Iron Butterfly is an American rock band 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. Formed in
San Diego, California, among band members who used to be "arch
enemies", their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been
reincarnated with various members with varying levels of success, with
no new recordings since 1975. The band's seminal 1968 album
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was a best-seller. Iron Butterfly was the first
group to receive an In-House platinum album award from Atlantic
Records.The band formed in 1966 in San Diego. The original members
were Doug Ingle (vocals, organ, formerly of Jeri and the Jeritones and
Palace Pages, Iron Butterfly's forerunner), Jack Pinney (drums), Greg
Willis (bass), and Danny Weis (guitar, also of Palace Pages). The
group were soon joined by vocalist and tambourine player Darryl
DeLoach. DeLoach's parents’ garage served as the site for their
almost nightly rehearsals.Jerry Penrod replaced Willis after the band
relocated to Los Angeles in the summer of 1966. Pinney eventually left
to return to school. Bruce Morse then replaced Pinney until Ron Bushy
(from a group called the Voxmen) came aboard when Morse left due to a
family emergency. A booking at Bido Lito's club on the Sunset Strip
soon led to regular appearances at the Galaxy Club and the Whisky a Go
Go.In early 1968, the band's debut album Heavy was released after
signing a deal with Atco Records, an Atlantic Records subsidiary. The
group was signed by Atlantic's Charles Greene, who was co-producer of
Heavy. All but Ingle and Bushy left the band after completing the
album in the late summer of 1967. The two remaining musicians, faced
with the possibility of the record not being released, quickly found
replacements in bassist Lee Dorman and 17-year-old guitarist Erik
Brann (also known as "Erik Braunn" and "Erik Braun") and resumed
touring. In a 1986 interview with IB's fan club fanzine, The Butterfly
Net, Brann stated that Jeff Beck, Neil Young, and Michael Monarch (who
would go on to join Steppenwolf) had also expressed interest in
joining the group to replace Weis.
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way
towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal music. Formed in
San Diego, California, among band members who used to be "arch
enemies", their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been
reincarnated with various members with varying levels of success, with
no new recordings since 1975. The band's seminal 1968 album
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was a best-seller. Iron Butterfly was the first
group to receive an In-House platinum album award from Atlantic
Records.The band formed in 1966 in San Diego. The original members
were Doug Ingle (vocals, organ, formerly of Jeri and the Jeritones and
Palace Pages, Iron Butterfly's forerunner), Jack Pinney (drums), Greg
Willis (bass), and Danny Weis (guitar, also of Palace Pages). The
group were soon joined by vocalist and tambourine player Darryl
DeLoach. DeLoach's parents’ garage served as the site for their
almost nightly rehearsals.Jerry Penrod replaced Willis after the band
relocated to Los Angeles in the summer of 1966. Pinney eventually left
to return to school. Bruce Morse then replaced Pinney until Ron Bushy
(from a group called the Voxmen) came aboard when Morse left due to a
family emergency. A booking at Bido Lito's club on the Sunset Strip
soon led to regular appearances at the Galaxy Club and the Whisky a Go
Go.In early 1968, the band's debut album Heavy was released after
signing a deal with Atco Records, an Atlantic Records subsidiary. The
group was signed by Atlantic's Charles Greene, who was co-producer of
Heavy. All but Ingle and Bushy left the band after completing the
album in the late summer of 1967. The two remaining musicians, faced
with the possibility of the record not being released, quickly found
replacements in bassist Lee Dorman and 17-year-old guitarist Erik
Brann (also known as "Erik Braunn" and "Erik Braun") and resumed
touring. In a 1986 interview with IB's fan club fanzine, The Butterfly
Net, Brann stated that Jeff Beck, Neil Young, and Michael Monarch (who
would go on to join Steppenwolf) had also expressed interest in
joining the group to replace Weis.
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