| Iron Butterfly | |
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Iron Butterfly in the booklet for In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. From left to right: Doug Ingle, Ron Bushy, Lee Dorman, Erik Brann |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | San Diego, California, United States |
| Genres | Psychedelic rock, heavy metal[1] acid rock, blues rock, hard rock |
| Years active | 1966–1971, 1974–1985, 1987–present |
| Labels | Atco, MCA |
| Associated acts | Rhinoceros, Captain Beyond |
| Website | www.ironbutterfly.com |
| Members | |
| Ron Bushy Lee Dorman Charlie Marinkovich Martin Gerschwitz |
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| Past members | |
| Former members | |
Iron Butterfly is a US psychedelic rock band best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".
Their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been reincarnated with various members. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the 31st best-selling album in the world, selling more than 25 million copies.[2]
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The band formed in 1966 in San Diego.[3] The original members were Doug Ingle (vocals, organ), Jack Pinney (drums), Greg Willis (bass), and Danny Weis (guitar).[4] They were soon joined by tambourine player Darryl DeLoach. DeLoach's parents' garage on Luna Avenue served as the site for their almost nightly rehearsals.
Jerry 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 their 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 Erik Braun) and resumed touring. In early 1968, their debut album Heavy was released after signing a deal with ATCO, an Atlantic Records subsidiary.
DeLoach subsequently recorded with Two Guitars, Piano, Drum and Darryl, while Weis and Penrod went on to form the group Rhinoceros. In 1970 DeLoach formed Flintwhistle along with Erik Braunn; the band performed live for about a year before breaking up.
The 17-minute "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", the title track of Iron Butterfly's second album, became a Top Thirty hit in the US and made the number 9 spot on the Dutch Top 40. The members when In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was recorded were Doug Ingle (organ and vocals), Lee Dorman (bass guitar), Ron Bushy (drums), and 17-year-old Erik Keith Brann (guitar). The album sold over three million copies by the end of 1970, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in December 1968.[5] It ultimately sold over 20 million copies, went platinum, and stayed on the Billboard magazine charts for over a year.
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 situation 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. Dorman later expressed regret at this turn of events, feeling the band's career may have gone further had they played the festival. According to drummer, Ron Bushy, "We went down to the Port Authority three times and waited for the helicopter, but it never showed up." [6]
The next album, Ball, reached #3 on the charts, but more lineup changes followed. In 1970, with Erik Brann gone, Iron Butterfly released their fourth studio album, Metamorphosis with two new members, guitarist/vocalist Mike Pinera (whose Blues Image had opened for the Butterfly's Vida tour) and guitarist Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt. The album managed to get into the top twenty, but Doug Ingle quit the group shortly after its release. Without an organist for the first time in their history, the remaining four members cut a single, Silly Sally. It failed to chart and proved to be their last recording. The band broke up after playing a final show on May 23, 1971. Dorman and Reinhardt would subsequently found Captain Beyond.
The band reformed in 1974 with Ron Bushy and Eric Brann 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 album Scorching Beauty was released in January 1975 with Reitzes and Sun and Steel in October 1975 with Bill DeMartines replacing Reitzes. Both albums were criticized for bearing little resemblance to the original tone of the group, and sold poorly compared to their earlier releases.
From 1977 on Dorman took over the Iron Butterfly moniker and led several lineups (see below for a chronology of IB's lineups) with former members (Bushy, Ingle, Brann, 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.
Guitarist and Vocalist Charlie Marinkovich joined the band in 2002. Originally from Seattle, Washington played with Randy Hansen and others.[7]
German violinist, keyboardist and composer Martin Gerschwitz, formerly of The Works and Walter Trout,[8] joined the band in 2005.
Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida line-up of Ingle/Brann/Bushy/Dorman reunited for the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert and celebration, appearing on stage along with the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, and with Aretha Franklin and Yes 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 tambourine player/vocalist Darryl DeLoach died of liver cancer at the age of 55.[9]
On July 25, 2003, Erik Brann died of heart failure at the age of 52.[10] A Boston, Massachusetts native and a violinist, Braunn had been accepted as a child into the prodigy program at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, but was soon lured away to become a rock guitarist, joining Iron Butterfly at 16. 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.
In early 2010, an announcement was made that Iron Butterfly would receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th Annual San Diego Music Awards, which took place on September 12, 2010.[11] The award is to be presented by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.[12]
This same year, Ray Weston (formerly of Wishbone Ash) came in to sub on drums for Ron Bushy after he was sidelined by health issues.
(Contained video performances of "Easy Rider" (3:21), "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (17:03) and "Butterfly Blue" (19:51))
(Contained video performances of the full concert at Itchycoo Park in 1999)
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