In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the second studio album by the American rock band Iron Butterfly, released in 1968. It is most known for the title track, a simple composition which, due to an extended jam, occupies the whole of Side B. The album is also available in a deluxe editionCD.
The In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida LP peaked at number 4 on the Billboard charts[1] and was given the distinction of being the first album to be awarded platinum status when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) began that achievement level in 1976. Today it is a 4x platinum album with sales of over 30 million copies. It was also Atlantic Records' biggest selling album until it was surpassed by Led Zeppelin IV.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic rated In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida four-and-a-half out of five stars. He called the title track "the epitome of heavy psychedelic excess". He also stated that the rest of the songs "qualify as good artifacts".[2]
Track listing
Original LP
All tracks are written by Doug Ingle except where noted
A "Deluxe Edition" of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was released in 1995. It included material from newly discovered first-generation master tapes, bonus recordings, and a 36-page booklet with photos. This re-release includes three versions of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida": the 17:05 studio version; the 19-minute live version from Iron Butterfly's Live (which includes a short organ intro), and the 2:52 single edit. The Deluxe Edition also includes a new cover, similar to the original, but with a movingbutterfly flapping its wings and the band members jamming to the song.