Iron Butterfly, the Band…Not the Trading Strategy

Iron Butterfly is an American psychedelic rock band, known for music such as 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.

The band formed in 1966 in San Diego and early 1968 released their debut album Heavy after signing a deal with ATCO, an Atlantic Records subsidiary. The original members were Doug Ingle (vocals, keyboards), Jack Pinney (drums), Greg Willis (bass), and Danny Weis (guitar). They were soon joined by singer/frontman Darryl DeLoach.

Jerry “The Bear” 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 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 and resumed touring.

Weis and Penrod went on to form the group Rhinoceros.

The 17-minute “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, the title track of their second album, became a Top Thirty hit in the US and made the number 9 spot on the Dutch Top 40. (Doug Ingle is reported to have said the title was an alcohol-slurred version of “In the Garden of Eden”, although this may be apocryphal; see the song’s page.) 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.

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. In truth, his 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. According to drummer, Ron Bushy, “We went down to the Port Authority three times and waited for the helicopter, but it never showed up.”

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 Braunn are working on releasing the album.

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