Source Family

Spiritual commune in the Hollywood Hills (Los Angeles, USA) founded by James Edward Baker aka Father Yod. The commune also operated a succesful health food restaurant on LA's Sunset Strip between 1969 and 1974. The Source Family espoused a philosophy that included kindness to animals, raw vegetarian diet, cotton clothing, and sex sans orgasm. Over 100 "family members" lived in a 3-bedroom house in Nichols Canyon, where sleeping arrangements involved a beehive-like complex of cubbyholes. During this period the group would record long psychedelic jams and press records to be sold at the restaurant.

In 1974, a newborn in the group developed a staphylococcus infection. Upon their arrival at UCLA Medical Center, doctors immediately notified police of suspected child endangerment. Father Yod felt this was an appropriate time to relocate the entire family to Kauai, Hawaii, and on 1974-12-26 the family moved there. On 1975-08-25, Father Yod died after crashing with his hangglider on a rocky beach on the eastern shore of Oahu. Within two years after Baker's passing the family had scattered, but members have stayed in touch and are still working together to share his teachings.

Later, The Source Foundation was set up to deal with the legacy. In 2006, two Source Family members (Isis Aquarian and Electricity Aquarian) wrote the history of the religious group in a book titled The Source: The Untold Story Of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wa 13 And The Source Family. A revised edition was published by Process Media in 2007 and included a CD. A comic book about the family also exists.

In 2012 a feature documentary film was released, directed by Jodi Wille and Maria Demopoulos and distributed by Drag City who released [url=https://www.discogs.com/master/643593-Source-Family-The-Source-Family]the accompanying soundtrack[/url] in 2013. The label has also released lost "family music".

(In 1976 the family's former restaurant was used during the filming of Annie Hall by Woody Allen.)