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Iron Butterfly
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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 (the term "heavy," slang for things of a deep or thoughtful manner, was an important element in the initial conception of heavy metal, a form of music dealing with war, environmental destruction, drug addiction, and other things of a "heavy" nature).
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Encyclopedia
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 (the term "heavy," slang for things of a deep or thoughtful manner, was an important element in the initial conception of heavy metal, a form of music dealing with war, environmental destruction, drug addiction, and other things of a "heavy" nature). 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. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the 31st best-selling album in the world, selling more than 25 million copies.
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 and made the number 9 spot on the Dutch Top 40. (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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The famous line-up of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida got together for the Atlantic Records 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 14, 1988. The reunited foursome also played a 30 city tour that same year.
On October 3, 2002, original guitarist/vocalist Darryl DeLoach died of liver cancer at the age of 56.
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.
Iron Butterfly is now working on a new album that should be released in 2008.
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
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
- Unconscious Power b/w Possession
- In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (2:52 edit) b/w Iron Butterfly Theme (3:25 Edit)
- 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 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)
EPs
- Iron Butterfly Theme b/w Look For The Sun AND Possession
- RADIO EP: Iron Butterfly Theme, Possession/Get Out Of My Life Woman, Unconscious Power
- In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida & Flowers & Beads/My Mirage
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 in Cortland NY 8/19/2000 (2000)
- Live at the Firwood in Fife, WA (2001)
- Live in Butler, PA - 2/4/2006 (2006)
Videography
(Contains video performances of Easy Rider (3:21), In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (17:03)
& Butterfly Blue (19:51)
- Rock 'N' Roll Greats In Concert! (Passport Video) 2004
(Contains video performances of the full concert at Itchycoo Park venue in 1999)
- Concert and Documentary: Europe 1997 (Studio ABC Records UK, ABCVP126DVD) 2008 (Europe), 2009 (Rest of World)
(Contains video performance as well as a documentary of Iron Butterfly's 1997 European Tour)
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.
- 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.
- 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 hymnal is a modification of Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. The organ player comically passes out at the end of the song due to its length.
- 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.
External links
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