Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Beatles’ Giggling Guru


Listen Later

Rerun. John, Paul, George and Ringo travelled to a transcendental meditation workshop in Bangor, Wales on 25th August, 1967 - at the invitation of ‘giggling guru’, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.


The event changed everything for The Fab Four - influencing their music, their philosophy, and ultimately contributing to the end of the band.


In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly question whether the retreat lead them to give up LSD; reveal how Ringo, frankly, never really seemed to be in to it; and uncover the Maharishi’s later plans for a Yogic amusement park...


Further Reading:

• ‘Lennon was right. The Giggling Guru was a shameless old fraud’ (Daily Mail, 2008): https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-512747/Lennon-right-The-Giggling-Guru-shameless-old-fraud.html#:~:text=The%20Giggling%20Guru%20was%20a%20shameless%20old%20fraud,teach%20them%20to%20defy%20gravity%20by%20%22yogic%20flying%22.

• Doug Henning’s theme park plans: https://doughenningproject.com/tag/theme-park/

• The Beatles in Bangor – silent news footage (1967): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuyE3bSnfVo&t=6s


‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’ We’re planning exciting new things for the autumn, and we’re banking that most of you haven’t heard it yet. So stick with us.


For bonus material and to support the show, visit Patreon.com/Retrospectors

We'll be back tomorrow with a new episode! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors


The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Sophie King.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2022.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Today In History with The RetrospectorsBy The Retrospectors

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

97 ratings


More shows like Today In History with The Retrospectors

View all
Answer Me This! by Helen and Olly

Answer Me This!

824 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,138 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,916 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

493 Listeners

RHLSTP with Richard Herring by Sky Potato, Go Faster Stripe and Fuzz Productions

RHLSTP with Richard Herring

370 Listeners

No Such Thing As A Fish by No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As A Fish

4,842 Listeners

The Modern Mann by Olly Mann

The Modern Mann

145 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

822 Listeners

The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann by The Week Unwrapped

The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann

77 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

374 Listeners

Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster by Plosive

Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster

2,782 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,965 Listeners

What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel by WTF Productions

What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel

103 Listeners

Firecrotch & Normcore: THEY LIKE TO WATCH by Sara Barron/Geoff Lloyd

Firecrotch & Normcore: THEY LIKE TO WATCH

115 Listeners

We Can Be Weirdos by Global

We Can Be Weirdos

201 Listeners