In early 1968, after the band signed a deal with Atco Records , an

In early 1968, after the band signed a deal with Atco Records , an Atlantic Records subsidiary, the band’s debut album Heavy was released. The group was signed and managed by Atlantic’s Charles Greene and Brian Stone, who were co-producers of Heavy . All but Ingle and Bushy left the band after completing the album in the late summer of 1967. The two remaining musicians, faced with the possibility of the record not being released, quickly found replacements in bassist Lee Dorman and 17-year-old guitarist Erik Brann (also known as “Erik Braunn” and “Erik Braun”) and resumed touring. In a 1986 interview with IB’s fan club fanzine, The Butterfly Net , Brann stated that Jeff Beck , Neil Young , and Michael Monarch (who would go on to join Steppenwolf ) had also expressed interest in joining the group to replace Weis.