The Source Family

All of the above.

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redcloud
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The Source Family

Post by redcloud »

I've spoken about this cult in another thread. Led by Father Yod (Jim Baker) who owned a vegetarian restaurant in LA. Eventually he formed a cult in the hills of LA then took them to Hawaii. Yod and members of the cult also recorded several primal, organic, psychedelic albums called YaHoWa13. Sky Saxon, amongst others, also spent time in the cult. It all came to an end when Yod died in a hang glider accident. There's a really good book written by Isis Aquarian that details much of it but is somewhat biased as she had a great experience and to this day cannot see much wrong with Yod. Others who were in the cult, however, have a different story to tell. I met Isis and another ex-member (Om-ne) in Portland a few years back. She was a lovely lady who just beamed hippie spirituality. Ended up getting them both to sign my book.

Anyway....I knew they were making a film but I didn't realize it was finished, past production and already being shown at film festivals. We were at a small indie theatre last night and saw the trailer for it. I love things like this and look forward to seeing it when it comes to town:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3f4aleOAxo
runcible
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Re: The Source Family

Post by runcible »

That's going to very interesting...
redcloud
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Re: The Source Family

Post by redcloud »

Opened in Portland last night and only playing here for a few days. Going out with a friend tonight to see it. Will report back later.

EDIT: I find stories such as this really fascinating. What is interesting is how the kids of the 60's left the middle class, conservative families of the 50's and needed to find themselves. Along the way they discovered mind altering substances and rock and roll music. Some then left the cities to set up communes to live with other like minded people, while others turned to religion and god to try and find spirituality. The story takes the familiar twist of teens/young adults following a very charismatic 50 year old man (Jim Baker) who ultimately claims he is god (Father Yod/YaHoWah). For whatever reason these stoned youngsters buy into it and think that he really is the prophet and divine spirit. At its height the cult had about 150 followers and 54 births! Father Yod has constant free sex with many of the ladies who are all free willing and essentially queuing up for him as they believe he is taking them to a higher place. He chants gibberish or talks pseudo-intellectual spiritual nonsense while they all sit in circles around him. The only drug regularly used was marijuana. So, it is not like they are totally high as kites and completely out of it. Yet, why they bought into all of this or their need for a father figure is complex, but interesting psychology. The story is mainly told through the voices and faces of several key members who are now all in their 60's. Some of the ladies still cry about it and talk about how much they loved Jim Baker other ex-members are reclusive and living totally off the grid while others are millionaires who made it big in the fields of computing or science research. As one guy says in the opening scenes...if you want to know about Southern California spiritual cults you need to look know further than The Source Family. The old footage and stills of them wearing their white robes, long flowing hair, jesus beards, meditating, dancing, giving birth, driving Rolls Royce's, playing music, standing in a swimming pool staring at the moon chanting all makes for a very engaging film.

Anyone who is remotely interested in stories such as this should definitely check it out.
Laz69
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Re: The Source Family

Post by Laz69 »

http://thequietus.com/articles/12404-th ... ily-review

Article in The Quietus about this...
Hofstadter
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Re: The Source Family

Post by Hofstadter »

dublab hosted an event at a popup restaurant that was mimicking the original source restaurant just for this past month to honor the release of the documentary! they actually staged the pop up shop for a little bit at cinefamily (arthaus theater), which was the only theater in la screening the doc! it was a week or two ago, felt like an amazing start to the summer, especially with some of the details of the event that i will maybe fill in later, but for now, check out this little review of the restaurant (that's me carrying bags of ice in the second photo hehe) http://www.coolhunting.com/culture/than ... coming.php
redcloud
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Re: The Source Family

Post by redcloud »

Laz69 wrote:http://thequietus.com/articles/12404-th ... ily-review

Article in The Quietus about this...
That's a brilliant article/review.
nghst
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Re: The Source Family

Post by nghst »

I watched this a couple days ago on Amazon Prime. It was very thought provoking. It was interesting that they went to High Schools and performed. I wonder what the teachers and kids made of them and how they got invited in the first place. Now I've got into another cult documentary on Netflix called Wild Wild Country about an Indian Guru and his followers who moved to Oregon in the early 80's and in so doing create a whole bunch of chaos. There's also a spoof of this on Documentary Now which is pretty funny. Also, I miss Redcloud.
olan
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Re: The Source Family

Post by olan »

nghst wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2020 7:28 pm [snip]...Also, I miss Redcloud.
Absolutely spot on. There are far too many good people MIA from this board.
sunray
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Re: The Source Family

Post by sunray »

Both The Source Family and Wild Wild Country are excellent docs. As are the ones on Waco and the Jonestown Massacre. I always find this kind of stuff fascinating.

And yes, Redcloud is sorely missed.
Nineteen...Nineteen...Six Five
purespace
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Re: The Source Family

Post by purespace »

Source Family scrapbook and other interesting items released by Sacred Bones Records today
https://www.facebook.com/147381171176/p ... tid=Nif5oz
I think I feel it coming on
Darby
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Re: The Source Family

Post by Darby »

I used to eat at The Source on Sunset - it had an odd vibe. One never knew who'd be there, as it was clearly a be-in spot. I was rather young but really enjoyed the place. I was given their oversized paper book, which I still have today. It was an entry point for me to check out other paths, ideologies, and workings. One connection was to a man named Manley P. Hall. He owned and operated the Philosophical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Los Feliz, not too far from The Source. That was a launching pad! Greg Shaw (BOMP!) and I attended many meditations and lectures at PRL. We very much enjoyed Jospeph Campbell. Great moments in LA. But yeah, there was a bit of cult-ish vibe around many of these 'learning centers' - kundalini tantra, Rosacrusians, OTO, IOT, Jungians, and many more.
“Curiouser and curiouser!”
jesus son
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Re: The Source Family

Post by jesus son »

I'm guessing this might be totally unrelated, but wasn't the first press of Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To "A Father Yod Production" record?
sunray
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Re: The Source Family

Post by sunray »

jesus son wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 9:44 am I'm guessing this might be totally unrelated, but wasn't the first press of Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To "A Father Yod Production" record?
It was indeed. Father Yod was the name of the label set up by music critic Byron Coley. I think he's involved with Feeding Tube Records these days. No connection to the Source Family though afaik.
Nineteen...Nineteen...Six Five
catweazel
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Re: The Source Family

Post by catweazel »

Inspired by the post above, I decided to dig around...

PSF: How did the Yod record label come about?

The first thing I put out on that was a Spacemen 3. It was originally going to be on Forced Exposure Records. But right when we were getting ready to put it out, they signed an American deal with a label. So it was gonna be conflict if we were gonna sell it as a Forced Exposure thing. And we didn't wanna get a licensing thing from the label. So I thought 'fuck, I'll just put another name on it.' I'd been doing a radio show under the name Father Yod so I just decided to do it as 'Father Yod Presents.' So I put that one out and for a long time, that was the only one. But then, at a certain point... Some of the stuff I'd put out, I put out on different labels. There's some Twisted Village Records that I put out and for Forced Exposure Records, Ecstatic Peace Records...

(plucked from here)

http://www.furious.com/perfect/byroncoley3.html

So there's the connection with the Spacemen 3 Forced Exposure 7"
jesus son
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Re: The Source Family

Post by jesus son »

Ahhh, cool. Thanks both for the clarifications and for sharing that interesting Byron Coley interview.
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