In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 14, 1968 | |||
Recorded | First half of 1968 (side two was recorded on May 27, 1968) | |||
Studio | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 36:15 | |||
Label | Atco/Atlantic Records | |||
Producer | Jim Hilton | |||
Iron Butterfly chronology | ||||
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Singles from In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida | ||||
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In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the second studio album by the American rock band Iron Butterfly, released in June 1968. It is most known for its title track, a 17-minute composition that occupies the entirety of Side B.
A massive commercial success, The In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida album peaked at number 4 on the Billboard albums chart. It was officially certified a Gold album in 1968 in the United States, and on January 26, 1993, it was certified 4× Platinum. In Canada, it was on the charts for 91 weeks between October 14, 1968, and July 18, 1970.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Rolling Stone | Negative [2] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine calls the title track "the epitome of heavy psychedelic excess," and feels that the rest of the songs "qualify as good artifacts." [1] It was voted number 783 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums . [4]
All tracks are written by Doug Ingle, except "Termination", by Erik Brann and Lee Dorman.
Side one
Side two
A "deluxe edition" of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was released in 1995. It included material from newly discovered first-generation master tapes, bonus recordings, and a 36-page booklet with photos. This re-release includes three versions of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida": the 17:05 studio version; the 19-minute live version from Iron Butterfly's Live (which includes a short organ intro); and the 2:52 single edit. The deluxe edition also includes a new cover, similar to the original, but with a moving butterfly flapping its wings and the band members jamming to the song.
Iron Butterfly
All arrangements by Iron Butterfly
Technical
Chart (1968–1970) | Position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [6] | 14 |
Canada (RPM) [7] [8] [9] [10] | 8 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [11] | 5 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [12] | 11 |
US Billboard 200 [13] | 4 |
Chart (1969) | Position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200 [14] | 1 |
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1968 | "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" | US Billboard Hot 100 [15] | 30 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [16] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [17] | Gold | 50,000^ |
France (SNEP) [18] | Gold | 100,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [19] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [20] 2001 release | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [21] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
US singles
Overseas singles
Iron Butterfly was an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1966. They are best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal music. Although their heyday was the late 1960s, the band has been reincarnated with various members with varying levels of success with no new recordings since 1975. Their second album, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968), remains a best-seller, and Iron Butterfly was the first group to receive an in-house platinum album award from Atlantic Records.
Ball is the third studio album by the rock band Iron Butterfly, released on January 17, 1969. After the enormous success of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Iron Butterfly modified its acid-rock sound somewhat and experimented with more melodic compositions. The band's trademark heavy guitars, however, are still evident on such tracks as "In the Time of Our Lives" and "It Must Be Love". The album reached number 3 on the Billboard 200 charts, making Ball more immediately successful than In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. In Canada the album reached number 4. Ball was certified Gold in March 1969. It also spawned two minor hit singles: "Soul Experience", an uncharacteristically uplifting song for the group, went to number 75 on the Billboard charts and number 50 in Canada, and despite its nightmarish musical tones and morbid lyrics, "In the Time of Our Lives" managed to reach number 96 and number 81 in Canada. This is the second and final studio album to feature the famous lineup of Ingle, Bushy, Dorman and Brann.
Heavy is the debut studio album by the rock band Iron Butterfly, released on January 22, 1968.
Douglas Lloyd Ingle was an American musician, best known as the founder, organist, primary composer and lead vocalist for the band Iron Butterfly. He wrote the band's hit song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", which was first released in 1968, and was the last surviving member of the band’s 1967–1969 lineup.
Ron Bushy was an American drummer best known as a member of the rock band Iron Butterfly and as the drum soloist on the band's iconic song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", released in 1968 although performed in the band's earlier appearances. Bushy was the only member of the group to appear on all six of its studio albums.
Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, by the English band Procol Harum together with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, was released in 1972; it was recorded at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on 18 November 1971. The album reached No. 7 in Canada and was very successful on the Billboard Top 200, peaking at No. 5. It is the band's best-selling album, certified Gold by the RIAA. The live version of "Conquistador" from this album became a popular hit on both pop and progressive radio in the United States and reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, and the top 10 in several other countries.
Douglas Lee Dorman was an American bass guitarist best known as a member of the psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly. He was also a founding member of the British-American supergroup Captain Beyond.
Erik Keith Brann, also known as Erik Braunn, was an American guitarist with the 1960s acid rock band Iron Butterfly. He was featured on the band's greatest hit, the 17-minute In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968), recorded when he was 17.
Metamorphosis is the fourth studio album by Iron Butterfly, released on August 13, 1970. It reached number 16 on the US charts and number 31 in Canada. Mike Pinera and Larry "El Rhino" Reinhardt became members of Iron Butterfly in the early part of 1970. Doug Ingle and Mike Pinera passed away on May 24 and November 20, 2024 respectively being the last surviving members of the album.
Sun and Steel is the sixth and final studio album released by Iron Butterfly in 1975. It explores a wider variety of styles than any other Iron Butterfly album, yet always remains within the contemporary conventions of hard rock. Tracks from this album are usually left out of Iron Butterfly compilations/greatest hit collections. It is also the band's only album to fail to chart on the Billboard 200. In Canada it made an appearance at number 89, December 27, 1975.
Star Collection is a German compilation album released in 1973. It includes songs from Iron Butterfly's first and third album: Heavy and Ball.
Evolution: The Best of Iron Butterfly is the fifth and first greatest hits album released in 1971 by American rock band Iron Butterfly. Songs come from four of their albums: Heavy, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Ball and Metamorphosis.
Rare Flight is a double compilation released in 1988 on Pair Records during the 40th anniversary of Atlantic Records. This release compiles Iron Butterfly's first and third albums: Heavy and Ball.
Light & Heavy: The Best of Iron Butterfly is a greatest hits compilation released by Iron Butterfly in 1993. It contains most of their studio recordings from 1967 to 1970, including 21 of their 33 studio album tracks from that period.
Feliciano! is a 1968 album by the Puerto Rican guitarist José Feliciano. All of the tracks are acoustic cover versions of songs popularized by other artists, including The Mamas & the Papas, The Doors, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Beatles, Jorge Ben Jor, and Lou Johnson.
"Children of Paradise" / "Gadda-Da-Vida" is a 1980 single by German band Boney M. Intended to be the first single from the group's fifth album Boonoonoonoos, the single was ultimately never included because the album release was delayed for one year. "Children of Paradise" peaked at #11 in the German charts whereas it became the group's lowest placing in the UK at #66 only when released in February '81. Boney M. would use the double A-side format in this period, typically with the A1 being the song intended for radio and A2 being more squarely aimed at discos. The sides would usually be switched on the accompanying 12" single.
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is a song recorded by Iron Butterfly, written by band member Doug Ingle and released on their 1968 album of the same name.
Live is the first live album by Iron Butterfly, released on April 22, 1970. The last album to be recorded with the longstanding quartet of Brann, Bushy, Dorman, and Ingle, it is the only Iron Butterfly album which does not feature more than one lead vocalist. It was a commercial hit, reaching number 20 on the Billboard album chart.
Fillmore East 1968 is a live double album by Iron Butterfly, released on 17 October 2011 by Rhino Entertainment. It was recorded on 26 and 27 April 1968 in Fillmore East in New York City. The albums featured songs from their first album Heavy and three songs from second album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. In addition, an early version of "Her Favorite Style" was performed on the second night.
"Thief's Theme" is a single from Nas' double album Street's Disciple, released through Columbia Records, Sony Urban Music, and Nas' Ill Will Records. The single contains vocals from Nas' song "The World Is Yours" from his first album Illmatic: