The band was formed in 1966 in San Diego, and they released their aforementioned debut album, 'Heavy', in 1968, after signing a deal with an Atlantic Records subsidiary called ATCO. The original members were Doug Ingle (vocals, keyboards), Jack Pinney (drums), Greg Willis (bass), and Danny Weis (guitar). They were soon joined by singer-songwriter frontman Darryl DeLoach.
Jerry "The Bear" Penrod and Bruce Morris replaced Willis and Pinney after the band relocated to Los Angeles, California 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. Iron Butterfly focused on putting their energies into their second album. The 17-minute "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", the title track of their second album, became a Top Thirty hit in the U.S. and also gained serious airplay internationally. Doug Ingle is reported to have said the title was an alcohol-slurred version of "In the Garden of Eden", although this is possibly apocryphal. 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). The song has been a radio staple for decades and also has prominently featured in several films.
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 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.
On October 3, 2002, original guitarist/vocalist Darryl DeLoach died of liver cancer at the age of 56.
On July 25, 2003 Erik Brann 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 Brann are working on seeing its release.
Iron Butterfly is now working on a new album.
In-a-gadda-da-vida
Iron Butterfly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you
In a gadda da vida, baby
Don't you know that I'll always be true
Oh, won't you come with me
And take my hand
Oh, won't you come with me
Please take my hand
In a gadda da vida, honey
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you
In a gadda da vida, baby
Don't you know that I'll always be true
Oh, won't you come with me
And take my hand
Oh, won't you come with me
And walk this land
Please take my hand
The lyrics to Iron Butterfly's song In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida are simple and repetitive, yet they convey a sense of longing and urgency. The title itself is a misheard version of "In the Garden of Eden," and it's likely that the lyrics were inspired by the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
The singer is calling out to a woman, asking her to come with him and take his hand. He professes his love for her and promises to always be true. The repetition of "In a gadda da vida" suggests that the singer is caught up in a moment of intense passion and desire for this woman.
The song is often remembered for its 17-minute long psychedelic instrumental section, which includes an extended drum solo and distorted guitar riffs. This section reflects the free-spirited and experimental nature of the 1960s counterculture movement.
Overall, the lyrics to In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida may not be particularly complex, but they capture a moment of intense emotion and passion.
Line by Line Meaning
In a gadda da vida, honey
In a deep and unrecognizable state, my dear
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you
I am expressing my love towards you
In a gadda da vida, baby
In a deep and unrecognizable state, my love
Don't you know that I'll always be true
My fidelity towards you is steadfast and unwavering
Oh, won't you come with me
Can't you join me in this venture
And take my hand
And allow me to guide you through it
Oh, won't you come with me
Can't you join me in this venture
And walk this land
And explore this uncharted territory with me
Please take my hand
I implore you to give me your trust and follow me
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Douglas Ingle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Six6z
In a gadda da vida, honey
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you
In a gadda da vida, baby
Don't you know that I'll always be true
Oh, won't you come with me
And take my hand
Oh, won't you come with me
And walk this land
Please take my hand
In a gadda da vida, honey
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you
In a gadda da vida, baby
Don't you know that I'll always be true
Oh, won't you come with me
And take my hand
Oh, won't you come with me
And walk this land
Please take my hand
THRILLERCRIMEFAN5500
In-a-gadda-da-vida, honey
Don't you know that I love you?
In-a-gadda-da-vida, baby
Don't you know that I'll always be true?
Oh, won't you come with me
And a-take my hand?
Oh, won't you come with me
And a-walk this land?
Please take my hand
Let me tell you now
In-a-gadda-da-vida, honey
Don't you know that I love you?
In-a-gadda-da-vida, baby
Don't you know that I'll always be true?
Oh, won't you come with me
And a-take my hand?
Oh, won't you come with me
And a-walk this land?
Please take my hand
It's all right, huh!
All right now, huh!
Good God!
Three, four, huh!
In-a-gadda-da-vida, honey
Don't you know that I love you?
In-a-gadda-da-vida, baby
Don't you know that I'll always be true?
Oh, won't you come with me
And a-take my hand?
Oh, won't you come with me
And a-walk this land?
Please take my hand
Huh, huh
All right, uh, hey, ha!
ThatFlyGuitarSpy
It's probably going to like sacrilege to most, but there are times I much prefer this shorter version. It's so much more to the point, and you get to hear how strong a song it really is. But it is a mood thing. Sometimes the 17 minute version is just unbeatable
Six6z
In a gadda da vida, honey
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you
In a gadda da vida, baby
Don't you know that I'll always be true
Oh, won't you come with me
And take my hand
Oh, won't you come with me
And walk this land
Please take my hand
In a gadda da vida, honey
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you
In a gadda da vida, baby
Don't you know that I'll always be true
Oh, won't you come with me
And take my hand
Oh, won't you come with me
And walk this land
Please take my hand
Frank Licary
A commonly related story says that the song's title was originally "In the Garden of Eden", but at one point in the course of rehearsing and recording, singer Doug Ingle got drunk and slurred the words, creating the mondegreen that stuck as the title. However, the liner notes on 'the best of' CD compilation state that drummer Ron Bushy was listening to the track through headphones, and could not clearly distinguish what Ingle said when he asked him for the song's title. An alternative explanation given in the liner notes of the 1995 re-release of the In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida album, is that Ingle was drunk, high, or both, when he first told Bushy the title, and Bushy wrote it down. Bushy then showed Ingle what he had written, and the slurred title stuck.
WAYCNF
Pretty sure the last story is the true one
Marady Mon
Love it ❤️
Amy Watson
Great tune that moves your body and dance like no one is watching
Kevin McNeely
I had the album and it took up the whole side of it. This is a cut from that. It may have lasted about 15 to 20 minutes and was what I remember, I am sorry for the folks that missed it...
jack jc
kevin mcneely,
the original 'in a gadda da vida' (1968) is 17 minutes long,the live rendition recorded in 1969 is almost
19 minutes long,it's true atlantic records culled the single from the original record.
Douglas Humphries
love the single version , the long version could drive you crazy quite quickly , unless you were stoned out of your mind . This is just about the right length . Love the bass and choppy rhythm guitar .
RDK860
America's First "Heavy Metal Rock Band" Hit the Top 40 on 8/24/68, Peaked at No. 30, On the Chart 17 Weeks!