Douglas Lee Dorman (September 15, 1942 – December 21, 2012) was an American bass guitarist best known as a member of the psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly. He was also a founding member of the British-American supergroup Captain Beyond.
Lee Dorman | |
|---|---|
 Dorman with Iron Butterfly in Prague, 2012. | |
| Background information | |
| Born | September 15, 1942 St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Died | December 21, 2012 (aged 70) Laguna Niguel, California United States |
| Genres | Psychedelic rock |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Bass guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1960s–2012 |
| Labels | Atco, Capricorn |
Career
editIron Butterfly
editThe first album from this lineup, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, sold over 30 million copies, was awarded the first platinum award and stayed on the Billboard magazine charts for nearly three years. With arrangement assistance from Dorman, Brann wrote the song "Termination," which was featured on the album.
They are best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal music. The song, originally written by Ingle as "In the Garden of Eden" but as a result of singing the first draft whilst intoxicated was misheard by Bushy as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", went to number thirty on the Billboard Hot 100, and charted highest in the Netherlands, where it went to number seven.[1][2]
.png)
While recording In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Dorman assisted Erik Brann with the arrangement of Brann's song "Termination," and was given a co-writing credit.
Their music has found a significant impact on the international rock scenes, influencing numerous acts such as Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Rush, Alice Cooper, Mountain, Uriah Heep, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Slayer, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, and Queens of the Stone Age.[3]
Dorman had four stints with the group; 1967 to 1971, 1977 to 1978, 1978 to 1985, and from 1987 until his death in 2012. He was the longest serving member of the original foursome, and the longest serving of all the past and present members of Iron Butterfly.
Captain Beyond
editShortly after his first departure from Iron Butterfly in 1971, Dorman co-founded the supergroup Captain Beyond with ex-Deep Purple lead vocalist Rod Evans, Dorman’s Butterfly band mate Larry Reinhardt, and Bobby Caldwell.[4] The band had an eclectic style bridging elements of hard rock, progressive rock and jazz fusion with space rock.[5] They released three albums between 1972 and 1977.
The band was plagued from its inception with significant problems, including lawsuits involving Evans, Reinhardt and Dorman with their former bands, and a dispute over musical style with their record label, Capricorn Records
Personal life
editDorman was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and moved to San Diego in the 1960s. He began playing bass guitar in his teens.
Death
editDorman died of natural causes in his car in Laguna Niguel, California on December 21, 2012.[6] He was the second member of the In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida lineup to die, being preceded by Erik Brann in 2003, and succeeded by Ron Bushy in 2021, and Doug Ingle in 2024.
Discography
editIron Butterfly
(See full discography at Iron Butterfly)
- In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968)
- Ball (1969)
- Live (1970)
- Scorching Beauty (1975)
- Sun and Steel (1976)
Captain Beyond
(See full discography at Captain Beyond)
- Captain Beyond (1972)
- Sufficiently Breathless (1973)
- Dawn Explosion (1977)
References
edit- ^ "Iron Butterfly | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ "Iron Butterfly - Similar Artists". AllMusic. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Hill, Gary. "Biography: Lee Dorman". Allmusic. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
- ^ Captain Beyond - Captain Beyond | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-05-25
- ^ Somaiya, Ravi (22 December 2012). "Lee Dorman, Bass Guitarist, Dies at 70". The New York Times.
External links
edit
- Lee Dorman at IMDb