In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida : An Impromptu Genius Jam Session Makes Rock History
Video courtesy of Iron Butterfly — Topic on YouTube
If you weren’t around to catch Iron Butterfly’s incredible 1968 rock classic in its heyday (which lasted through the ‘70s), man, are you in for a treat!
And if you were around then — well, you’re welcome. And you know why. Today you have the opportunity to sit back, hit “play” on that YouTube video, close your eyes, and be taken back to a simpler time. Yeah, I know, the world had its problems back then, too. Nothin’ new there, folks. But if you were around at that time, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
This song is considered significant in rock history. Not only is it said to be the first hit song that could be classified as heavy metal, but along with music by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Steppenwolf, it marks the beginning of a particularly powerful era. And speaking of Steppenwolf, later that year they used the phrase, “heavy metal” in their own classic, “Born To Be Wild.”
When psychedelic music (sometimes called psychedelia) was bursting onto the scene and forming the earliest days of heavy metal, this incredible 17:04 piece by Iron Butterfly smashed its way into the hearts of hippies and rebellious rockers everywhere. Taking up an entire side of an album, this jaw-dropping track seemed to go on forever — and still, it left us wanting more.
Its bizarre title is commonly said to be the result of organist-singer, Doug Ingle, having consumed an entire gallon of wine while writing this song. While drunk, he played and sang it for drummer Ron Bushy, who was writing down the lyrics for him. Apparently, it was intended to be a love song (of sorts) from “Adam” to “Eve” but thanks to Ingle’s copious consumption of wine, Bushy heard “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” instead of “in the Garden of Eden”.
There are a few similar versions of this story, but all of them have to do with Ingle’s inebriation and Bushy’s inability to distinguish what he was saying.
The mondegreen stuck. The record company approved it, as it sounded exotic. And in 2009, this track with the mysterious name would be voted the 24th greatest hard-rock song of all time.
The lyrics are brief (a total of only 30 different words) and are only heard for a short time at the beginning and at the end of the track. The rest of this mostly instrumental piece is nothing short of an auditory experiential extravaganza. It takes the listener through various moods and styles, including somewhat creepy-but-churchy organ music (perhaps a playful and intentional nod to the Adam and Eve love story that supposedly inspired this unorthodox but innovative rock opus).
At times, Ingle’s “creepy churchy” organ music takes on an almost hymnal quality (and I would know, as I spent many years as a church organist and choir director. Yeah, I can hear you laughing. I am, too. It never felt like “me.” I couldn’t have known at the time, but I’d end up practicing witchcraft for decades. Thankfully, I never got struck by lightning during choir practice).
Ingle’s father was a church organist, which likely influenced the deliciously drawn-out riffs that in spite of a slightly Eastern flavour, can’t help but remind you of an impending sermon — in the very best way.
Well into the track and nearing the end of the instrumental section (which is the bulk of the song), the organ music slides into an eerie, funerial vibe that suddenly takes on a dark and horror-flick feel that is absolutely exquisite. Especially with the addition of some sinister scraping and screeching of Erik Brann’s guitar strings — and it needs to be said, this young wizard was just 17 years old at the time they recorded this track.
And he’d only been playing the guitar for 3 months.
One of the most famous and memorable aspects of this track is Bushy’s unforgettable 2–1/2-minute drum solo that got everyone’s attention and made this remarkable song stand out even more. Back then, if you hadn’t heard that drum solo you must have been in a coma or living under that proverbial rock where no one knows anything.
Or you were probably somebody’s parent from the previous generation that thought rock music was the work of the devil.
That drum solo is so deeply embedded in my soul that even today, as I’m listening to it I can still remember what comes next in the same way I remember the notes and lyrics of familiar songs.
There’s a lengthy guitar solo that at times, transports the listener into Eastern spirituality, a popular vibe at that time, as the Beatles were off to India and the Rolling Stones were having fun with Indian instruments.
The story goes that this track was not intended to be anywhere near 17:04. It is said that when the band was setting up to record it, they were merely doing a soundcheck to test levels for the engineer. While they waited for the producer to arrive, they got into the groove during rehearsal and the engineer kept the tape rolling.
The performance had plenty of mistakes, but it also contained a powerful raw energy. It was decided that another take wasn’t necessary and this incredible classic was born.
More than 14 minutes of it were shaved off to produce the 2:52 version for the AM pop radio stations and the all-important 45 RPM sales. Some of the more progressive FM stations played the full version and if anyone wanted a copy, listeners had to buy the album.
And they did. It sold over 4 million copies, and until Led Zeppelin came along it was the best selling album in the history of Atlantic Records.
Iron Butterfly was supposed to play this masterpiece at Woodstock but they got stuck at the airport and missed their chance.
I know you might feel compelled to skip through bits of the video — or perhaps to skip it altogether — so you can get on with your reading or whatever else you need to do, but please don’t. I ask this for your own benefit, not mine. With billions of songs available for your listening pleasure, it’s easy to let even your favourites slide into oblivion as they’re replaced by new ones.
Think about this: You might never stumble upon this one again — or think to dig it out of the dusty attic of your memory. It could be the last opportunity you’ll ever have to listen to it.
And if it’s your first time, please, please do yourself a favour and experience the magic of this old school classic rock masterpiece.
To save you scrolling back to the top, here it is again. Give yourself a chance to close your eyes, chill for 17 minutes and let this incredible 1968 timeless classic stir your soul.
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