Iron Butterfly -

Iron Butterfly was an American psych-rock band, best known for the haunted-organ evergreen “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” They made four Atco studio albums through 1970 and regrouped for a mid-Seventies pair on MCA.

Members: Doug Ingle (organ, vocals, 1966-71, 1978-79), Danny Weis (guitar, 1966-67), Greg Willis (bass, 1966), Jack Pinney (drums, 1966), Darryl DeLoach (vocals, 1966-67), Jerry Penrod [aka Tim Dawe] (bass, 1966-67), Bruce Morris (drums, 1966), Ron Bushy (drums, 1966-77), Erik Braunn (guitar, vocals, 1967-69, 1974-79), Lee Dorman (bass, vocals, 1967-71, 1977-78), Mike Pinera (guitar, 1969-71, 1978-79), Larry Reinhardt (guitar, 1969-71, 1977-79), Philip Taylor Kramer (bass, vocals, 1974-77), Howard Reitzes (keyboards, 1974-75), Bill DeMartines (keyboards, Mellotron, vocals, 1975-77)

Background

Iron Butterfly formed in August 1966 in San Diego when organist-vocalist Doug Ingle and guitarist Danny Weis reorganized the Palace Pages with singer-tambourinist Darryl DeLoach, bassist Jerry Penrod, and drummer Jack Pinney.

Ingle and Weis first played together in the Progressives, a San Diego dance band with bassist Kerry Chater and singer Jeri Martinson. The Progressives performed as Jeri and the Jeritones at military clubs and private functions. In 1965, Ingle and Weis joined Chater, saxophonist Gary Withem, and drummer Pinney in the Palace Pages, the house band at promoter Jerry Herrera’s Palace nightclub near the San Diego Sports Arena. Weis learned guitar from his father Johnny, a jazz guitarist who accompanied touring country performers at the Bostonia Ballroom in El Cajon.

When Chater and Withem left early over disagreements about the repertoire, the Palace Pages formed a sax-free lineup with bassist Greg Willis. DeLoach joined as lead singer in early 1966, having previously appeared with the group as a guest vocalist. They rehearsed almost nightly in the DeLoach family garage on Luna Avenue. When the group proposed a move to Los Angeles, the parents of high-school student Willis declined permission. Weis recruited guitarist Jerry Penrod from another Palace act and persuaded him to switch to bass.

The Palace Pages adopted the name Iron Butterfly in the summer of 1966 as the musicians prepared to relocate to Los Angeles. Ingle and Weis selected the name at the Weis family kitchen table in El Cajon to convey both weight and delicacy. Pinney recalled an earlier San Francisco-area group called Iron Butterfly that disbanded en route to a shared concert engagement with the Friendly Stranger.

In the summer of 1966, DeLoach transported the musicians to Hollywood in a black hearse. When Pinney returned to San Diego State College, the band recruited drummer Bruce Morse. Morse soon returned home because of a family illness. His replacement, Ron Bushy, played beforehand with the San Diego groups the Bushmen and Voxmen.

By autumn 1966, Iron Butterfly secured a six-night-a-week residency at Bido Lito’s in Hollywood. The members slept in an office above the club and used the stage for daytime rehearsals. They subsequently played the Whisky a Go Go and Club Galaxy on Sunset Boulevard. The group expanded a cover-based repertoire with originals, including “Possession,” “Fields of Sun,” and “Iron Butterfly Theme.” In July 1967, Iron Butterfly appeared at the Fantasy Fair and Magic Music Festival in Northridge, California.

The Sunset Strip engagements attracted Charles Greene and Brian Stone, the management-production team associated with Buffalo Springfield and Atlantic Records. Greene and Stone signed Iron Butterfly and secured a recording contract with Atlantic subsidiary Atco. In October 1967, they entered Gold Star and Nashville West studios in Hollywood for their first album.

Discography:

Heavy (1968)
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968)
Ball (1969)
Metamorphosis (1970 • Iron Butterfly With Pinera & Rhino)
Live (1970)
Scorching Beauty (1975)
Sun and Steel (1975)

Resources and notes

Deep Inside Iron Butterfly — Jay Allen Sanford history with firsthand recollections from Danny Weis and Jack Pinney. Covers the Palace Pages, the musical split, the move to Hollywood, and early club engagements. (San Diego Reader)
Danny Weis Interview (June 2001) — Nick Warburton interview covering Johnny Weis, the Shados, the Progressives, Jeri and the Jeritones, the Palace Pages, and the original Iron Butterfly lineup. (Rhinoceros)
Iron Butterfly — Historical Chronology — Bruno Ceriotti research based on musician interviews and period advertisements. Traces the Progressives from 1962, the Palace Pages lineup changes, the Willis–Penrod transition, the Hollywood relocation, and the 1966–67 concert schedule. (Bruno Ceriotti)
Iron Butterfly Interview With Ron Bushy — Firsthand account of the Voxmen connection, Bido Lito’s residency, Whisky a Go Go and Galaxy engagements, Atco signing, and original album sessions. (It’s Psychedelic Baby)
Gary James Interview With Doug Ingle — Ingle identifies August 1966 as the formation date and describes the shift from cover material to original songs, the Galaxy residency, and record-company interest. (Classic Bands)
Atlantigada-da-Vida — Atlantic executive Stan Cornyn history of the Charles Greene–Brian Stone partnership, the Neil Young connection, and the Atco signing. (Rhino)
Live at the Galaxy 1967 — Archival July 4, 1967 performance with the Ingle–Weis–DeLoach–Penrod–Bushy lineup. Establishes the repertoire under development ahead of the debut album. (Apple Music)
Heavy — Atco SD 33-227 — Original album documentation confirming the five recording musicians and production credits for Greene and Stone. (45cat)
Heavy — Recording Documentation — Reissue information identifying Gold Star and Nashville West studios in Hollywood and the October 1967 recording date. (Album documentation)
Iron Butterfly — Historical Chronology — Danny Weis recollection of the kitchen-table discussion in El Cajon and the circumstances of the name change. (Bruno Ceriotti)
Deep Inside Iron Butterfly — Jack Pinney account of the earlier San Francisco-area band and Danny Weis explanation of the chosen name. (San Diego Reader)
Gary James Interview With Doug Ingle — Ingle recollection of the naming discussion and the intended contrast between light and heavy imagery. (Classic Bands)