Classic ISKCON Vinyl – Hare Krsna Festival 7″ (HKR-2001)
I’ve been very incredibly lax with posting new re-rips of the old ISKCON records that I have. Mostly this is due to computer issues that I’ve finally ironed out (you know, sort of). I thought that it would be best to start small, since I’m using a bit of a new set up – everything is now going to be recorded, edited, etc on my laptop (rather than desktop) running LinuxMint 7.
So here we go, with a small offering…
Hare Krsna Festival
Hare Krsna Records
HKR-2001
A good chunk of the ISKCON records released in the 70s were titled “Hare Krsna Festival.” This makes telling one apart from the next fairly difficult. Most of those records were released by Hare Krsna Records out of Germany. This label appears to have been run by Hamsadutta dasa.
Hare Krsna Records released at least four full-length LPs and three 7″s (known as “45s” to some folk). Hare Krsna Festival (HKR-2001) appears to be the first.
This release contains two songs. Both of the songs are sung by a mataji named Krsna Premi.
“Tulasi Prayers,” on the first side, is sweet and fully traditional (with addition of a harmonium). It starts slow and is steady throughout, leaving out the “yani kani ca papani…” at the end. It’s a great little song anyway.
“Hare Krsna Kirtan,” on the flip side, is sung by this same mataji and is a bit more upbeat. There are kartals, a mrdanga and harmonium. The song builds, faster and faster until its fade out. A splendid little record, this!
Side A
Tulasi Prayer
Side B
Hare Krsna Kirtan
My copy of this 7″ was in very good condition. There wasn’t much to clean up. That said, a few pops and clicks remain. Most of the issues with the audio come from the source recording. There’s a bit of wavering between right and left channels and even a strange cut out/fuzz near the beginning of “Hare Krsna Kirtan.” This 7″ is still very listenable and I’m betting you’ll enjoy it.
This 7″ is available as high quality mp3s and as “lossless” FLAC files. For most of you, the MP3 at 320kbps will be more than sufficient. For those who like FLAC files, leave a comment and I’ll get them to you.
Samples of the songs are available in the comments.
Click here to download the 7″ in one zip file! (19 MB)
Technical Information:
Media Used:
Vinyl 7″ from my personal collection.
Hardware Used:
Turntable: Audio Technica PL-120A
Cartridge: ATP-2XN (Stock)
TCC TC-750LC Audiophile Phono Preamp
Soundcard: Roland Edirol UA-1EX USB external soundcard
Software Used:
Audacity 1.3.7 on Linux Mint 7
-Digital recording from soundcard
-Editing and splitting of tracks
Gnome Wave Cleaner 0.21-05
-Manual and automatic click/pop removal
SoundConverter 1.4.1
-Converted Wav to 320kbps MP3 and FLAC
Artwork Scanned from Original @ 300 dpi with XSane .996
Edited and Restored Using GIMP Image Editor 2.6.6
Related posts:
11/02/2009 at 1:58 pm
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Tulasi Prayer
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Hare Krsna Kirtan
[Reply]
11/02/2009 at 5:58 pm
I know I am complaining about myself here but there is always that one guy that is louder or just a beat off trying to riff on the mantra. Done right (see George Harrison) it works well, done wrong (usually if I am doing it) it sounds like crap.
[Reply]
eric Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:55 am
Yeah… I’ve got a feeling you’ll be hearing a lot from that “one guy” over my next couple of posts.
[Reply]
Alan Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
At the risk of being offensive, I believe that “one guy” is actually Hamsadutta dasa. Have you heard him sing/chant? Um, he sounds a bit unusual, no?
~Alan
[Reply]
eric Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
[Reply]
11/02/2009 at 6:10 pm
Thank you so very much Eric for this service. Along with the relish of these classics, it is helping greatly in the preservation of these sounds.
I was wondering if you had the following album in your collection. I am not sure if it was ever released an LP record, but it is by the same artist. I heard a cassette tape of this album in 1999 ans it was the first Hare Krishna Album I ever heard. I heard it for 6 months continuously until the tape went bad. I really felt nostalgic when I saw Krishna Premi Dasi’s name on your blog today.
http://mp3fiesta.com/krishna_premi_dasi_nectar_of_the_holy_name_album117035/
Anyways, thanks again for your wonderful service. Jai Srila Prabhupada!!
Your servant
Sri kisore das
[Reply]
eric Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:57 am
Haribol!
Honestly, I thought that the vocals were done by Himavati (Hansadutta’s wife) until I read the label. I have never heard of Krishna Premi before. I love her voice though.
So, nope, I don’t have that in my collection.
[Reply]
Hrimati dasi Reply:
December 21st, 2010 at 6:17 am
it is Krishna Premi singing and not Himavati. I was there during the recording ( I was also singing)
She sang the Tulasi prayers so beautifully and had an incredible voice…
[Reply]
11/02/2009 at 9:34 pm
[Reply]
eric Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:58 am
(:))
[Reply]
11/11/2009 at 2:49 pm
Hari bol, dear friends,
when I listened to the link Sri Kisore Das gave above I was wondering if that Mataji is the same you hear on the 1974 record. Unfortunately there are no information about the (1974) Krsna Premi dd here in Europe. But it is very difficult to get information about the records that were made under Hansaduttas time anyway. After Hansadutta it was Harikesha Vishnupada who managed things over here and it was more or less offensive to play or repeat things from Hansadutta`s time. So that makes things difficult to recall. By now there are still many devotees from ” the old times” who are back “on the scene”,especially after Vishnupada`s quit, but still hardly information to get.
all glories
peter
[Reply]
eric Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Haribol!
Info on these records is very limited, you’re right. Aside from the regime change, they seemed so haphazardly and carelessly done that it had to have been a blur. I wouldn’t expect anyone to remember it. Though it would be great if they did!
[Reply]
Hrimati dasi Reply:
December 21st, 2010 at 6:24 am
I believe this recording was done in Sweden in 1973 when Srila Prabhupada came there. I was there. Krishna Premi, Ajita’s wife, was a beautiful singer. We were singing on stage. I think is was in the auditorium of the Upsala university.
[Reply]