Listening to In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Those who know me will probably not be surprised that I listen to In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida fairly regularly. In fact, over the past 2 or 3 days, I’ve let it play a dozen or more times. Sometimes I rotate a number of Iron Butterfly cuts, but my all-time favorite has to be In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Now, I am aware that IAGDV has become somewhat of a rock joke due to it’s simple, repetitive bass/guitar riff and it’s utterly meaningless title. However, IAGDV shouldn’t be taken lightly.

There are, various myths about where the name came from, and I’m not sure anyone really knows the truth (perhaps not even the band members). My personal theory is that Doug Ingles, who mumbled everything anyway, was simply misunderstood as he sung what seems to have been the original lyrics, “In the garden of Venus.”

IAGDV is, of course, one of the rock classics. Released in 1968, the album on which the 17-minute song appeared (also named In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida) became the very first “platinum” album (the designation was actually created by the RIAA for this album). As far as I know, it was the first studio-recorded full-side rock song. It paved the way for other treats such as Rare Earth’s Get Ready and Uriah Heep’s Salisbury (other favorites of mine). Also, it is perhaps the only rock song that is identifiable by merely a measure or two of its drum solo.

Iron Butterfly itself should not be taken lightly. Poke fun, if you will, at the simplicity of IAGDV or at the guitar-string-scraping noises of Eric Brann (an inspiration to Tom Morello, no doubt), but these musicians were no slouches. Many of their songs were lyrically fairly sappy, flower-powerish things, but just listen to the complex bass lines of Flowers and Beads or Most Anything That You Want. Lee Dorman, the bassist, went on to form the prog-rock Captain Beyond with a later IB guitarist, Larry Reinhardt.

The 60’s and early 70’s were strange times musically; you had all kinds of experimentation going on (chemical and otherwise), and even the early “heavy metal” bands were hoping to get top-40 airplay. “Rock” was everything from folk and country to blues to jazz-inspired bands like Chicago, and it was all groovy. Rumor even has it that Neil Young once auditioned for IB lead guitarist (to be beat out by Erik Brann). Iron Butterfly, with its various lineups, explored a lot of new ground (especially 1970’s Metamorphasis with the extended cut Butterfly Bleu).

So what is so special about IAGDV? I really don’t know… perhaps to me it’s the musical equivalent of comfort food. When I listen to it, I am not reverting back to a 60’s mentality or reliving my teenage years (God forbid!), but I do find it comfortable and relaxing. And, at 17 minutes, I can trust that it’s not going to pull some major time or style change on me. When I click “play” (yeah, I listen to an mp3… my turntable belt snapped) I can be assured that “dunt dunt dadada dunt” will be there for 17 minutes (more, if it’s on “repeat”).

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8 Responses to Listening to In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

  1. Pingback: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida: still rockin’ after all these years « kroc: Alden’s Klassic Roc Blog

  2. kencomments says:

    Yeah, great guitarist and I too did the Shinn’ On Tour. And Alden you’ll notice I never used the word “singer’ for Farner. You’re right.

  3. Kurt says:

    Yeah, Mark Farner wasn’t a singer, but he definitely knew his way around a guitar. Saw them on their Shinin’ On tour. Awesome band!

  4. me says:

    Mark Farner never could sing. But, the violins were way cool…

    “I’m getting closer to my ho-o-o-ome…”

  5. kencomments says:

    Yeah I get into Ina Gada but for me, for some reason, really enjoyed and still do, Mark Farner, Grand Funk Railroad “I’m Your Captain” Don’t know why just has something.
    Rock on Man!

  6. me says:

    As I was doing a bit of “fact checking” for this post (believe it or not, I do fact-check, even if it’s only on wikipedia…), I learned that Ron Bushy got that “jungle” sound on his toms by taking the bottoms off. A few years ago, I heard him recreate that solo at some LA radio station; he can still play it beat for beat. Apparently though, only Doug Ingle’s organ solo was originally “scripted” – in concert, the organ solo was always the same, while everything else changed. However, once it got recorded and entered into the realm of rock myth, I guess the drum solo demanded that it be recreated as recorded.

    A bossa nova version, eh? That does sound somewhat intriguing. I wonder if Santana ever did a cover?

  7. Kurt says:

    I just “flashed” back to the ’60’s. Doug “Spunky” Smith, Brian Coryell and myself were in Spunks’ bedroom(he had the loft over the garage) playing In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Unbeleivable. Those guys along with that song were a far-distant memory, until now. Spunky actually was the premiere drummer in town for awhile because of that song. His older brother Dave, would have him play that until he had perfected it. He had a full Tama kit with double basses, roto toms, and all Zildjians. He was real good, me and Brian just kinda tagged along. Later on in high school stage band, we tried to convince Mr. Lockwood to do a sort of bossa nova version of the tune. He just couldn’t envision us all walking off stage while Spunk solo’d for 10+ minutes. A few years later, a three-piece local band called Hobit would occasionally play it. The drummer for that bands’ name escapes me, but I do know one thing. He wasn’t Spunk, in name , or talent.

  8. Quixote says:

    Get a new belt, dude. Iron Butterfly was not meant to be listened to on anything but a click, scratch, and pop salad spinner. Boy George, on the other hand. . . .

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