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Yogiobit: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
The death has been announced of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whose time spent with the Beatles was intended to turn the world onto the benefits of his Transcendental Meditation spirituality money-spinner but wound up inspiring Lennon's Sexy Sadie and one of the stock Beatles-comedy-sketches. Most recently, the Beatles-at-feet-of-Yogi comedy staple was used by the Walk Hard.
To his followers, he was visionary. He did cheer up one of the Thatcher-era general elections by fielding candidates in enough seats to get the only Party Election Broadcasts to feature potential MPs hovering above the floor. Admittedly, closer inspection of 'yogic flying' suggested it owed more to Derbyshire's method of 'swimming' by hopping across the pool floor and hoping nobody noticed. His detractors, however, merely counted his money and wondered who was having the last laugh.
His work will continue, in part through the plans of Donovan and David Lynch to build a TM university in Scotland which will somehow defeat Scotland's enemies.
8 comments:
The Natural Law Party Election Broadcast was in 1992, the year they pretty much formed as a political presence with a full-page advert in every daily paper featuring, if memory serves, cariacatures of all their candidates, partly financed by George Harrison. A school friend's mother was among them, although nobody could bring themselves to enquire further about it. They were still going in 1997 but presumably the lost deposits made an impact after that.
They also had a wonderful approach to election literature, if I recall - all elaborate diagrams and so on...
Of course, 1992 wasn't - strictly speaking - the Thatcher era, though it was probably the most devastating, horrible election of the lot.
more to Derbyshire's method of 'swimming' by hopping across the pool floor and hoping nobody noticed
I don't understand the reference, Simon. If you're talking about the county, I'll have you know that lots us us can swim- some without armbands.
@Olive -
It's from the Jennings books - the boy, rather than the county. I sink like a stone...
Oh- I get you. Excuse the pedandtry, but Jenning's chum was actually called Derbishire.
Anyway, regarding the TM school, I seem to recall from one of Stuart Maconie's books that they already have one in Lancashire.
Also excuse my lousy spelling!
I'm open to correction on this, but I think George Harrison's last ever public performance was at an NLP rally of some sort.
The other great pop/Yogi connection was that time when the Beach Boys tried to record a Christmas album at the Marharishi International University.
Oh, and of course it's Darbishire. You clodpoll!
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