Iron Butterfly

Unconscious Power – An Anthology 1967-1971


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  • A NEW 7 DISC BOXSET ANTHOLOGY CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF LEGENDARY AMERICAN ACID ROCK BAND IRON BUTTERFLY
  • FEATURING 87 TRACKS ON 7 CDs INCLUDING THE ALBUMS HEAVY, IN A GADDA DA VIDA, BALL, LIVE & METAMORPHOSIS
  • WITH 25 BONUS TRACKS (18 OF WHICH ARE PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD) DRAWN FROM RARE MONO MIXES AND SINGLES
  • WITH TWO DISCS RECORDED LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST IN NEW YORK IN APRIL 1968
  • ALL NEWLY REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL ATLANTIC RECORDS MASTER TAPES
  • INCLUDES A LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK WITH AN EXTENSIVE ESSAY & POSTER

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of UNCONCIOUS POWER – AN ANTHOLOGY 1967 – 1971, a newly remastered 7 CD boxed set featuring all of the albums and singles recorded by the legendary American acid / progressive rock band IRON BUTTERFLY recorded for Atlantic’s Atco label between 1967 and 1971 and additional recordings made at the Fillmore East in New York City in April 1968.

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.

UNCONCIOUS 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.

Tracklist

DISC ONE

HEAVY – THE STEREO ALBUM MIX

RELEASED IN JANUARY 1968

1. POSSESSION (STEREO ALBUM MIX)
2. UNCONSCIOUS POWER (STEREO ALBUM MIX)
3. GET OUT OF MY LIFE WOMAN (STEREO ALBUM MIX)
4. GENTLE AS IT MAY SEEM (STEREO ALBUM MIX)
5. YOU CAN’T WIN (STEREO ALBUM MIX)
6. SO-LO (STEREO ALBUM MIX)
7. LOOK FOR THE SUN (STEREO ALBUM MIX)
8. FIELDS OF SUN (STEREO ALBUM MIX)
9. STAMPED IDEAS (STEREO ALBUM MIX)
10. IRON BUTTERFLY THEME (STEREO ALBUM MIX)

HEAVY – THE MONO ALBUM MIX

PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD

11. POSSESSION (MONO ALBUM MIX)
12. UNCONSCIOUS POWER (MONO ALBUM MIX)
13. GET OUT OF MY LIFE WOMAN (MONO ALBUM MIX)
14. GENTLE AS IT MAY SEEM (MONO ALBUM MIX)
15. YOU CAN’T WIN (MONO ALBUM MIX)
16. SO-LO (MONO ALBUM MIX)
17. LOOK FOR THE SUN (MONO ALBUM MIX)
18. FIELDS OF SUN (MONO ALBUM MIX)
19. STAMPED IDEAS (MONO ALBUM MIX)
20. IRON BUTTERFLY THEME (MONO ALBUM MIX)

BONUS TRACKS

21. DON’T LOOK DOWN ON ME (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD)
22. POSSESSION (1967 RECORDING) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD)

 

DISC TWO

IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA

RELEASED IN JUNE 1968

1. MOST ANYTHING YOU WANT
2. FLOWERS AND BEADS
3. MY MIRAGE
4. TERMINATION
5. ARE YOU HAPPY
6. IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA
7. IRON BUTTERFLY THEME (SINGLE VERSION)
8. IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA (SINGLE VERSION)

A & B-SIDES OF SINGLE – RELEASED IN JULY 1968

DISC THREE

BALL

RELEASED IN JANUARY 1969

1. IN THE TIME OF OUR LIVES
2. SOUL EXPERIENCE
3. LONELY BOY
4. REAL FRIGHT
5. IN THE CROWDS
6. IT MUST BE LOVE
7. HER FAVOURITE STYLE
8. FILLED WITH FEAR
9. BELDA-BEAST
10. IN THE TIME OF OUR LIVES (SINGLE VERSION)
11. IN THE CROWDS (SINGLE VERSION)

A & B-SIDES OF SINGLE – RELEASED IN JUNE 1969

12. I CAN’T HELP BUT DECEIVE YOU, LITTLE GIRL
13. TO BE ALONE

A & B-SIDES OF SINGLE RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER 1969

 

DISC FOUR

LIVE – STEREO ALBUM MIX

RELEASED IN APRIL 1970

1. IN THE TIME OF OUR LIVES
2. FILLED WITH FEAR
3. SOUL EXPERIENCE
4. YOU CAN’T WIN
5. ARE YOU HAPPY
6. IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA

“LIVE” – MONO ALBUM MIX

PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD

7. IN THE TIME OF OUR LIVES
8. FILLED WITH FEAR
9. SOUL EXPERIENCE
10. YOU CAN’T WIN
11. ARE YOU HAPPY
12. IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA

 

DISC FIVE

TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM – METAMORPHOSIS

RELEASED IN AUGUST 1970

1. FREE FLIGHT
2. NEW DAY
3. SHADY LADY
4. BEST YEARS OF OUR LIFE
5. SLOWER THAN GUNS
6. STONE BELIEVER
7. SOLDIER IN OUR TOWN
8. EASY RIDER (LET THE WIND PAY THE WAY)
9. BUTTERFLY BLEU

BONUS TRACK
10. SILLY SALLY

A-SIDE OF SINGLE RELEASED IN APRIL 1971

 

DISC SIX

“LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST, NEW YORK 26TH APRIL 1968”

FIRST SHOW

1. FIELDS OF SUN (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 26TH APRIL 1968)
2. YOU CAN’T WIN (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 26TH APRIL 1968)
3. UNCONSCIOUS POWER (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 26TH APRIL 1968)
4. ARE YOU HAPPY (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 26TH APRIL 1968)
5. SO-LO (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 26TH APRIL 1968)
6. IRON BUTTERFLY THEME (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 26TH APRIL 1968)

SECOND SHOW

7. STAMPED IDEAS (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 26TH APRIL 1968)
8. IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 26TH APRIL 1968)
9. SO-LO (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 26TH APRIL 1968)
10. IRON BUTTERFLY THEME (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 26TH APRIL 1968 – SECOND SET)

 

DISC SEVEN

“LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST, NEW YORK 27TH APRIL 1968”

FIRST SHOW

1. ARE YOU HAPPY (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968)
2. UNCONSCIOUS POWER (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968)
3. MY MIRAGE (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968)
4. SO-LO (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968)
5. IRON BUTTERFLY THEME (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968)

SECOND SHOW

6. POSSESSION (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968)
7. MY MIRAGE (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968 – SECOND SET)
8. ARE YOU HAPPY (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968 – SECOND SET)
9. HER FAVOURITE STYLE (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968)
10. IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968)
11. SO-LO (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968 – SECOND SET)
12. IRON BUTTERFLY THEME (LIVE FILLMORE EAST 27TH APRIL 1968 – SECOND SET)