Iron Butterfly – Unconscious Power: An Anthology 1967-1971 - 2020
Iron Butterfly first came together in San Diego, California in 1966 with a line-up of Doug Ingle (vocals, organ), Danny Weis (guitar), Greg Willis (bass), Jack Pinney (drums) and Darryl DeLoach (vocals). After performing in the San Diego area the band relocated to Los Angeles in search of a recording contract, with Willis soon departing to be replaced by Jerry Penrod on bass. Jack Pinney also departed and was eventually replaced by Ron Bushy.
The band’s psychedelic and acid rock style was honed during regular appearances at LA venues such as the Whisky a Go Go and the Galaxy Club, which saw Iron Butterfly develop a loyal following and led to the band signing with Atlantic’s Atco label in 1967. In October that year the band recorded their debut album, HEAVY, but the group would endure further line-up changes prior to its release as Jerry Penrod, Danny Weis and Darryl DeLoach departed soon after recording sessions were completed. Faced with the possibility of the album remaining unreleased, Ingle and Bushy recruited 17 year old guitarist Erik Brann and bassist Lee Dorman to the band.
HEAVY was released in January 1968, entering the US Billboard charts and eventually earning gold disc status. The album IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA, issued in June 1968, would break the band into star status. Dominated by the side long title track featuring the instrumental dexterity of the new line-up, it was a masterpiece of acid rock and reached a height of number 4 in the US charts and went on to sell a million copies. An edited version of the title track was issued as a single and reached the US top thirty.
The band’s third album, BALL, was released in January 1969 and was even more successful, reaching number 3 in the US and spawning the hit singles Soul Experience and In the Time of Our Lives. The band undertook a punishing touring schedule and a series on concerts were recorded in May 1969, finally to be issued as LIVE in April 1970. Erik Brann departed the band in December 1969 and was replaced by guitarist and vocalist Mike Pinera and additional guitarist Larry Reinhardt.
This line-up would record the album METAMORPHOSIS in May 1970 which saw the band take a heavier direction. The dominant track on the record was the excellent thirteen minute Butterfly Bleu which saw one of the earliest uses of a “talk box” on a guitar solo. Following a tour with YES in early 1971, Doug Ingle announced his departure from the band. After releasing a final single, Silly Sally in April 1971. Iron Butterfly disbanded. Although they would reform in the mid-1970s and continue to perform and record sporadically afterwards, their recorded work for Atco Records remains their main legacy.
UNCONSCIOUS POWER – AN ANTHOLOGY 1967 – 1971 features all of the albums issued on Atco, all newly re-mastered from the original master tapes, and additionally includes the rare mono mixes of the albums HEAVY and LIVE, (the only true separate mono mixes of their albums), both previously unreleased on CD, along with two CDs of recordings made at the Fillmore East in New York City on the 26th and 27th April 1968. It also includes all of the band’s US non-album singles and single edits and a lavishly illustrated booklet with a new essay featuring interviews with Ron Bushy and Mike Pinera and a poster.
CD 1
Heavy (Stereo Album Mix)
01. Possession
02. Unconscious Power
03. Get Out Of My Life Woman
04. Gentle As It May Seem
05. You Can't Win
06. So-Lo
07. Look For The Sun
08. Fields Of Sun
09. Stamped Ideas
10. Iron Butterfly Theme
Heavy (Mono Album Mix)
11. Possession (Mono)
12. Unconscious Power (Mono)
13. Get Out Of My Life Woman (Mono)
14. Gentle As It May Seem (Mono)
15. You Can't Win (Mono)
16. So-Lo (Mono)
17. Look For The Sun (Mono)
18. Fields Of Sun (Mono)
19. Stamped Ideas (Mono)
20. Iron Butterfly Theme (Mono)
21. Don't Look Down On Me (Single)
22. Possession (Single)
CD 2
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
23. Most Anything You Want
24. Flowers And Beads
25. My Mirage
26. Termination
27. Are You Happy
28. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
29. Iron Butterfly Theme (Single Version)
30. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (Single Version)
CD 3
Ball
31. In The Time Of Our Lives
32. Soul Experience
33. Lonely Boy
34. Real Fright
35. In The Crowds
36. It Must Be Love
37. Her Favorite Style
38. Filled With Fear
39. Belda-Beast
40. In The Crowds (Mono Single Version)
41. I Can't Help But Deceive You, Little Girl (Single)
42. To Be Alone
CD 4
Live (Stereo Album Mix)
43. In The Time Of Our Lives (Live Version)
44. Filled With Fear
45. Soul Experience
46. You Can't Win
47. Are You Happy
48. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Live (Mono Album Mix)
49. In The Time Of Our Lives (Mono)
50. Filled With Fear (Mono)
51. Soul Experience (Mono)
52. You Can't Win (Mono)
53. Are You Happy (Mono)
54. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (Mono)
CD 5
Metamorphosis
55. Free Flight
56. New Day
57. Shady Lady
58. Best Years Of Our Life
59. Slower Than Guns
60. Stone Believer
61. Soldier In Our Town
62. Easy Rider (Let the Wind Pay the Way)
63. Butterfly Bleu
64. Silly Sally (Single)
CD 6
Live At The Fillmore East: 26th April 1968 (First Show)
65. Fields Of Sun
66. You Can't Win
67. Unconscious Power
68. Are You Happy
69. So-Lo
70. Iron Butterfly Theme
Live At The Fillmore East: 26th April 1968 (Second Show - Incomplete)
71. Stamped Ideas
72. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
73. So-Lo
74. Iron Butterfly Theme
CD 7
Live At The Fillmore East: 27th April 1968 (First Show)
75. Are You Happy
76. Unconscious Power
77. My Mirage
78. So-Lo
79. Iron Butterfly Theme
Live At The Fillmore East: 27th April 1968 (Second Show)
80. Possession
81. My Mirage
82. Are You Happy
83. Her Favorite Style
84. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
85. So-Lo
86. Iron Butterfly Theme