it’ll post Saturday morning. Right now, the power is off in my apartment. It’s been for a few hours now. I suppose I could come up with something extremely Krishna conscious to say about that, but really, I think my heater blew a fuse, but nobody seems to know where that specific fuse might live. Is there a lesson to be learned here? I don’t think so.

Lucky for me, they fixed the radiator in my apartment. Prior to that, I only had electric heat. If they had not fixed it, I’d be one cold lil penguin.

So since I’ve got this laptop and a neighbor who is kind enough to let me borrow his internet when mine goes down, I bring to you…

KT-07 – Hare Krsna Kirtans

I don’t have the track list, that’s on my other computer – no electricity. And I don’t have a picture of the cassette itself, same reason.

Sorry for such a post. But you can still download it and enjoy it. 93 people downloaded last week’s. That’s pretty cool. Thanks!

Edit: Power still out. Tofu outside window to prevent major international incident.

Edit part two: Super majorly huge problem – more on that tomorrow. Good grief, indeed.

More Edit -

Track Listing:
1. Hare Krsna
2. Gouranga
3. Ratha-Yatra Festival
4. Jaya Radhe
5. Pralaya Prayers
6. N.Y. Aratika

It’s not everyday you find a record you’ve been looking for for five years. Last week, I found one in the Netherlands. I knew it existed, but hadn’t seen it for sale in a long, long time.

What is this? Oh it’s the Krsna Meditations double LP – All Srila Prabhupada. Pretty cool, eh? [click on thumbnails to see full view]

Here you can see it setting next to another Krsna Meditations LP, also all Srila Prabhupada. Same picture. Same cover. But the one I got is a double LP, so twice the music.

Sort of.

Both records were released by Radha Govinda Productions. The single LP is RGP #1005 (their fifth release), the double LP is #1003 (their third release).

#1005 has only two songs, Prayers to the Six Goswamis on the first side and Yasomati-nandana and Cintamani on the second.

#1003′s track list is:

Disc One – Side One
1) Prayers to the Six Goswamis

Disc One – Side Two
1) Gaura Pranam
2) Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu

Disc Two – Side One
1) Jaya Radhe Jaya Krsna

Disc Two – Side Two
1) Yasomati-nandana
2) Cintamani

The problem is that right now I don’t have a turn table, so I don’t know if Disc One Side One and Disc Two Side Two of #1003 is the same as Side One and Side Two of #1005. But I assume it is.

Both records have the same songs and same covers. But #1003 is a Double LP, having an extra two sides of Srila Prabhupada. Also a Gatefold Sleeve:

Ok guys, before I start this, I have to ask… 65 of you have downloaded the Hamsadutta double LP. That’s a LOT. I warned you… why didn’t you listen?!

Well clearly you like punishment, so let’s round out the Hamsadutta-centric Hare Krsna Records catalog with the final installment…

HKR #1003 – Hare Krsna Festival

This is, by far, the second most available ISKCON record on Ebay, etc. Radha Krsna Temple [produced by the famous George Harrison... he was in the Beatles, you know, he gave us a house!] being the first.

However, there is naturally some weirdness about this release. Hare Krsna Records wasn’t the only label to release this. Radha Krsna Productions, also out of Germany, also released this. Why? I have no idea.

Now, just who is Radha Krsna Productions? Again, no idea. Both covers are identical, save for the address in the bottom left corner.

Radha Krsna Productions clams this to be their 4th release (RKP #1004). I have three of their other releases (1001 and 1005… 1003, a possibly a Srila Prabhupada double LP, is on the way… I don’t have and can’t find #1002).

Anyway, back to HKR #1003/RKP #1004… The aptly titled Hare Krsna Festival. Germany, where all of the Hare Krsna Festival records come from, must have been a happening place around 1974. Clearly, they were always having festivals! Every single record released by them at that time was called Hare Krsna Festival!

And yes, this once again has Hamsadutta waling and moaning throughout it. Maybe you guys like that. Never heard it? Well, here’s a fine example… (it’s really short, so even Rati & Dwija can download it!)
15 Seconds of Hans

But let’s get to the record.

Side One

1) Vande Ham – Fifteen or so minutes of a nice kirtan lead by Hamsadutta. Harmonium, mrdanga and kartals. The assembled devotees and Hamsadutta’s own improvisation accompany him.

Side Two

1) Tulasi Prayer – Led by a female, probably Hamsadutta’s wife, Himavati. This is the same exact recording that was on the Hare Krsna Festival 7″ HKR #2001.

2) Jaya Radhe Jaya Krsna – Led by Hamsadutta. This is the same exact recording that was on the Hare Krsna Festival 7″ HKR #2003.

3) Vande Ham – Led by Hamsadutta. And this is the same exact recording that was on the Hare Krsna Festival 7″ HKR #2002.

Side two of this LP is just a rehashing of stuff that was released on 7″‘s. Side one, however, seems to be a new recording. You really have to question what was going through their bald little heads while releasing these records. Also notice, on the label, how Hamsadutta has credited himself with writing all of the songs. “Hans Kary”… pretty bold, eh?

Ok, So that does it for the entire Hare Krsna Records label. A label dedicated to preserving the moaning and waling of Hamsadutta das for generations to come.

If you’re curious (and I know you are), here’s a rundown of their catalog:

Hare Krsna Records
12″ LPs
- 1001 – Hare Krsna Festival
- 1002 – Hare Krsna Festival Part II
- 1003 – Hare Krsna Festival
- 1004 – The Beautiful Hare Krsna People Double LP (Rereleased #1001 & #1002)
7″ Singles
- 2001 – Hare Krsna Festival
- 2002 – Hare Krsna Festival
- 2003 – Hare Krsna Festival Amsterdam

You’ve made it this far, I guess I better give you the link so you can download it.

And for next Ekadasi, I promise, no more Hamsadutta, ok?

Hola, fellow Kritters! Welcome to Saturday.

Today is the day for KT-6.

Now, before I start in on this, I want to thank the devotees who have done some research on the subject of tapes. I’m interested in the tapes, but not as much as records, so I don’t really pay too much attention. It seems like the KT series extends to number 26. I thought it was only 20.

According to Atmananda prabhu, the KT series continues…
KT-21 Resevior of Pleasure – Rksaraja
KT-22 Nama Hatta Band
KT-23 Bhakti Rasa – Agnideva
KT-24 Ancient Hymns
KT-25 well we have 2 for this spot
KT-26 Tribute to Prabhupada – Agnideva

For KT-25, he’s got a Srila Prabhupada tape and something else, but I’m not quite sure what. There’s also a “Live at Sweetwaters” tape, but I don’t know what that’s from. Maybe KT-25? The tapes are confusing. There are other series as well. Why doesn’t the archives at least keep track of these? If you want them to copy them to CD for you, it’s $20 per hour of music. That’s a lot.

So here, I’ve done 1-20 for you. This is #6. If anyone else would like to do 21 – 26 or any of the other series, that would be great. Your only reward will be a pat on the back, which you will have to administer yourself, which is still better than a slap on the belly with a wet trout.

KT-6 Hare Krishna Kirtans – Baradraja dasa (New York)

Click here to download.

1) Hare Krishna Kirtan
2) Nrsimha Prayers
3) Nama-sankirtana
4) Hare Krishna Kirtan

Some caveats: The sound quality isn’t great. These are from old tapes recorded by devotees. Quality wasn’t a priority. Also, they’re MP3s encoded at 128kbs – not the highest quality. But listenable.

Here’s a list of all the tapes…