Doug Ingle and Iron Butterfly Had an Accidental Hit with "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"

Vocalist and keyboardist Doug Ingle is known for writing Iron Butterfly's iconic rock song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," originally over 17 minutes long. The song, which had only 30 words, turned out to be a happy accident for the band. It reached 30 on Billboard's Hot 100 and the album reached number four on the 200 chart.You can go to this video to hear the full 1968 version of the song with "CD sound and 3D" visuals. Below the video, there are a lot of fond remembrances, including this one: "My dad showed me this song when I was a wee gal, I still remember a time he played this, my mum was gone & had it on high volume, he was dancing & vibing & I just remember being so grateful for life & him. He passed away today, 5 years ago. He was my bestest friend, & this song always warms my heart."For a much shorter version of the song, you can listen here.The photo in the thumbnail is of Iron Butterfly with Ingle at the far left and drummer Ron Bushy, who's mentioned in the tribute, second from left. It was used in a 1969 trade ad for the band's single "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" and is credited to Atco Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.Send us Fan MailThis is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.