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Post subject: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 8:06 am
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Iron Butterfly bassist Lee Dorman has passed away at the age of 70. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department reports that Dorman was found dead in his vehicle and that no foul play is suspected, though a coroner’s investigation is under way.

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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 9:01 am
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linnin wrote:
Iron Butterfly bassist Lee Dorman has passed away at the age of 70. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department reports that Dorman was found dead in his vehicle and that no foul play is suspected, though a coroner’s investigation is under way.


linnin, you're showing your age! Although this fellow "old geezer" is, I'd venture to say that not too many here are familiar with Iron Butterfly.

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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 9:08 am
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Martian wrote:
linnin wrote:
Iron Butterfly bassist Lee Dorman has passed away at the age of 70. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department reports that Dorman was found dead in his vehicle and that no foul play is suspected, though a coroner’s investigation is under way.


linnin, you're showing your age! Although this fellow "old geezer" is, I'd venture to say that not too many here are familiar with Iron Butterfly.


It was after seeing Iron Butterfly in concert in 1969 (I was 15) that I decided to play bass. Lee was playing a clear Dan Armstrong bass that night. I don't remember what amp he was playing through. I was enthralled.

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One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD


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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 11:58 am
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Lee Dorman on stage, March 2012:

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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 1:15 pm
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God gets another Bass Player...It feels weird when members of your favorite bands start dying of old age.


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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 2:21 pm
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The photo I posted above was made in Prague during their world tour this year. Between February and May I.B. hit Italy, Romania, Spain, UK, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Slovakia, Czech Republic where the above photo was taken, Poland, Switzerland, Brazil and then wrapped up in North America playing 27 dates in 27 venues in all. All their US shows were on the west coast. Not bad for a geezer band that hadn't charted in 4 decades, but only two "original" members toured (original here meaning played on the 1968 album) and Dorman was one of the two, the other being drummer Ron Bushy.

Posting a link below to the full length title track from the "IN A GADDA DA VIDA" album that broke out in 1968. That song takes up all of side 2. That album sold to date in excess of 30 million copies but was not certified as Platinum by RIAA until long after the fact in 1976 when they started Platinum certification. It currently ranks as the 25th largest selling album worldwide of all time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIVe-rZBcm4&feature=player_detailpage

Dorman played many basses in his career including Fender Precisions. Those are Mosrite axes in the video linked above due to an endorsement deal, but unsure of the actual recording instrument. He is known to have used Fender, Marshall and Ampeg amps/cabs at various times.

He's playing a Fender P-Bass on the "Butterfly Bleu" live recording here in 1971:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwkZzhDRroo&feature=player_detailpage

To give you some perspective on how big I.B. was, Led Zeppelin OPENED for them on the 1969 US tour. Mr. Dorman was actually the 3rd and the 5th bassist for I.B. first coming on board after the first album fizzled, playing on the rest of IB's albums until Doug Ingle disbanded the group in 1971. The group "reunited" minus Dorman and Ingle in 1974. Philip Taylor Kramer was the bassist until Dorman returned in 1978. After that Dorman played most I.B. dates. Coincidentally Ron Bushy was also the group's 3rd drummer.

Dorman's 1974 reunion replacement, Philip Taylor Kramer left I.B. in 1977 when Dorman returned. Kramer would became a top defense contractor electronics engineer who mysteriously disappeared in 1995. There was ongoing media coverage until 1999 when his remains were stumbled upon inside his Ford Aerostar mini-van at the bottom of Decker Canyon in Los Angeles County near Malibu, CA where he had apparently been the entire time. Between his disappearance and discovery of his remains numerous TV programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, America's Most Wanted and Unsolved Mysteries along with print media speculated on what happened to him. Kramer had worked on the MX "Peacekeeper" missile project and other secret defense programs such as the earliest facial recognition systems. However instead of some sinister spy/kidnapping plot or defection as had been speculated, his death was ruled a probable suicide by the LA County Coroner based on the fact that among his last known cell calls was a suicide threat made to police. While there was no forensic evidence to support any other theory, some still some claim Kramer was murdered.

Lee Dorman's body was also found in his car, and while no foul play is suspected at this point according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, there will be an investigation by the Orange County Coroner as is standard practice in unattended deaths.


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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 3:25 pm
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Thanks for posting Bro. Dave. Did Kramer have anything to do with Kramer basses & g-things? I had a Kramer bass in 1980 or '81 i think. I liked the aluminum neck. Had a DiMarzio Split Pick-Up. Sounded good.

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One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD


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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 3:50 pm
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I bought the eight track tape as soon as it came out.


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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 4:02 pm
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I met Lee in 1970, in Fort Lauderdale, FL. a great guy. RIP Lee.

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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 4:45 pm
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I may be old in remembering Iron Butterfly and Lee Dorman, but at least I can proudly say that my generation was never burdened with Justin Bieber, Kesha, and other processed celeb-musicians.

Thank Heavens that The Joy Formidable, Various Cruelties, and other real musicians are raising the musical standards for the younger folks.

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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 9:48 pm
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linnin wrote:
Thanks for posting Bro. Dave. Did Kramer have anything to do with Kramer basses & g-things? I had a Kramer bass in 1980 or '81 i think. I liked the aluminum neck. Had a DiMarzio Split Pick-Up. Sounded good.


No, Gary Kramer was the Kramer of Kramer Guitars. He moved to California shortly after the first Kramers were produced. Actually the designs for the Kramers were mainly the brainchildren of Kramer master luthier Phillip Petillo, Ph.D who was one of the greatest electric instrument minds of all time and, given the perspective of time I consider probably the east coast's most innovative designer of practical, workable, long lasting and stable electric instruments. Dr. Petillo is sort of the C. Leo Fender of New Jersey.

Also in on the Kramer startup was Peter LaPlaca, a VP at NORLIN (an investment group that grew out of CMI and at the time of Kramer's startup NorLin also owned Gibson) along with a speculative investor whose name escapes me at the moment but will probably hit me as soon as I try to go to sleep.

Mr. LaPlaca's connection to both Kramer and involvement in the 70's and 80's at Gibson is possibly part of the reason Gibson now controls the Kramer brand, even though Mr LaPlaca is long gone. NorLin lost Gibson in a brutal hostile takeover by the Rooney Pace Company in 1985 and subsequently Rooney Pace got hammered by Nasdaq with huge fines for insider trading/stock manipulation but I don't think anything stuck to Mr. LaPlaca as he was only on the receiving end of Rooney Pace's "unique" business practices. It turned out that Rooney Pace knew about as much about making guitars as Mario Andretti did. It is a miracle of almost biblical proportions that Gibson survived the Rooney Pace episode. Meanwhile, CMI and NorLin was a real force in musical instrument production and marketing for most of the second half of the 20th century. I have only good things to say about CMI and NorLin, but Rooney Pace.....eh, not so much.

The KRAMER brand was the TOP SELLING guitar and bass line of 1985 & 1986! These were clearly superior instruments and the people who made them have a right to be proud of them to this very day.

I often compare the mid 80's Kramer's to the Heartfield Project by Fender. Both were way ahead of their time and frankly are still ahead of the times when you take one of those mid 80's Kramers and put it up against even the best instruments of today.

But Kramer guitars/basses had nothing to do with Phillip Taylor Kramer. After he left Iron Butterfly he went directly to get his engineering degree and then into defense contractor research, development and design. So far as I know he never returned to music professionally after leaving I.B. in 1977.

TRUST ME, defense contracts are far more lucrative than rock 'n roll. I regret being cryptic but I'd rather not say how I know that, but I do know that to be an absolute truth.


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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 10:26 pm
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Church organist from "The Simpons" plays Inna Gadda Da Vida after Bart Simpson switches the score. Too funny!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PyBWLALFLQ


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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 11:11 pm
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warnergt wrote:
Church organist from "The Simpons" plays Inna Gadda Da Vida after Bart Simpson switches the score. Too funny!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PyBWLALFLQ



I completely forgot about this episode. I just laughed so hard, I can barely post!

Great tribute and great call warnergt!

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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 12:27 am
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warnergt wrote:
Church organist from "The Simpons" plays Inna Gadda Da Vida after Bart Simpson switches the score. Too funny!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PyBWLALFLQ


Ha! :lol: :D :lol:

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2018 Rumble Studio 40 Combo
2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD


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Post subject: Re: R.I.P. Lee Dorman
Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 11:14 pm
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Lee's axe was a heavily modified '70s P-Bass with a customized pickguard, P/J pickups and active electronics.

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