Santana

Welcome to Rock and Roll Flashback!  I'm your host, Jumpin' John, and in this podcast episode I will review the highlights of one of the most versatile rock bands over the past fifty-nine years:  Santana!

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Transcript

Thank you for that introduction, and welcome to Rock and Roll Flashback!  I'm your host, Jumpin' John, and in this podcast episode I will review the highlights of one of the most versatile rock bands over the past fifty-nine years:  Santana!

The story of the band Santana is the story of guitarist Carlos Santana.  The band has had various recording and performing line-ups in its history, with Carlos being the only consistent member.  Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán was born on July 20th, 1947, in Autlán de Navarro, Mexico.  Santana began playing the violin at age five, but by age eight he had switched to the guitar.  As a teenager, he played in bands in Tijuana, Mexico.  There he was exposed to the local norteño music as well as to the blues of guitarists like T-Bone Walker and B.B. King.  Those influences would eventually result in Carlos producing  a unique form of popular music that combined rock, jazz, blues, and Afro-Cuban rhythms with a Latin sound.  

By 1961, the Santana family had moved to San Francisco, although Carlos still occasionally returned to Tijuana.  For a time he worked as a dishwasher in San Francisco while pursuing his music.  In late 1966 Santana began to assemble his own band.  The first band line-up, which went by the name of the Santana Blues Band, included Sergio "Gus" Rodriguez on bass, Danny Haro on drums, and Michael Carabello on percussion.  On a Sunday in January 1967, Carlos Santana sat in during an informal jam session with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and a few other musicians.  This jam took place at impresario and promoter Bill Graham's Fillmore Auditorium.  Graham was very impressed with Santana's playing, and offered him and his band a future gig at the Fillmore.  Within a month, the Santana Blues Band expanded by adding Tom Fraser on guitar and vocals and Gregg Rolie on organ and vocals.  Santana’s group was initially managed by Graham, who sensed their sound was different and had potential.  However, in April Carlos tested positive for tuberculosis and spent almost two months in the hospital.  After his recovery, on June 16th, 1967 the Santana Blues Band played their first show at the Fillmore.  Unfortunately, the next night some band members turned up late for their scheduled gig, and Graham fired the group from performing at the Fillmore.  Be sure to check out Rock and Roll Flashback podcast episode number 96, where I reviewed the career of promoter Bill Graham.

As a result of the firing, a determined Carlos brought in new and committed musicians, keeping only Gregg Rolie and Michael Carabello.  In late 1968, this new group had adopted the shorter name of "Santana" and secured a record deal with Columbia Records.  In December, Santana performed a series of concerts at the Fillmore that were recorded for a proposed live album.  By this point Carlos had begun moving away from his blues and R&B roots towards a new sound that blended the Afro-Cuban and jazz numbers into their sets.  After several line-up changes, the group finally stabilized in May 1969 with Santana, Rolie, Carabello, David Brown on bass, Michael Shrieve on drums, and Jose "Chepito" Areas on percussion.  This has become known as the "classic" Santana line-up.  However, despite their West Coast and San Francisco exposure, Santana was pretty much an unknown entity nationally in 1969.

Now settled on the new lineup, the band recorded their debut album, Santana, in San Francisco in May 1969.  The sessions featured Alberto Gianquinto on piano, who also helped with the arrangements of the tracks.  With the album recorded, Bill Graham arranged for Santana to tour the Midwest as openers for Crosby, Stills and Nash.  This expanded the group's profile outside the West Coast.  Around this time, Bill Graham had been asked to help organize the upcoming Woodstock Festival.  Graham agreed to promote Woodstock on the condition that Santana would be added to the bill.  The Woodstock promoters were skeptical of adding a relatively unknown band, but Graham persisted, and the band was assigned a 45-minute set in the afternoon of August 16th.  

Santana took the stage at Woodstock on Saturday afternoon at 2pm.  They performed a 45-minute set of eight songs, seven of which had been recorded for their debut LP.  The “Santana sound” of hard-driving Afro-Latin instrumentals was perfect for the outdoor festival.  That afternoon, Santana raised the crowd energy level, resulting in thousands moving, dancing, and feeling the power of the band's sound.  Interestingly, Carlos later claimed that he was hallucinating on mescaline throughout most of their Woodstock performance.  The Santana performance at Woodstock left a lasting impression on many who experienced it live, as well as the millions of people who viewed portions of their performance in the acclaimed documentary film Woodstock.  In May 1970, a live album of selected performances from the 1969 Woodstock festival was released under the title, Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More.  That live album included Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice” among its selections.  In the aftermath of Woodstock, the market momentum for Santana and other festival performers would continue for some time, thanks in part to both the film and the album of its music.  Within a few weeks of their Woodstock performance, Santana was launched into international fame.

Their debut album, Santana, was released by Columbia Records two weeks after Woodstock, on August 30th, 1969.  The LP spent 108 weeks on the Billboard Top LPs chart and peaked at #4 in November 1969.  The album would later reach two-times Platinum in sales and be reissued in 1998 and in 2004.  In 2012, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Santana #149 on their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".  Composed mostly of instrumental tracks, the album contained their first two singles, “Jingo” and “Evil Ways”.  "Evil Ways" became a Top Ten hit, spent 13 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and peaked at #9.  

Here is Santana's studio version of "Evil Ways":

Through the remainder of 1969 and 1970, Santana became a sought-after act at numerous venues beyond those in California where they had been appearing prior to Woodstock.  During this time Santana appeared at more than 70 locations and large festivals across the U.S. and Europe.  On October 24th, 1969 they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.  All the while, Bill Graham continued to feature Santana at his various venues in San Francisco and New York City.  On April 17th, 1970 Santana returned to the studio to record their second album, Abraxas.  The album was released on September 23rd, 1970, and rose to #1 on the US Billboard 200.  Abraxas would ultimately reach five times Platinum in sales.  In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album #334 on its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".  

Four singles were released from Abraxas, and two of them broke into the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The second cut from the LP was a reworked version of Fleetwood Mac's "Black Magic Woman".  The song became one of Santana's concert staples and one of their biggest hits.  "Black Magic Woman" was released as a single in November 1970, spent 13 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and peaked at #4 in January 1971.  

Here is an excerpt from Santana's studio version of "Black Magic Woman":

"Oye Cómo Va" was released in early 1971 as a single.  It reached #13 on the Hot 100, #11 on the US Adult Contemporary Chart, and #7 in Canada.  Santana's version of "Oye Cómo Va" was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.  It was also included in the NPR 100 list, "the most important American musical works of the 20th century".  In 2021, "Oye Cómo Va" was ranked #479 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Like most rock bands, Santana would have their occasional ups and downs, personality clashes, differences over musical direction, changing personnel, and new management.   Yet through it all, the decade of the 1970's would prove to be a prolific time for the band, as they would turn out 13 more albums after Abraxas.  From January to July 1971 they recorded Santana III.  Released in September 1971, the album also reached #1 on the US Billboard 200 and would sell two-times Platinum.  It was the third and last album by the classic Woodstock-era lineup, until their reunion on Santana IV in 2016.  It was considered by many to be the band's peak commercially and musically, as subsequent album releases would aim towards more experimental jazz fusion and Latin music.  The album also marked the addition of 17-year-old guitarist Neal Schon to the group.  Santana III featured two singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100:  "Everybody's Everything" peaked at #12 and "No One to Depend On" peaked at #36.  Unfortunately, the band's tour in late 1971 was filled with controversy:  with band member turmoil, resentment, and defections.  So, following a change in line-up and musical direction in 1972, the band experimented with elements of jazz fusion on their next three albums.  On the Billboard 200 charts 1972's Caravanserai peaked at #8, 1973's Welcome reached #25, and 1974's Borboletta peaked at #20.  

For the rest of the 1970's Santana was gradually moving away from Latin-fused rock music towards a more album-oriented, conventional rock sound.  Amigos, their seventh studio album, was released on March 26th, 1976.  It was the band's first album to hit the top ten on the Billboard charts since Caravanserai in 1972.  Amigos ultimately reached gold record status in sales.  In Europe, the instrumental song "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)" was released as a single and became a top ten hit in several countries.  In July 1976 it reached #1 in the Spanish Singles Chart.  "Europa" was an excellent example of Santana's trademark technique of sustaining notes on his guitar and is one of Santana's most popular compositions.  

Here is an excerpt from Santana's studio version of "Europa":
 
Finishing out the decade of the '70's, Santana released four more albums:  1977's Festival, 1977's Moonflower, 1978's Inner Secrets, and 1979's Marathon.  The LP Zebop!, released in April 1981, would reach #9 in the U.S. and achieved Platinum sales status.

Over the next two decades, the group’s output was more uneven and less commercially successful.  From 1984 to 1994 fewer Santana albums were released and sales declined.  Carlos Santana led the ever-shifting personnel in his band toward a jazz-rock fusion that reflected his admiration for Miles Davis and John Coltrane.  This resulted in collaborations with jazz artists such as Buddy Miles, Stanley Clarke, and John McLaughlin.  Having earlier shown an interest in spirituality, particularly the philosophy of Sri Chinmoy, Carlos Santana became a born-again Christian in 1992.  Meditation and mysticism became central to his life.

After the May 1992 release of the album Milagro the band went on a seven year hiatus where they stopped recording, but continued to tour.  During this time period, Santana found themselves without a label.  Carlos began talks with Arista president Clive Davis, and Davis signed the band to Arista.  Santana and Davis worked with A&R man Pete Ganbarg, as Santana wanted to focus on pop and radio-friendly material.  As a result, Carlos saw his career rejuvenated as he began collaborating in the studio with various young pop singers.  This produced an album of material featuring collaborations with several contemporary guest artists, including Rob Thomas, Eric Clapton, Everlast, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Lauryn Hill, Dave Matthews, Maná, and CeeLo Green.  

On June 15th, 1999 the resulting album Supernatural was released.  Arista had planned for an initial shipment of 125,000 copies, but the high level of interest in the album through word of mouth caused this to increase to 210,000.  The album debuted at #19 on the US Billboard 200 and eventually peaked at #1 in October 1999.  In the U.S. it was #1 for 12 non-consecutive weeks, and would be certified fifteen-times Platinum.  The album was also a huge commercial success worldwide, reaching #1 in eleven countries and generating renewed interest in Santana's music.  The first of six singles from the album, "Smooth", featuring Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas, was a #1 success worldwide and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 12 weeks.  

Here is an excerpt from the Santana version of "Smooth":

The next single, "Maria Maria", featuring the Product G&B, was #1 in the US for 10 weeks.  

At the 2000 Grammy Awards, Supernatural won nine Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, making Santana the first Hispanic to win it.  The 9 Grammys broke the record held by Michael Jackson's Thriller for the most honored album.  The single "Smooth" won Song of the Year, however, the award went to songwriters Rob Thomas and Itaal Shur.  Santana also won three Latin Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year.  Supernatural is Santana's best-selling album to date, the best-selling album by an Hispanic artist in music history, and one of the best-selling albums of all time, selling an estimated 11.8 million copies in the U.S. and 30 million copies worldwide.  It was ranked on Billboard's "Top 200 Albums of the Decade" as the ninth best-selling album of the decade of the 2000's.  According to the Guinness World Records in 2005, it was the band's first album to peak at #1 on the Billboard 200 since Santana III in 1971, a time lapse of 28 years.  That made it, at that time, the longest gap between two #1 albums.  In 2025, Supernatural was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The follow-up to Supernatural came three years later and was highly anticipated by international media and fans alike.  On October 22nd, 2002, Shaman was released worldwide. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, and went on to sell two-times Platinum in the U.S.  The first single released from Shaman, "The Game of Love", which featured vocals from Michelle Branch, debuted at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.  

Here is an excerpt from Santana's version of "The Game of Love":

The album's next four singles failed to chart in most countries, but the final single, "Why Don't You & I", reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In 2005 the album All That I Am was released.  The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, but fared worse internationally, and quickly lost appeal.  All That I Am, a continuation of the Latin-rock influenced sound of Shaman, achieved gold certification in the U.S.  A five-year break from recording then ended with the release of another studio album, Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time in 2010.  Musically it was a drastic change for the band, with a far heavier sound at its core and strong heavy metal influences.  It peaked at #2 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart, #3 on the Canadian Albums chart, and #15 on the UK Albums chart.  In my opinion, Guitar Heaven is an excellent classic rock cover album, showcasing Carlos Santana's ability to seamlessly incorporate popular vocalists with his band.  Six years later, on April 15th, 2016, Santana released Santana IV.  It was a highly anticipated studio album that reunited the late 1960's and early 1970's classic lineup of Carlos Santana, Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, Michael Carabello, and Michael Shrieve.  Santana IV marked the first time in 45 years that the quintet had recorded together. 

Santana has cemented their musical legacy through their numerous hit albums, infusing rock with a Latin feel rooted in Afro-Cuban rhythms.  Their studio and live work has been centered on Carlos’s extraordinary lead guitar playing, characterized by the distinctive sustaining of individual notes that became his trademark.  Santana remains one of the best-selling groups of all time with over 47 million certified albums sold the U.S., and an estimated 100 million sold worldwide.  Their output includes 26 studio albums, 14 of which rose into the U.S. Top Ten, and 4 of which reached #1.  They scored at least one Top 10 album in 6 consecutive decades.  

The arc of Carlos Santana's performing and recording career is complemented by his lifetime devotion to social activism and humanitarian causes.  Personal awards and honors that Carlos has received are numerous.  They include receiving Billboard's Century Award in 1996, being awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998, receiving the Billboard Latin Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Honor in 2009, and receiving Kennedy Center Honors in 2013.  In 2023 Rolling Stone ranked Carlos Santana at #11 on its list of the "250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".  In 1998 the band Santana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

Thank you for listening to another episode of Rock and Roll Flashback, where I reviewed the highlights of the phenomenal career of Carlos Santana and his band Santana.  I will close out this podcast episode with Santana's studio version of "Oye Cómo Va".  So, fellow time travelers, may your path be smooth and your music always be rockin'!  And until next time...Rock On!