Iron Butterfly is an American psychedelic rock and early heavy metal band, well known for their 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". They are considered an early heavy metal band as a result of this song and others like it, as well as the title of their debut album, Heavy (which was actually an often used slang term for things of a thoughtful manner, or 'far out', and had little to do with the term heavy metal). Their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been reincarnated several times with various members. VH1 ranks them as number 19 on their list of top 100 "one-hit" wonders.[1] In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the 31st best-selling album in the world, selling more than 25 million copies.[2]
Ron Bushy, Iron Butterfly performing "In a Gadda da Vida," Germany, May 2005
History
The band was formed in 1966 in San Diego and released their debut album, Heavy, in 1968, after signing a deal with ATCO, an Atlantic Records subsidiary. The original members were Doug Ingle (vocals, keyboards), Jack Pinney (drums), Greg Willis (bass), and Danny Weis (guitar). They were soon joined by singer/frontman Darryl DeLoach.
Jerry "The Bear" Penrod and Bruce Morris replaced Willis and Pinney after the band relocated to Los Angeles in 1966, and Ron Bushy then came aboard when Morris' tenure proved to be a short one. All but Ingle and Bushy left the band after recording the first album in late 1967; the remaining musicians, faced with the possibility of the record not being released, quickly found replacements in bassist Lee Dorman and guitarist Erik Brann (aka Erik Braunn) and resumed touring.
Weis and Penrod almost immediately went on to form the group Rhinoceros.
The 17-minute "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", the title track of their second album, became a Top Thirty hit in the US. (Doug Ingle is reported to have said the title was an alcohol-slurred version of "In the Garden of Eden," although this is probably apocryphal; see the song's page.) The members when In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was recorded were Doug Ingle (keyboards and vocals), Lee Dorman (bass guitar), Ron Bushy (drums), and 17-year-old Erik Brann, also Braunn (guitar).citation needed
The band had been booked to play at Woodstock, but got stuck at an airport. When their manager called the promoters of the concert, they explained the incredible situation they had been dealt and asked for patience. However, the manager demanded that the Butterfly be flown in by helicopter, whereupon they would "immediately" take the stage. After their set they would be paid and flown back to the airport. The manager was told that this would be taken into consideration, and he would be called back. In truth, his outrageous demands were never given a second thought. Dorman later expressed regret at this turn of events, feeling the band's career may have gone further had they played the festival.citation needed
The next album, Ball, topped the charts, but more lineup changes followed. In 1970 with Erik Braunn gone, Iron Butterfly released their fourth album, Metamorphosis with two new members, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Mike Pinera (whose Blues Image had opened for the Butterfly's Vida tour and who later led Ramatam and played with Alice Cooper) and guitarist Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt. The album only managed to get into the top twenty. The band broke up after playing a final show on May 23, 1971. Dorman and Reinhardt later became members of the supergroup Captain Beyond.citation needed
The band re-formed in 1974 with Ron Bushy and Eric Braunn joined by bassist Philip Taylor Kramer and keyboardist Howard Reitzes. (Kramer later made news with his 1995 disappearance and the discovery of his bones and minivan at the bottom of Decker Canyon in 1999). The albums released during this lineup: Scorching Beauty in January 1975 with Reitzes and Sun and Steel in October 1975 with Bill DeMartines replacing Reitzes.citation needed
From 1977 on, Dorman took over the IB moniker and has led several lineups since then (see below for a chronology of IB's lineups) with former members (including Bushy, Ingle, Braunn, etc., coming and going). Other than another brief break between late 1985 and early 1987, the group has continued to this day with Dorman & Bushy currently leading the charge.citation needed
The famous line-up of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida got together for the Atlantic Recording Corporation's 40th anniversary concert and celebration, appearing on stage along with the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, and with Aretha Franklin among many other acts of the company's roster on May 14th, 1988. The reunited foursome also played a 30 city tour that same year.citation needed
On October 3, 2002, original guitarist/vocalist Darryl DeLoach died of liver cancer at the age of 56.citation needed
On July 25, 2003, Erik Braunn died of cardiac failure at the age of 52. He was working on a new solo album at the time of his death. The album to date remains unreleased, although friends and family of Braunn are working on releasing the album.citation needed
Iron Butterfly is now working on a new album that should be released in 2008.citation needed
Iron Butterfly Lineups
- Main article: List of Iron Butterfly band members (Based on information supplied by Rick Gagnon & Jim Mullen, taken from various IB articles and interviews over the years)
Discography
Albums
Bootlegs
- Live At The Galaxy Club 1967 (1967)
- Live 11/27/1968 (1968)
- Stone Believer: Live in Copenhagen, Denmark (Jan. 25, 1971)
- Live in Germany: 4/18/1997 (1997)
- Live at the Firwood in Fife, WA (2001)
- Live in Butler, PA - 2/4/2006 (2006)
Singles
Here is a full listing of 45's released by the band in the USA and Overseas.
- Don't Look Down On Me b/w Possession
- Possession b/w Evil Temptation
- EP: Iron Butterfly Theme b/w Look For The Sun AND Possession
- Unconscious Power b/w Possession
- RADIO EP: Iron Butterfly Theme, Possession/Get Out Of My Life Woman, Unconscious Power
- In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (2:52 edit) b/w Iron Butterfly Theme (3:25 Edit)
- EP: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida & Flowers & Beads/My Mirage
- Soul Experience b/w In The Crowds
- In The Time Of Our Lives b/w It Must Be Love (Some have the full 4:47 album version of the A-Side, others the 3:15 edit)
- Easy Rider b/w Soldier In Our Town
- New Day b/w Soldier In Our Town (European Release)
- Silly Sally b/w Stone Believer
- Silly Sally b/w Talkbox Solo from Butterfly Bleu (B-Side is the talkbox section from the song) (European Release)
- Shady Lady b/w Best Years Of Our Lives (European Release)
- Pearly Gates b/w Searchin' Circles (Both songs heavily edited)
- High On A Mountain Top b/w Am I Down (Promos exist only)
- High On A Mountain Top b/w Scion(Early, shorter version)
- Beyond The Milky Way b/w Get It Out
- I'm Right I'm Wrong (3:50 Edit) b/w Free (Promo copies exist only)
- In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (2:52 Edit) b/w Soul Experience (Atlantic Oldies re-release)
- Thai EP: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (The song plays from the beginning and fades just before the drum solo) b/w Get Ready (Rare Earth)
Videography
VHS VIDEO:
- Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (Rhino Home Video, R3-2215) 1995
(Contains video performances of Easy Rider (3:21), In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (17:03) & Butterfly Blue (19:51)
Trivia
- Led Zeppelin opened for Iron Butterfly. A year to the day later, Iron Butterfly opened for Led Zeppelin. The same is true of the band Yes, members of whom are friends of drummer Ron Bushy. Jimmy Page has been quoted as saying Led Zeppelin's name shares a "light/heavy" dynamic with Iron Butterfly's.citation needed
- When Iron Butterfly re-formed in 1968 after a brief split, musicians rumoured to have been interested in joining as lead guitarist include Neil Young, Jeff Beck, and Michael Monarch. Doug Ingle and Ron Bushy eventually decided upon Erik Brann.citation needed
- In an episode of The Simpsons (Season 7 episode 4: "Bart Sells His Soul"), Bart plays a prank by substituting the church hymnal with "In the Garden of Eden" by "I. Ron Butterfly".
- The sales of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" were so tremendous that the Gold award was meaningless, having been surpassed more than 20 times over. The Platinum award was created by Ahmet Ertegun, President of Atlantic Records, to address the unprecedented new level set by this album.citation needed
References
- ^ http://www.vh1.com/shows/series/the_greatest/one_hit_wonders/list_20-1.jhtml
- ^ Iron Butterfly's in an IRA ad? Bummer | The San Diego Union-Tribune
External links
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