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 The Time Of Our Lives
Iron Butterfly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And listen to the birds' laughter as they live for today,
And listen to the heart beat as it beats our lives away.
These are the things that we hear in our world,
And these are the things that we hear in the time of our lives,
In the time of our lives.
And for us they're ideal.
How you doing people that passed on yesterday?
Did you meet with justice on your judgement day?
These are the things that we hear in our world,
And these are the things that we hear in the time of our lives,
In the time of our lives.
And to us they are real,
And for us they're ideal.
Yes, to us,
Without a doubt they're real.
Without a doubt they're real.
Without a doubt they're real!
Words & Music by Doug Ingle and Ron Bushy
The lyrics of Iron Butterfly's song "In The Time Of Our Lives" encourage listeners to take notice of the world around them and appreciate the small things in life while also contemplating the afterlife. The opening lines describe the ticking clock and the laughter of birds living in the present moment. The next lines refer to the beating of the heart, symbolizing the finite nature of human life.
The chorus repeats the idea that these things are all real and ideal to us, emphasizing the importance of experiencing life as it happens, rather than getting caught up in worries or fears. The second verse poses the question of what happens after death, asking if justice is given to those who have passed on. This line suggests a concern for morality and proper behavior in this life to ensure a positive outcome in the next.
Overall, "In The Time Of Our Lives" serves as a reminder to appreciate the present moment and to lead a just and moral life.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to the clock beat as it ticks out time away,
Pay attention to the sound of the clock ticking as moments pass by.
And listen to the birds' laughter as they live for today,
Listen to the carefree chirping of the birds as they enjoy the present moment.
And listen to the heart beat as it beats our lives away.
Observe the steady beating of the heart which represents the unrelenting passage of time.
These are the things that we hear in our world,
These are the audible aspects of life that we experience daily.
And these are the things that we hear in the time of our lives,
These sounds are especially noticeable during the period in which we exist.
In the time of our lives.
During our lifespan.
And to us they are real,
These sounds are perceptible and undeniable to us.
And for us they're ideal.
These sounds are desirable and pleasing to us.
How you doing people that passed on yesterday?
A rhetorical question asking how those who have passed away are doing.
Did you meet with justice on your judgement day?
Asking if the departed have faced their judgment and been treated fairly.
Yes, to us,
We affirm that, from our perspective,
Without a doubt they're real.
These sounds are definitely authentic and perceptible to us.
Without a doubt they're real!
Reiterating that there is no questioning the reality of these sounds.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOUGLAS INGLE, RON BUSHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind