JIVA: Rock Group

Jiva was a rock band with a much harder sound than most of the "premie" musicians and they were signed to George Harrison's vanity label Dark Horse records. Whether this was done purely on a musical basis or because Harrison was in the process of courting and marrying Olivia Arias who was a premie and friendly with the band is unknown. They had a shot at stardom as the support band for the Fleetwood Mac tour in 1975 which made superstars of Fleetwood Mac but it was not to be. I still enjoy their music 35 years after deciding that the guru that they sung about is shiite. In a 2013 interview Michael Lanning said he was was still doing Prem Rawat's meditation after 40 years though in 1975 mentioning Guru Maharaj Ji on an album or in a song was a no-no. Of course, these days virtually nobody knows who Prem Rawat is and virtually nobody remembers Guru Maharaj Ji. Nevertheless you could do a lot worse than buying these 4 albums for $25 from Bandcamp.

The Holy Lotus Feet from the cover of Still Life

Maharaji rocks out to Jiva. How he loves dressing up.

Michael Nouri, a 40 year premie
& common law wife-beater with band member

And that experience is always there, because it's infinite! And we can always achieve it. We can always be there, by going to Guru Maharaj Ji, by going to the Perfect Master. Because Perfect Master not only teaches us perfectness -- and that is why he is a Perfect Master -- but he has the key. And not only does he have the key, but that answer, that solution, that experience, lies within him. Because he is that experience. And by approaching that Master, then he unfolds, he unites yourself, that individual, that one jiva, that one soul, to himself, and thus bridges the most, most incredible barrier, crossing the most wide, most outrageous, most violent stream of all between us, crossing all factors of time, life, death, anything that's finite -- crossing all those factors -- and bringing us into that perfect harmony and that perfect unity. - Prem Rawat aka Guru Maharaj Ji May 28 1978

Michael Lanning was interviewed in May 1975 after being signed by George Harrison to his Dark Horse label.

What kind of songs are on the album? Are they songs to Guru Maharaj Ji?
They're all to Guru Maharaj Ji, but we haven't mentioned Maharaj Ji's name. That's a no-no. Of course a song like "Something's Going On Inside LA" naturally talks about Knowledge. The lead-off song on the album will probably be a song called "Take My Love." Maharaj Ji really likes that song a lot. The first time we recorded it, he suggested we do it again without the background. Then George wanted to re-record "Ocean of Mercy" off the Hans Jayanti album, because he really liked it, so it might be on our first album, too. The rest will probably be all new material. We've written 30 new songs. The album's going to be really commercial - we've cut almost everything down to under three minutes, really fast. Our first album will only have one ballad, a song that Guru Maharaj Ji likes a lot, called "Love Is A Treasure." He asked us to do it for one of his home movies.

Have you had any contact with Maharaj Ji since you found out about the contract?
No, not really. He's been very busy in India. But before he went we made him a demo tape. He wants us to do a wedding song for the movie of his wedding. We're going to go ahead and do that at the record plant at our studios. He doesn't know that yet, but if he comes home soon we'll tell him.

1975 JIVA

Something's Going' on in L.A.
The Closer I Get
Love is a Treasure
Take My Love
Hey Brother

World of Love
What You're Waiting For?
It's Time You Know
Don't be Sad
All is Well

Thomas Hilton - guitar, vocals;
Michael Lanning - guitar, vocals;
Mike Reed - drums, percussion;
James Strauss - bass, vocals

Available through Bandcamp cheap at $5  

1977 MORE GRACE - (Remixed 2012)

1. Best Of Life 04:48
2. Right Inside 03:54
3. Sing Me 02:41
4. Page In My Heart 05:37
5. Shine Together 03:06
6. Love is the Feeling 04:12
7. Thief In The Night 05:44
8. Prayer 05:36
9. Alone With You 02:32
10. Moon Song 03:29

Michael Lanning, vocals, guitar, piano
Tommy Hilton, vocals, guitar, bass
Patrick Pearsall, vocals, lead guitar
Stephen Halter, vocals, keyboards
Reedo Reed, guest drummer & percussion
Judy Jacobs (Rosen), vocals

Available through Bandcamp cheap at $7.50

1978 STILL LIFE

Face The Light
Take My Love
Let It Go
Hanging On To That Sand

Just For You
That Scene Again
Remember
You Belong To Me
Love Is The Feeling

Michael Scott Lanning: Lead vocals, guitar
Patric Pearsall: Lead guitar
Thomas Walter Hilton: Bass
Steven Halter: Keyboards
Reedo: Drums, percussion

PRANAM SHRI SANT JI MAHARAJ

1978/2014 ELECTRIC GRACE

1. LOVERS MADE FROM FOOLS 03:54
2. IT'S SO EASY 03:23
3. THUNDER EYES 03:56
4. THE STRANGER 03:19
5. HOME AGAIN 02:19
6. WOULD NOT BE LIVING 04:11
7.SURRENDER 04:13
8. ONLY YOU 04:46
9. WHAT I SEE IN YOU 04:38
10. NEED YOUR LOVE 04:42

They were occasionally mentioned in DLM media:

• Jiva, an LA band, played very loudly at Hans Jayanti '74 in Toronto Canada
• Jiva worked the premies up to a tremendous pitch, an unseen cloud of love, anticipation and euphoria at Hans Jayanti '75 in Orlando, Florida
• An interview with the premie band JIVA in May 1975 just as they were beginning to work on their album, Jiva. Two weeks before they'd signed with George Harrison's Dark Horse Records for a three year recording and performing contract.
• Jiva played at Maharaji's Father's Day party at his Malibu mansion in June 1975 on his return from his failed trip to India after his disinheritance
• JIVA Dark Horse SP-22003 review
• Jiva tour as support act for Fleetwood Mac
• Jiva played at the "Festival of Love" program held February 18-20 in Denver Colorado, the second festival in the series that began in Portland, Oregon on 29-31 January 1977
• Jiva played at the "New Year's Celebration" in Kansas City in 1975/76 singing "BHO-lee-ay!"

More Info:

• An Article About George Harrison's Cult Band by Be Scofield Aug 9, 2023
• Notes
• Review