# Lee Dorman(Iron Butterfly) dead at 70. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810 "2012-12-22T04:28:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/1 "2012-12-22T04:28:32Z")
Another one bites the dust. So many [memories](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIVe-rZBcm4&feature=player_embedded#!) of mis-spent youth. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/2 "2012-12-22T04:40:18Z")
Damn! That song is 44 years old? I must be getting old. R.I.P. Lee. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/3 "2012-12-22T05:39:25Z")
It’s good to see Lee Dorman remembered on the SDMB. Iron Butterfly were “heavy metal” long before that phrase entered the musical lexicon. R.I.P. Lee ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/4 "2012-12-22T12:31:34Z")
That’s a shame, always liked the songs on the other side of Vida as well… maybe finally get the Fillmore East cd now… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/5 "2012-12-22T14:06:24Z")
Featuring Charles Manson on the drums! I remember thinking that song was interminable, even back in '68, when it came out. One guy in the barracks played it over and over. The story goes that the original title was “In the Garden of Eden”, but the lead singer was drunk or high when he sang it, so the title was changed to his slurred version. ---
**Author:** ![Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eugene_of_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/6 "2012-12-22T14:46:43Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Featuring Charles Manson on the drums! I remember thinking that song was interminable, even back in '68, when it came out. One guy in the barracks played it over and over. **The story goes that the original title was “In the Garden of Eden”** , but the lead singer was drunk or high when he sang it, so the title was changed to his slurred version. Interesting. Makes sense. Was sort of the **Stairway** or **Free Bird** of it’s time. An anthem. Remember it well. Sweet bird of youth. Rest in peace, Mr. Dorman. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/7 "2012-12-22T15:39:19Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Featuring Charles Manson on the drums! I remember thinking that song was interminable, even back in '68, when it came out. One guy in the barracks played it over and over. The story goes that the original title was “In the Garden of Eden”, but the lead singer was drunk or high when he sang it, so the title was changed to his slurred version. it was a multipurpose song; church hymn and rock and/or roll. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/8 "2012-12-22T15:53:50Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Featuring Charles Manson on the drums! I hadn’t heard that before, and a quick search doesn’t bring up any connection other than that the Manson Family occupied a house that the group had moved out of some time previously… ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/9 "2012-12-22T16:26:33Z")
> [@Meurglys](#): > > I hadn’t heard that before, and a quick search doesn’t bring up any connection other than that the Manson Family occupied a house that the group had moved out of some time previously… I think Chefguy was making a joke. And as to that famous drum solo, if you listen carefully, it seems to be a series of variations of the old “shave and a haircut” riff. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/10 "2012-12-22T16:46:55Z")
I’ll consider myself whooshed, then… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/11 "2012-12-22T17:03:11Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > I think Chefguy was making a joke. And as to that famous drum solo, if you listen carefully, it seems to be a series of variations of the old “shave and a haircut” riff. Yeah, I just thought he looked a bit like him. I remember we all thought the drum solo was cool, but it’s really pretty boring stuff in comparison to what some can do. I always smile when I see old videos like that. They didn’t even bother to plug a cord into the guitars to give it some semblance of an actual performance. It was the same with groups on variety shows like Ed Sullivan. Evan at a young age, I knew it was being lip-synched. ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/12 "2012-12-22T17:48:19Z")
I remember inna gada da vida playing on the radio when I was 7 or 8 years old and my dad explaining “In the 70’s, radio DJ’s loved these 10 minute drum solos and 20 minute songs because they could get them rolling and step out back to blaze a doobie.” “What’s blaze a doobie?” “I mean, have some lunch.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/13 "2012-12-22T18:16:42Z")
We used to refer to them as “taking a crap” songs. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/14 "2012-12-23T02:22:09Z")
> [@Meurglys](#): > > I hadn’t heard that before, and a quick search doesn’t bring up any connection other than that the Manson Family occupied a house that the group had moved out of some time previously… If you google “Ron Bushy images” (he was the drummer) you’ll see a black & white photo where he does kind of look like Charles Manson. I think that was the photo from the back cover of Inna Gadda Da Vida. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/15 "2012-12-23T03:20:27Z")
Lee was the bassist for another great band, Captain Beyond. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/16 "2012-12-23T04:30:57Z")
No one read/heard that “In a Gadda Da Vida” was supposed to be Yiddish for “In The Garden Of Love”, or was that just PR to cover up the fact Dorman was drunk? Q ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/17 "2012-12-23T07:11:25Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > No one read/heard that “In a Gadda Da Vida” was supposed to be Yiddish for “In The Garden Of Love”, or was that just PR to cover up the fact Dorman was drunk?Q As I remember it, the story has always been that Ingle (not Dorman) was slobbering drunk when he first presented it to the band. I wonder if being drunk made him sound even more like Boris Karloff? Trivia of interest only to me: I saw them at the concert that became the “Live” album. (San Diego Sports Arena, '68 or '69). It was far out and groovy. A couple of years later, I missed seeing Dorman with Captain Beyond, because I didn’t like the headline group (Deep Purple, IIRC). :smack: My friend was there and told me later, and often, that Dorman, Reinhardt and Caldwell were as good on stage as on record. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/18 "2012-12-23T08:24:58Z")
I remember my uncle was visiting when I was playing my record of In A Gadda Da Vida. When (at about the 11 minute mark) there was that rather scratchy guitar noise his comment was “that guy outside is wrecking his gearbox!”. ---
**Author:** ![damagedgoods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecd19e/32.png) [@damagedgoods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/damagedgoods)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/19 "2012-12-23T09:38:20Z")
Actually,Neil Yong was quoted as saying something to the fact Manson was a talented lyricist and musician.Who know’s if Beach Boy’s manager didn’t fuck him(please,I’m not a Manson fan,but a total young freak)the 69 rampage might not have happened. (not an excuse just a btw)Young stopped hanging w/Manson 'cuz he was “getting a little farout”.(Neil Young-Journey through the past-by Nigel Wiliamson).Or we’re you fucking around?I never heard Manson played drum’s,just geetar and singing.(an entire LP was put out of his recording’s,supposedly o.k., however I only heard one tune.(liked it)anywho we’re talkin’n 'bout Iron Maid…errr. Butterfly.But come on guy’s and gal’s,wasn’t the title album’s musicianship alittle basic?One hit wonder? ---
**Author:** ![damagedgoods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecd19e/32.png) [@damagedgoods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/damagedgoods)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810/20 "2012-12-23T09:50:54Z")
If you google “bushy Ron images” I bet you’ll find something alittle different. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-dorman-iron-butterfly-dead-at-70/644810.md?page=2)