I’m sure this is an old question, but I’m new to the music, so what does In- A-Gadda-Da-Vida mean?
It’s supposed to be “In the Garden of Eden,” but the lead singer couldn’t enunciate.
At least that’s what I was told.
Keyboardist/singer Doug Ingle originally wrote the song as “In the Garden of Eden,” but he was so drunk when he showed the song to the band that he slurred the title to the form in which we now know it.
Greatly underrated group, Iron Butterfly. That thick-tongued slurring of a title–which turned out to be their one big hit–got them typed as grunting proto-heavy-metal neanderthals, when they were really quite a spiffy little psychedelic band. They were also the first band I ever saw live.
By spiffy I’m sure you’re referring to their literary merit:
“Met a pretty girl on a date last night/
And let me tell you now she was groovy!”
That song was on the second side of I-A-G-D-V. It’s been burned into my head since it came out on vinyl and we listened to it in the dark (as we fell asleep in a cabin deep in the woods) EVERY SINGLE NIGHT for a week.
First side, actually. “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” itself was Side Two.
Ha! I used to pass by a particular house on my way home from school that would be playing “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” every day, the entire year I was in ninth grade.
For all I know, I may be the only one on these boards to have seen Iron Butterfly, live in concert, when they were hot. What my memory tells me is that it was a great concert, that they played a half-hour long version of “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” that the drum solo was fifteen minutes long and so fierce that the drummer collapsed on stage.
I wonder if any of that is true?
Anyway, while I might not have played “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” in a, ahem, while, I remember liking both sides of the album. But my favorite Iron Butterfly song of all has to be the beautiful and psychedelic “Soul Experience” off their Ball album.
As I mentioned above, the Iron Butts were the first band I ever saw in concert (not counting their support acts, who were It’s A Beautiful Day, of “White Bird” fame, and a male/female acoustic duo called Too People, who were never heard from again). This was in December 1969 at the San Diego Sports Arena, a show that was recorded for the Iron Butterfly Live album.
A fine song, and their best album, IMHO.
Read your post, really, but blanked on the last line somehow.
Whose law is it that those who hate the people who post without reading earlier posts will wind up missing an important line in a post they did read? 
I would have loved to see It’s a Beautiful Day. Their first album is one of the greats of the era. I can’t remember who backed the band when I saw them. Nobody big, for sure.
Yeah, if you ever see the episode of the Simpsons where Bart sells his soul to Milhouse, in the beginning, they sneak this song into the hymnal, and title it correctly, “In the Garden of Eden.”
By I. Ron Butterfly.
Homer whispers to Marge, “Remember when we used to make out to this hymn?”
Wait a minute…this sounds like rock and/or roll!
Hey, my classic rock station is playing the full 17-minute version of “In- A-Gadda-Da-Vida” right this minute!
We called it up from the dead!
Wow. Great song. Best. Organ. Solo. Ever. Here’s to Doug Ingle.
But what’s with the hiss that made the song almost unendurable? Did the station haul out an old 33 1/3? Does it really sound that way on CD?
Trivia note. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was the first album certified platinum.
I think the old Atlantic CD had a hiss problem. The remastered Rhino CD (with the goofy 3D cover) sounds pretty clean, although I could swear they tampered with the mix–too much guitar, not enough organ.
Ah, I hate it when they tamper with the mix. If it isn’t exactly-to-the-last-note identical to the original what good is an oldie?
Well, don’t forget the entire first side of Lee Michaels, just Lee and a drummer in the studio, one take I believe. And, like I-A-G-D-V, a great drum solo, too.
Hey my first rock concert was Iron Butterfly too. I was too young to be allowed to go so snuck out with my friends. It was wonderful and very loud! I thought it was as loud as possible with out going deaf untill I saw The Who. I am still not deaf.
The song rocks, the band is great, but what has always impressed me the most is that they have THE BEST BAND NAME EVER!
…which was blatantly imitated by that “Led Zeppelin” crew. Humph! 