Iron Butterfly

[dirk diggler]

Anybody remember this band? or the song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". The 17-minute title track of that album.
There's an interesting story that on February 12, 1995, bassist Phil Kramer, who took Lee Dorman's place when Iron Butterfly re-formed in 1975, disappeared after calling police and threatening suicide. He was never heard from again, which led to a massive search and many news reports, talk show topics including an episode of Oprah, and even a segment on Unsolved Mysteries some years later. His body was found in a canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains, on May 31st, 1999, over four years later. At the time of his death, he was 42. He graduated from night school with straight A's and got a job at Northrup, working on the design of the MX missile. At the time of his
disappearance, he had reportedly discovered a mathematical
formula that would allow matter to travel faster than the speed of
light. His involvement in projects of this nature have led to theories
that he was abducted or murdered.

[RoRo]

I remember the band and his going missing..I didn't know they found him though

[Aries65]

Philip Taylor Kramer (July 12, 1952 - February 12, 1995) was a bass guitar player for the rock group Iron Butterfly during the 1970s. After this he obtained a night school degree in aerospace engineering, worked on missile guidance systems for a contractor of the US Department of Defense and later in the computer industry. His disappearance on February 12, 1995 caused a mystery lasting four years.

Kramer and his father had been working together with their company Total Multimedia on a data compression and transmission project which Kramer apparently believed could result in faster-than-light speed communications (their work also involved a long-running family effort to discredit Albert Einstein's theories). Moreover, Kramer thought he was in contact with extra-terrestrial aliens. A bankruptcy re-organization of his company resulted in the hiring of a former MCI Communications vice president, Peter Olson, who turned out to be an enthusiastic New Age practitioner who believed himself to be half human and half alien. Olson paid a Paraguayan shaman named Arbenre $30,000 to "cleanse" the "negative" energy from the corporate offices and give business advice based on his psychic powers.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=4]Olson is said to have made The Celestine Prophecy "virtual required reading" at the company and Kramer became heavily influenced by Olson and his perceived spiritual gifts. Meanwhile Kramer's personality seemed to change. He became depressed and paranoid, believing people were plotting to steal his work. He told an associate, "We have to get off the planet."

On February 12, 1995 he drove to Los Angeles International Airport to pick up an investor in his again-failing company but failed to make the appointment or return home. Kramer did make a flurry of cell phone calls, including one to the police during which Kramer said, "Iâ??m going to kill myself. And I want everyone to know O.J. Simpson is innocent. They did it."[/SIZE]

Some people close to Kramer, and his company believe that the O.J. Simpson comment was reference to a conversation which took place in Colorado Springs where one of the attendees predicted O.J. Simpson's acquittal.

He was never heard from again. This led to a massive search and many news reports, talk show segments (including an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show), "America's Most Wanted", and even an episode on Unsolved Mysteries some years later.

There was wild speculation, fueled by his longtime friend and Iron Butterfly co-founder Ron Bushy, that agents from the United States government had abducted Kramer. Bushy, who had been talking with Kramer about a reunion tour for the band, told the Union Tribune, "I honestly believe that he has been abducted by our government or an agency that is part of it or maybe a foreign government or a company." Ohio Democrat Rep. James Traficant is reported to have said, "Someone may have grabbed him," suggesting he might have been brainwashed by terrorists for "nefarious purposes."[/SIZE]
[SIZE=4]On May 29, 1999, Kramer's Ford Aerostar minivan and skeletal remains were found by photographers looking for old car wrecks to shoot at the bottom of Decker Canyon near Malibu, California. Based on forensic evidence and Kramer's emergency call to the police, his death was ruled as a probable suicide committed on the day on which he was last heard.


Human Remains Provide Clues to Missing Rocker

by Joal Ryan
June 1, 1999, 9:20 a.m. PT
A grim discovery of a human skull and bones may
solve the mystery of a onetime bassist of
progressive rock band Iron Butterfly--a man
missing for more than four years.
Authorities in California say they are all but
certain that the remains belong to Philip Kramer,
who played in Butterfly during the group's
mid-1970s incarnation.
Hikers found the remains Saturday near a totaled
1993 Ford van at the bottom of a canyon, more than
400 feet below the nearby road, in Southern
California's picturesque Malibu. Evidence suggests
the crash was the result of a suicide mission, the
Los Angeles Times says.
The van is to be removed from the canyon today.
Coroner's officials also plan to use dental
records to confirm that the skull and bones indeed
belong to Kramer. One of the hikers who discovered
the crash site told the Times that a wallet found
at the scene contained Kramer's driver's license.
Kramer has been missing since February 12, 1995.
During a drive home from Los Angeles International
Airport on that day, he made a cell phone calls to
his wife, a friend from Iron Butterfly, and,
finally, to 911, wherein he told the operator he
planned to kill himself. Then, he seemingly
vanished.
There has been no comment yet from Kramer's family
on the weekend developments. But some in the camp
have long argued that Kramer's disappearance may
have been linked to his work. Post-Butterfly,
Kramer ran a multimedia company. His family has
said the ex-rocker had made a key scientific
breakthrough shortly before he disappeared. Kramer, born in 1952, joined the second coming of
Iron Butterfly in 1974. He played on its album Sun
and Steel. Butterfly is best known for its
17-minute-long, album-rock classic,
"In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida."

[Queen_Death_Hag]

Thanks Aries I wasn't aware that they had found his remains.

[Serendipity09]

Iron Butterfly Fans Come To Terms With Apparent Discovery Of Missing Rocker's Remains
06/01/1999

http://music.yahoo.com/read/story/12055660

[suzycreamcheese1]

Anybody remember this band? or the song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". The 17-minute title track of that album.
There's an interesting story that on February 12, 1995, bassist Phil Kramer, who took Lee Dorman's place when Iron Butterfly re-formed in 1975, disappeared after calling police and threatening suicide. He was never heard from again, which led to a massive search and many news reports, talk show topics including an episode of Oprah, and even a segment on Unsolved Mysteries some years later. His body was found in a canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains, on May 31st, 1999, over four years later. At the time of his death, he was 42. He graduated from night school with straight A's and got a job at Northrup, working on the design of the MX missile. At the time of his
disappearance, he had reportedly discovered a mathematical
formula that would allow matter to travel faster than the speed of
light. His involvement in projects of this nature have led to theories
that he was abducted or murdered.

I sure do. Turns out he was VERY smart...I knew it was something scientific, but not matter going faster than the speed of light!

[Nessa]

It's a good story, especially the farther you delve into it.

[Forever-27]

I didnt know they found him. I saw something about this on History channel. I always loved The Butterfly. for the time it came out inna godda da vida was considered heavy metal. One of the most covered songs in music history.

[Twobeatlesleft]

Sounds like he found out firsthand about matter travelling very fast when he jumped off that cliff.

[Miho]

tee hee can't help but think of the Simpsons episode where Bart switches the organ music at church with this song....

[duster]

he had reportedly discovered a mathematical
formula that would allow matter to travel faster than the speed of
light..

Isn't that supposed to be the key to time travel?

[Noreen]

Very interesting! I grew up with Iron Butterfly blasting in my house and onto the streets. I loved them.

[The Grim Reefer]

Mt dad always claimed i stole his iron butterfly album, which was weird since i didn't even know who these guys were, but he wont have it that i hadn't taken it, to this day he claims it. Thing is, i do have a few of his albums and i admit it, he can have them back when he gets a turn table. But i took out my bfs copy of whats going on, and he claimed that was his as well, even though i was with my bf when he bought it and my dad never even had that album

My dad really winds me up sometimes.

[RocketQueen]

I remember that from Unsolved Mysteries, one of my all time favorite shows.

[dirk diggler]

In 1990 at the age of 38, Kramer co-founded Total Multimedia Inc. with Randy Jackson (brother of Michael Jackson) to develop data compression techniques for CD-ROMs.[1][2][3] The firm claims it developed the first video compression capable of producing full motion video from a single speed CD-ROM in 1992. In 1994 the company was reorganized under bankruptcy and hired new leadership. Kramer continued working there until his death.[4][5] Kramer co-developed SoftVideo based on fractal compression and he also claimed to work on a transmission project that would result in faster-than-light speed communications. The latter related to his father Ray's long-running family effort to discredit Albert Einstein's theories.[6]

[jimmy's One]

Very interesting! I grew up with Iron Butterfly blasting in my house and onto the streets. I loved them.

My late husband played their album all the time.. I still have it

[msmojorisin84]

I don't know if it's rumor or not....but on a VH1 special several years back there was a segment about Iron Butterfly. "Ina Gadda Da Vida" was actually "In the garden of Eden"...and the singer was so doped..that it came out slurred. Not sure if this is true or not, but it is rather interesting!!

[Aries65]

bump

[TheLazenby]

You know, back in grade school, a kid told me "Did you hear about that guy from Iron Butterfly who became a rocket scientist and disappeared?" For years I thought he was b.s.-ing me...

[TheLazenby]

Yes, that's sort of true... but he wasn't high. The drummer (Ron Bushy) talked to Doug Ingle while Ingle was writing what was meant to be called "In The Garden Of Eden", but Ingle was so extremely drunk at the time that when Ron asked him what his new song was called, the title came out as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". Ron wrote that down, and later showed Doug what he had written, and that became the final title.

(All of this was explained in the booklet for Rhino's reissue of the album... if you want to make a purchase, look for the nifty hologram butterfly cover. :-))

[JestersKiss]

[msmojorisin84]

Yes, that's sort of true... but he wasn't high. The drummer (Ron Bushy) talked to Doug Ingle while Ingle was writing what was meant to be called "In The Garden Of Eden", but Ingle was so extremely drunk at the time that when Ron asked him what his new song was called, the title came out as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". Ron wrote that down, and later showed Doug what he had written, and that became the final title.

(All of this was explained in the booklet for Rhino's reissue of the album... if you want to make a purchase, look for the nifty hologram butterfly cover. :-))

I knew he was high or drunnk or somethin'! I'll have to pick up that album.

[1karenhb]

I knew he was high or drunnk or somethin'! I'll have to pick up that album.

Thanks for the info, I always wondered what that title meant. Several years ago me, my ex and his friend went to an Italian restaurant for dinner and an older man was playing the accordian. The friend jokingly asked the guy if he knew that song and the guy replied he didn't know a lot of the italian oldies.

[msmojorisin84]

Thanks for the info, I always wondered what that title meant. Several years ago me, my ex and his friend went to an Italian restaurant for dinner and an older man was playing the accordian. The friend jokingly asked the guy if he knew that song and the guy replied he didn't know a lot of the italian oldies.

That's too much!

[TheLazenby]

IAGDV doesn't sound that bad on accordion... Weird Al's done it a couple times (there's a bit in "Polkas On 45"), and a DJ named Scott Chapin did a full-fledged polka cover several years ago.

[Tebssis]

IAGDV doesn't sound that bad on accordion... Weird Al's done it a couple times (there's a bit in "Polkas On 45"), and a DJ named Scott Chapin did a full-fledged polka cover several years ago.

I've heard Weird Al's version, you're right, it's not half bad. People don't realize how talented Al really is, just because he's so funny.
Didn't know there was another polka cover out there, it boggles the mind that 2 people had the same idea.
I still have the IAGDV vinyl album also, but the cover is nearly toast. Just two pieces of cardboard holding together by one corner.

[Forever-27]

Alot of the posts here seem to forget that Kramer wasnt an original member of the band. He replaced the bands original bass player Lee Doorman in the 70s. The album that has Inna-Godda- Da-Vidda on it has Lee Doorman on the bass guitar. The band still plays tho. A few years ago I had seen an advertisment about them doing a concert at the fair here. I didnt go. I figured these bands when they get back together , with mostly unknowns playing clasic songs is just too painful to watch.

[Tebssis]

Alot of the posts here seem to forget that Kramer wasnt an original member of the band. He replaced the bands original bass player Lee Doorman in the 70s. The album that has Inna-Godda- Da-Vidda on it has Lee Doorman on the bass guitar. The band still plays tho. A few years ago I had seen an advertisment about them doing a concert at the fair here. I didnt go. I figured these bands when they get back together , with mostly unknowns playing clasic songs is just too painful to watch.

It's a crap shoot to listen to old bands live now. There's a festival every summer near here that has had everyone from Leon Russell to REM headlining the event. Some I had seen in their hayday. Leon was still great. He replaced some of his band with his son & daughter and they were tight! Eddie Money was acceptable and really was great to the crowd, signing autographs & such. But Head East used some local musicians as fill ins and it WAS painful listening to Never Been Any Reason. The harmonies were freakishly out of tune and sounded like a bad cover by a teeny bopper garage band.