In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (derived from "In the Garden of Eden") is a song recorded by Iron Butterfly and written by bandmember Doug Ingle, released on their 1968 album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.

This article is about the song. For the album, see In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (album). For the video, see In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (video).
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"
Cover of the 1968 German single
Single by Iron Butterfly
from the album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
B-side"Iron Butterfly Theme"
ReleasedJune 14, 1968 (1968-06-14)
Recorded
Genre
Length
  • 17:05 (album version)
  • 2:52 (single version)
LabelAtco
Songwriter(s)Doug Ingle
Producer(s)Jim Hilton
Iron Butterfly singles chronology
"Possession"
(1968)		 "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"
(1968)		 "Soul Experience"
(1969)
Audio sample
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"
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At slightly over 17 minutes, it occupies the entire second side of the In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida album. The lyrics are simple, and heard only at the beginning and the end. The track was recorded at Ultrasonic Studios in Hempstead, Long Island, New York.

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was Iron Butterfly's only song to reach the Top 40, reaching number 30.[6] In 2009, it was named the 24th-greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.[7] It is also often regarded as an influence on heavy metal music and one of the firsts of the genre.[8][9]

Background

Though it was not recorded until their second album, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was written during Iron Butterfly's early days. According to drummer Ron Bushy, organist-vocalist Doug Ingle wrote the song one evening while drinking an entire gallon of Red Mountain wine. When the inebriated Ingle then played the song for Bushy, who wrote down the lyrics for him, he was slurring his words so badly that what was supposed to be "in the Garden of Eden" was interpreted by Bushy as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".[10][11]

Even though nearly all of Iron Butterfly's songs were quite structured, the idea of turning the minute-and-a-half-long ballad into an extended jam emerged very early; Jeff Beck claims that when he saw Iron Butterfly perform at the Galaxy Club in April 1967, half a year before the band recorded their first album, their entire second set consisted of a 35-minute-long version of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".[10]

Track listing
Atco Records 7-inch single
No.TitleLength
1."In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (single edit)2:52
2."Iron Butterfly Theme" (instrumental)3:24
Atlantic Records 7-inch single
No.TitleLength
1."In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (single edit)2:52
2."Soul Experience"2:50
1969 French single
No.TitleLength
1."In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (vocal part)4:50
2."In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (instrumental featuring drums and organ)5:12
1971 French single
No.TitleLength
1."In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (part 1)3:30
2."In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (part 2)3:58
German single
No.TitleLength
1."In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (edit)3:10
2."Easy Rider"3:06

Other versions

Incredible Bongo Band covered the song in 1973.[12] The composer and percussionist David Van Tieghem released a version and two remixes in 1986.[13] 16 BIT (a German dance project from 1986 to 1989 by Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti) recorded in 1987 a single "(Ina) Gadda-Da-Vida",[14][15] also included in album Inaxycvgtgb.[16] New Jersey psychedelic band 6 Feet Under recorded a version in the late 1960s.[17] In 1987 Slayer recorded a cover version that appears on the Less Than Zero soundtrack.

  • The song is prominently featured in the finale of the 1986 film Manhunter, in which serial killer Francis Dolarhyde plays the song (via an 8-track tape of its parent album) throughout his final shootout with Will Graham and the police.
  • In 1990, the song was featured in The Wonder Years Season 3 Episode 17, "Night Out".[18]
  • Portions of the song are featured in a 1995 episode of The Simpsons, "Bart Sells His Soul", in which Bart Simpson tricks Reverend Lovejoy's church into singing the song as an opening hymn by handing out sheet music titled "In the Garden of Eden" by "I. Ron Butterfly". Lovejoy describes the hymn as "sound[ing] like rock and/or roll".[19]
  • The song was also featured in an episode of Home Improvement starring Tim Allen.
  • A song featuring 'segments' of In A Gadda Da Vida, was featured towards the ending of the Motion Picture, Ocean's 12.
  • A shortened version of the song was featured in the premiere of “American Horror Story: Coven”.

See also

References
  1. Ray Broadus Browne; Pat Browne (2001). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Popular Press. p. 431. ISBN 978-0-87972-821-2.
  2. Robert Dimery (December 5, 2011). 1001 Songs: You Must Hear Before You Die. Octopus. p. 1076. ISBN 978-1-84403-717-9.
  3. The Avant-garde and American Postmodernity. University Press of Mississippi. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-61703-490-9.
  4. William Phillips; Brian Cogan (March 20, 2009). Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal Music. ABC-CLIO. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-313-34801-3.
  5. Folk Horror Revival: Harvest Hymns. Volume I- Twisted Roots. p. 55.
  6. "Iron Butterfly". Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  7. "Vh1 Top 100 Hard Rock Songs". Spreadit.org. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  8. Various staff of the publisher (2007). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Rock Guitar Songs. Alfred Publishing. ISBN 978-0739046289.
  9. William Phillips (2008). Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal Music. Greenwood Press. p. 117. ISBN 978-0313348006.
  10. Dave Thompson (2014). Iron Butterfly: Live at the Galaxy 1967 (Liner notes). Purple Pyramid Records.
  11. "Top 10 Drum Solos of All Time". Catalogs.com. October 24, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  12. AllMusic
  13. "Discography". vantieghem.com. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  14. discogs.com
  15. de:16 BIT#Singles
  16. discogs.com
  17. "'6 Feet Under' at Psychedelicized.com". Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  18. "S3E17: Night Out - The Wonder Years Soundtrack". Tunefind. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  19. Laurel Randolph (August 17, 2016). "Cooking The Simpsons: Million Dollar Birthday Fries". Paste Magazine. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
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