Jayadev Das (John Richardson), a popular devotee musician and drummer with 1970s pop group The Rubettes, is set to release a dance album on April 1^stunder the name “Jayadev’s Mantra Crew.”

In response to the current superhero craze, the album will be called “The Original Superheroes” and will feature songs about spiritual personalities and role models.

The tracklisting is as follows:

1. Ganesha
2. Srila Prabhupada
3. Jesus the Christ
4. Om Namah Sivaya
5. Hey Hanuman
6. His Mercy Rain
7. Who am I?
8. The Ocean of Love
9. The Buddha Would
10. Worship Hari
11. Mahaprabhu
12. Get on the Train
13. Baladev
14. Narasinghadev
15. The Maha Mantra

Along with Jayadev, the album will feature singers like his daughter Gaurangi, (also a well-known artist in her own right under the name Pia), his granddaughter Syama Gauri, and  Bharatanatyam dancer Rasalila Dasi.

The first single from the album, “Ganesh,” was released in mid January and is picking up radio airplay all around the world. It is currently number one on six different charts of radio DJ’s weekly most played and requested cuts, in such diverse locations as USA, Japan, Germany, Romania, and Pakistan.

Jayadev explains that the single places Ganesh in his hierarchical position according to Vedic scriptures with a mid-song rap: “Ganesh can dance, Ganesh can drum / He’s mighty strong, ‘cos he’s Shiva’s son / With his tusk, he removes the tree / that blocks the way to eternity / He might seem strange, he might seem odd / But he clears the way so you can see God.”

Jayadev has previously worked in different genres, but he tells us that there’s a reason why he chose dance this time.

“Dance music is by far the biggest musical genre in the world today,” he says. “We are delighted because it means that The Lord’s Holy Names will be heard and danced to all around the discos and dance floors of the planet. As the Srila Prabhupada song on the album says, ‘A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Parama Gurudev / You’re leading Sri Chaitanya’s Army / The whole world will be saved.’”

The Original Superheroes will be released by Sobel Nation Records. “I asked the label’s CEO Barbara Sobel if she would accept me on the condition that I not water down my message or who I am,” Jayadev says. “And she agreed.”

Jayadev’s Mantra Crew plans to perform songs from The Original Superhoes live at festivals and concert sites from Spring next year.

Despite a recent heart-attack, Jayadev is also still touring with members of his band The Rubettes, who sold twenty million records in the 1970s.