On May 27th, 1968, the band recorded their second album at Ultrasonic Studios in Hempstead, New York. Released just a couple of weeks later, the effort, titled "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", entered the Billboard album chart on September 7th. It soon gained attention for its 17 minute title track that occupied the entire second side of the LP, and climbed to #4 on the Hot 200 chart. The middle of the song featured a two-and-a-half-minute Ron Bushy drum solo. Bushy would later explain that the song was written during the very early days of the band when Doug Ingle, who had drank an entire gallon of Red Mountain wine, played the song for him. Bushy wrote down the badly slurred lyrics, and what was interpreted as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was actually supposed to be "In The Garden Of Eden". It proved to be one of the pioneer songs that spurned the popularity of extended jams in Progressive Rock. The album became a multi-million-seller and was for a number of years the biggest-selling item in Atlantic Records' catalogue. The LP also became the record industry's first Platinum disc, selling over four million copies. It contained everything a Rock fan could want, neo-classical organ with Far East undertones, a solid beat, screeching guitar parts, barbed-wire feedback and a long drum solo. A single version of the song hit #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the fall of 1968 during a seven week Top 40 run. Magnificently overwrought at the time, the intervening years have been less kind to its standing.

The follow-up LP, "Ball", was less of a success, despite being a better collection of songs, notably the invigorating "It Must Be Love" and the more subtle "Soul Experience". Braunn departed after a weak live album and was replaced by two guitarists: Larry 'Rhino' Rheinhart, and Mike Pinera. However, no further success ensued. The album "Metamorphosis" was a confused collection, recorded when the band was disintegrating, and in 1971, the band split up. They re-formed in the mid-'70s with a new line-up of Ron Bushy and Eric Brann joined by bassist Phil Kramer and Howard Reitzes delivering two disappointing albums. A very brief semi-reunion in 1978, enlisting Jimi Henderson on vocals and bassist Keith Ian Ellis, imploded during a tour of Germany when Ellis was found dead in a motel room. Between 1974 and 1978, Doug Ingle left the music business and managed a recreational vehicle park in the Los Angeles National Forest. He also spent time painting houses in Oregon, Washington and California.

On May 14, 1988, all of the original members got together for the Atlantic Recording Corporation's 40th anniversary concert and celebration at Madison Square Garden, New York. Only artists who had released material on the Atlantic label in the United States performed, and included The Rascals, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Genesis, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Bee Gees, Vanilla Fudge and many others. Another re-formation, this time in 1992, was masterminded by Mike Pinera. A new version of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was recorded and Pinera recruited Lee Dorman and Ron Bushy for an extensive tour of the USA. By 1993, the legendary "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" album had sold an astonishing 25 million copies, and in 1995, the band re-formed once more for an anniversary tour.

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 and talk show topics, including an episode of Oprah, and even a segment on the TV show 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.

In 1997, Iron Butterfly re-formed again, this time with original members Doug Ingle, Lee Dorman and Ron Bushy being joined by Eric Barnett and Derek Hilland. The band enjoyed a highly successful tour of Europe and had planned a new CD that never got off the ground. On July 28th, 2003, guitarist Erik Braunn died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles at the age of 52. In December, 2005, keyboardist Martin Gerschwitz and guitarist Charlie Marinkovich joined Lee Dorman and Ron Bushy for yet another edition of Iron Butterfly, who continued to tour. Iron Butterfly was among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. On September 12th, 2010, Iron Butterfly received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th Annual San Diego Music Awards. A little over a year later, Rhino Records released "Iron Butterfly: Filmore East 1968", a double CD recorded at the Fillmore East on April 26 and 27, 1968. On January 2nd, 2012, former Iron Butterfly guitarist Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt passed away at the age of 63. For that upcoming spring, the band was booked for another busy tour across Europe. Sadly, bassist Lee Dorman died of natural causes on December 21st, 2012 at the age of 70. On January 15, 2020 the Official Iron Butterfly website listed the lineup of the band for that year as Eric Barnett (guitar, vocals), Dave Meros (bass, vocals), Bernie Pershey (drums, percussion), Martin Gerschwitz (keyboards, vocals), with Ron Bushy occasionally appearing on drums. Regrettably, Bushy passed away on August 29th, 2021 at the age of 79 after a battle with esophageal cancer.

For more, be sure to read Gary James Interview With Doug Ingle