IRON BUTTERFLY play The Coach House Jul 9; promo photo
Sixties psychedelic group, Iron Butterfly, best known for the song, “In A Gadda Da Vida”, from the album of the same name that sold over 48 million copies, will bring a slice of musical history to The Coach House July 9. Following is and interview we did back in 2016. Check it out:
“We don’t really dress up for the occasion, the guys are in their 60s,” percussionist Mike Green said.
“There may be a tie-dye shirt here or there, or Indian moccasins, mainly because it looks good on stage. We also have a sixties style light show.”
Back in the day, the band used to make sure there was a certain kind of beer or food in the dressing room, or maybe a bottle of whiskey.
“Now all I want is Pepto Bismo and Advil,” Green joked.
Returning from an 18-city tour, and with a couple of summer festivals on the horizon, Iron Butterfly are set to play a handful of local SoCal shows.
While some audiences may be skeptical about the changing lineup of the group, Iron Butterfly was never about one member, it was about a specific sound of the band, which the current lineup captures.
“We go out and play the original songs, it’s not a tribute band, we are Iron Butterfly,” Green said.
A little background history goes like this. Green, who has known the group since the early days, assembled the current incarnation of Iron Butterfly with the blessing of “In A Gadda Da Vida” drummer, Ron Bushy, who is presently on a medical hiatus.
“There was never a percussionist with the original Iron Butterfly,” Green explained.
“Ron wanted to add a percussionist to augment the sound because it is very percussion driven due to his famous drum solo.”
Iron Butterfly 2015/2016 promo graphic
Rounding out the band are Ray Weston (drums) who started touring with the band after Bushy took ill; Dave Meros (bass) joined following the death of Lee Dorman; Eric Barnett (guitar) has been a long time member of Iron Butterfly; and Phil Parlapiano (keyboardist) who recreates the ethereal, churchy organ that is as critical as the drums to the overall Iron Butterfly sound.
“I wanted to find people that knew the sound, liked the sound, and were familiar with it,” Green said.
Over the years, there have been several lineups of Iron Butterfly with some of them using the name illegally. Now Bushy owns the name and Green is his partner in licensing the group so there should always be a true representation of the band, it’s music, and the whole Iron Butterfly experience.
“This is the most solid incarnation, with the remaining original members’ blessings,” Green said.
“Come and return to a different place in time and experience Iron Butterfly.”