Iron Butterfly

Event information

Welcome Re-Visit

The Los Angeles music climate of the late sixties and seventies was characterized by the heavy sounds and sentiments that reflected the revolutionary attitudes of the generation. Bursting onto that scene was a new group whose sound not only epitomized the hard attitudes of the youth with its heavy drumming and bass lines, but also embraced more delicate aspirations through its intricate guitar and keyboard overlays.

The Los Angeles music climate of the late sixties and seventies was characterized by the heavy sounds and sentiments that reflected the revolutionary attitudes of the generation. Bursting onto that scene was a new group whose sound not only epitomized the hard attitudes of the youth with its heavy drumming and bass lines, but also embraced more delicate aspirations through its intricate guitar and keyboard overlays.

Iron Butterfly was signed to ATCO records (a division of Atlantic Records) in the spring of 1967 and released their first album, aptly titled Heavy, the following winter. While the band was on the road with the likes of: The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Traffic, The Who, and Cream, their impressive debut stayed on Billboard's album charts for almost a year.

In July of 1968, Iron Butterfly released the monumental LP, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, featuring the 17:05 minute side-long track that shook the entire music industry with its phenomenal reception. 'Vida outsold every record in the history of recorded music within the first year of its release (over eight million copies sold) and therefore outgrew and outsold the standard of the music industry's "Gold Album" award. For this achievment, Iron Butterfly was subsequently awarded: The Industry's Very First "Platinum Album"! This historic award was created and presented by then-president of ATCO Records Ahmet Ertegun, who went on to become the current CEO of the WEA Group. Most recently, "Vida" received the Multi-Platinum" award.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, stayed on the charts for 140 weeks, with 81 weeks in the Top Ten. To date the album has sold in excess of 25 million copies and remains an undisputed classic in the archives of rock with DJ's and audiophiles worldwide.

Within a year of releasing In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Iron Butterfly had charted a third album, Ball, - which surpassed 'Vida (still in Billboard's Top 10) turning "Gold", and climbed to No. 1. Ball remained on the charts for 44 weeks, followed by two more album releases in 1970 - Live, and Metamorphosis, each charting respectably in the Top 20.

Iron Butterfly toured extensively, appearing throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, where they appeared at London's world famous Royal Albert Hall. The band also appeared on stage with: Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, Chicago, Janis Joplin, Steppenwolf, Canned Heat, Three Dog Night, Quicksilver, Yes, Creedence Clearwater, Rush, The Turtles, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills & Nash, & The Byrds, just to name a few!

In the 70's, two albums titled, Scorching Beauty and Sun of Steel were released on MCA.

Past television performances have included: The Steve Allen Show, The David Frost Show, The Red Skelton Comedy Hour, Playboy After Dark, The Dating Game, Somethin' Else, and numerous performances on American Band Stand, with Dick Clark. The Band also was invited by Atlantic Records to perform on May 14, 1988 at Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary Concert "It's Only Rock'n Roll" at Madison Square Garden, in New York City which HBO taped, and televised, world-wide via satellite.

Iron Butterfly's music has been featured in movies like: Savage Seven, Manhunter, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Night Mare On Elm Street, and Fatal Instinct, as well as the TV series Wonder Years, Hardcastle & McCormick, Roseanne, Home Improvement, The Simpsons, and Unsolved Mysteries. References to the band and their music are still frequently heard, in hit movies like Ford Fairlane, Sybling Rivalries, and several times on top TV shows: Cheers, Letterman, Dennis Miller Show, Howard Stern and numerous others. In November '95 Ron Bushy appeared on Phil Donahue, and Unsolved Mysteries. In 1996 the group appeared in: American Journal, America's Most Wanted, and People Magazine.