Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

A top 30 hit in 1968. Recharted in 1969, likely due to airplay because somebody decided to play the album version on the air in 1968, and it was still playing in May 1969.

The album version runs about 17:02, plus or minus a few seconds. It's in stereo. I have it on Atlantic's superb various artists Classic Rock 1966-1988 (1988), where it sounds OK. Plenty of dynamic range, no added noise reduction or weird EQ. Good enough for me; it's never going to sound terrific.

The 45 was edited down from the album version. The US 45 was mono. Discogs shows a few non-US 45s as being stereo. I assume (but can't confirm) that the mono 45 is just a fold-down of the stereo edit.

I was dreading reverse-engineering the 45 edit, but it turns out that it's just one edit. The 45 deletes 1:46 to 15:55 of the LP version. That's it; no early fade or anything.

The oldest CD I have of the stereo 45 edit is on Warner Special Products' Highs Of The Sixties (1986), where it sounds like mud. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Sessions/Warner Special Products' Rock Revival (1991)

The Highs disc sounds like mud, but it's slightly better than the new analog transfer on Time-Life's Classic Rock Vol. 27 1968 Blowin' Your Mind (1991), which has a slightly shorter tail to the fade. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Polygram Special Markets' Entertainment Weekly Presents Rock Anthems (1993)
• JCI's Psychedelic Sixties (1993 RE-1 reissue)
• Time-Life's Guitar Rock Vol. 7 1968-1969 (1994)

On Rhino's Iron Butterfly collection Light And Heavy: Best Of (1993), there's something new. I initially thought it was a remix from the multi-tracks, but (thanks to Andrew Chouffi) discovered it was just a new edit of the LP version. My guess is that the two-track mixdown tape for the 45 really does sound like mud (in other words, just like all the CDs listed above), so one of the engineers at Rhino just did a fresh edit from a better-sounding source tape for the LP version. The difference in sound quality is striking. However, the Rhino CD got the edit in the wrong place. Light And Heavy deleted 1:37 to 15:47 of the LP version, but the actual 45 deleted 1:46 to 15:55.

I'm hesitant to recommend any CDs for this song, which is best experienced with your sound system turned off.

I'm going to use Highs Of The Sixties in my own library for the stereo 45 version, because I believe that's what the stereo 45 really sounded like. You may certainly make your own edit from Classic Rock 1966-1988 or another source. If you must.

In February of 1969, I paid $3.75 for a ticket to see Iron Butterfly headlining a show with King Crimson and
Poco at the Kinetic Theater in Chicago. At the time, I thought it was overpriced. Now I look back and think the
show helped spark my interest in live performances. -Bill.

Ron, is the "single" version included on the original 1990's MFSL CD the 45 edit?



Edited by whyaduck

That 1971 Best Of LP shows the timing of the edit at 3:10 while the 45
edit runs 2:52. Is 3:10 a misprint? I have seen that timing on other issues as
well (which may simply just have been copied, no one actually bothering to
time it).

Hope you find one - I tried to find one on YouTube, but failed. I'm willing to bet
it's simply a misprint in the timing, which does happen on occasion.