Iron Butterfly is 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. Their music has found a significant impact on the international rock scenes, influencing numerous acts such as Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Rush, Alice Cooper, Mountain, Uriah Heep, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Slayer, and Queens of the Stone Age.
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. 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 despite its nightmarish musical tones and morbid lyrics, "In the Time of Our Lives" managed to reach number 96. This is the second and final studio album to feature the famous lineup of Ingle, Bushy, Dorman and Brann.
Philip Taylor Kramer was an American bass guitar player for the rock group Iron Butterfly and associated groups between 1974 and 1980. He later became a computer engineering executive and inventor. He disappeared in February 1995 and was found dead in May 1999.
Heavy is the debut studio album by the rock band Iron Butterfly, released on January 22, 1968.
Douglas Lloyd Ingle is an American musician, best known as the founder and former organist, primary composer, and lead vocalist for the band Iron Butterfly. Ingle wrote the band's iconic song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", which was first released in 1968. He is the last surviving member of the classic 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.
Douglas Lee Dorman was an American bass guitarist best known as a member of the psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly. After replacing Jerry Penrod following Iron Butterfly’s debut album, Dorman had four stints with the group; 1967 to 1971, 1977 to 1978, 1978 to 1985, and from 1987 until his death in 2012. Shortly after his first departure from Iron Butterfly in 1971, Dorman co-founded the band Captain Beyond with ex-Deep Purple lead vocalist Rod Evans, Dorman’s Butterfly band mate Larry Reinhardt, and Bobby Caldwell. Dorman was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and moved to San Diego in the 1960s. He began playing bass guitar in his teens. While recording In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Dorman assisted Erik Brann with the arrangement of Brann's song "Termination," and was given a co-writing credit.
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. Mike Pinera and Larry "El Rhino" Reinhardt became members of Iron Butterfly in the early part of 1970.
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.
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.
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 which occupies the whole of Side B.
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.
"Don't Look Down on Me" is the debut single by American rock band Iron Butterfly. Lead vocals were by Darryl DeLoach with Doug Ingle on organ and backing vocals. The song "Possession", which is on the flip-side, is the same as the version on the band's second single "Unconscious Power" as well as on the 1970 single release and is different from the version on the album Heavy. It is heavier in both its guitar and organ instrumentation than on the album version.
"High Wire" is a song by the Australian group Men at Work. The song was written by Men at Work singer/guitarist Colin Hay and the recording was produced by Peter McIan. It was released in November 1983 as the fourth and final single from their album Cargo.
"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.
