Welcome (Santana album)

Last updated

Welcome
Welcome Album.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 9, 1973 (1973-11-09)
RecordedApril to June 1973
Genre Jazz fusion
Length50:39
Label Columbia
Producer Carlos Santana, Mike Shrieve, Tom Coster
Santana chronology
Caravanserai
(1972)
Welcome
(1973)
Lotus
(1974)

Welcome is the fifth studio album by Santana, released in 1973. It followed the jazz-fusion formula that the preceding Caravanserai had inaugurated, but with an expanded and different lineup this time. Gregg Rolie had left the band along with Neal Schon to form Journey, and they were replaced by Tom Coster, Richard Kermode and Leon Thomas, along with guest John McLaughlin, who had collaborated with Carlos Santana on Love Devotion Surrender . Welcome also featured John Coltrane's widow, Alice, as a pianist on the album's opening track, "Going Home" and Flora Purim (the wife of Airto Moreira) on vocals. This album was far more experimental than the first four albums, and Welcome did not produce any hit singles.

Contents

In 2003, the album was re-released with a bonus track, "Mantra", described by AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek as "a killer improv tune with a ferocious bass solo by Rauch and insane drumming by Shrieve." [1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [3]
Rolling Stone (favorable) [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
All About Jazz Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]

Writing for Rolling Stone , Robert Palmer called Welcome "the most rhythmically satisfying rock recording since Professor Longhair's," and noted that the rhythm section is "at its loosest and best." He commented: "There may not be another 'Black Magic Woman' here, but there is enough of the old Latin fire to satisfy the fans, as well as a promising expansion of sources and resources." [4]

Critic Robert Christgau stated that the album "proves that a communion of multipercussive rock and transcendentalist jazz can move the unenlightened--me, for instance. Good themes, good playing, good beat, and let us not forget good singing." [3]

In a review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote: "Welcome is a jazz record with rock elements, not a rock record that flirted with jazz and Latin musical forms... Welcome was... ahead of its time as a musical journey and is one of the more enduring recordings the band ever made. This is a record that pushes the envelope even today and is one of the most inspired recordings in the voluminous Santana oeuvre." [2]

Jeff Winbush of All About Jazz described the album as "the summit of Santana's jazz fusion era," and remarked: "The secret weapon is Michael Shrieve's energetic drumming and the dual keyboard attack of Coster and Kermode. They push and pull Santana to go beyond and stop holding back." [6]

Track listing

Side one

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Going Home" Instrumental Adapted from Antonín Dvořák's "New World Symphony"composed by William Arms Fisher; [7] arr.: Alice Coltrane and Santana Band4:11
2."Love, Devotion & Surrender" Carlos Santana Santana, Richard Kermode3:38
3."Samba de Sausalito"Instrumental José Areas 3:11
4."When I Look into Your Eyes" Michael Shrieve Shrieve, Tom Coster 5:52
5."Yours Is the Light"ShrieveKermode5:47

Side two

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
6."Mother Africa"Instrumental Herbie Mann; arr. by Coster, Santana5:55
7."Light of Life"SantanaSantana, Kermode, Coster3:52
8."Flame - Sky"Instrumental Doug Rauch, Santana, John McLaughlin 11:33
9."Welcome"Instrumental John Coltrane 6:35

2003 remastered CD edition bonus track

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Mantra"Santana, Shrieve, Coster6:11

2023 Remastered Japanese SACD edition with both stereo and quadraphonic mixes

No bonus tracks


Personnel

Band members

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Welcome
Chart (1973–1974)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [8] 19
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [9] 9
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [10] 24
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [11] 29
Italian Albums ( Musica e Dischi ) [12] 4
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [13] 11
UK Albums (OCC) [14] 8
US Billboard 200 [15] 25

Certifications

Certifications for Welcome
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [16] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [17] Silver60,000^
United States (RIAA) [18] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Santana</i> (1969 album) 1969 studio album by Santana

Santana is the debut studio album by American Latin rock band Santana. It was released on August 22, 1969. Over half of the album's length is composed of instrumental music, recorded by what was originally a purely free-form jam band. At the suggestion of manager Bill Graham, the band took to writing more conventional songs for more impact, but managed to retain the essence of improvisation in the music.

<i>Santana</i> (1971 album) 1971 studio album by Santana

Santana is the third studio album by the American rock band Santana. The band's second self-titled album, it is often referred to as III or Santana III to distinguish it from the band's 1969 debut album. The album was also known as Man with an Outstretched Hand, after its album cover image. It was the third and last album by the Woodstock-era lineup, until their reunion on Santana IV in 2016. It was also considered by many to be the band's peak commercially and musically, as subsequent releases aimed towards more experimental jazz fusion and Latin music. The album also marked the addition of 16-year-old guitarist Neal Schon to the group.

<i>Caravanserai</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Santana

Caravanserai is the fourth studio album by American rock band Santana, released on October 11, 1972. The album marked a period of transition for Santana as it was the band's last to feature several key early members, while shifting in a more instrumental, progressive jazz fusion direction. It sold in fewer quantities than the band's previous chart-topping albums, stalling at No. 8 on the Billboard LPs chart, but has been critically acclaimed.

<i>Love Devotion Surrender</i> 1973 studio album by Santana & McLaughlin

Love Devotion Surrender is an album released in 1973 by guitarists Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, with the backing of their respective bands, Santana and The Mahavishnu Orchestra. The album was inspired by the teachings of Sri Chinmoy and intended as a tribute to John Coltrane. It contains two Coltrane compositions, two McLaughlin songs, and a traditional gospel song arranged by Santana and McLaughlin. It was certified Gold in 1973.

<i>Borboletta</i> 1974 studio album by Santana

Borboletta is the sixth studio album by the American Latin rock band Santana. It is one of their jazz-funk-fusion oriented albums, along with Caravanserai (1972), and Welcome (1973). Non-band albums by Carlos Santana in this style also include Love Devotion Surrender (1973) with John McLaughlin and Illuminations (1974) with Alice Coltrane, Jack DeJohnette and Jules Broussard. The guitarist leaves much room to percussion, saxophone and keyboards to set moods, as well as lengthy solos by himself and vocals. The record was released in a metallic blue sleeve displaying a butterfly, an allusion to the album Butterfly Dreams (1973) by Brazilian musician Flora Purim and her husband Airto Moreira, whose contributions deeply influenced the sound of Borboletta. In Portuguese, borboleta means "butterfly".

<i>Lotus</i> (Santana album) 1974 live album by Santana

Lotus is a 1974 live album by the Latin rock band Santana, recorded at the Osaka Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Osaka, Japan in July 1973, during their Caravanserai Tour. The Welcome album recording sessions were completed shortly before this concert, and that album was later released in November 1973. Lotus was originally released as a triple vinyl LP in Japan only. This version of the album was later released internationally.

<i>My Spanish Heart</i> 1976 studio album by Chick Corea

My Spanish Heart is a studio album by Chick Corea, recorded and released in 1976. Prominent guest musicians include Corea’s Return to Forever bandmate Stanley Clarke on basses, violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, drummers Steve Gadd and Narada Michael Walden and Corea’s wife Gayle Moran on vocals.

<i>Peaceful World</i> (album) 1971 studio album by The Rascals

Peaceful World is the eighth studio album by rock band The Rascals, released on May 5, 1971. It peaked at number 122 on the Billboard 200 chart. In Canada, the album reached number 50. The single "Love Me" reached number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>One Way Out</i> (The Allman Brothers Band album) 2004 live album by The Allman Brothers Band

One Way Out is a live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It is the first live album to feature Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks together, although both had appeared separately on previous live albums. It was recorded during the group's annual Beacon Theatre run in New York City on March 25 and 26, 2003, and released a year later. This would be the final album released by the band before they disbanded in 2014.

<i>Fearless</i> (Terri Clark album) 2000 studio album by Terri Clark

Fearless is the fourth studio album by Canadian country music singer Terri Clark. It was released in September 2000 via Mercury Nashville. The album produced three singles in "A Little Gasoline", "No Fear" and "Getting There", which respectively reached No. 13, 27, and 41 on the Billboard country charts. A fourth single, "Empty", was only released in Canada. Clark produced the album with Steuart Smith, with assistance from Keith Stegall on "No Fear" and "A Little Gasoline".

<i>OKeefe</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Danny OKeefe

O'Keefe is an album by singer-songwriter Danny O'Keefe, released in 1972. It peaked at #87 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. The lead-off single was "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues", which reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was covered by numerous artists. "The Road" was covered by Jackson Browne on his album Running on Empty. O'Keefe was reissued in 2006 on the Wounded Bird label.

<i>The Houston Kid</i> 2001 studio album by Rodney Crowell

The Houston Kid is the 10th album by American country music singer Rodney Crowell. It was released through Sugar Hill in 2001. The album includes the single "I Walk the Line Revisited", recorded in collaboration with Johnny Cash, which peaked at number 61 on the Hot Country Songs charts in late 1998.

<i>Santana IV</i> 2016 studio album by Santana

Santana IV is the twenty-fourth studio album by American rock band Santana, released in April 2016.

<i>Open Your Eyes You Can Fly</i> 1976 album by Flora Purim

Open Your Eyes You Can Fly is the fifth solo studio album by Brazilian jazz singer Flora Purim. It was released in 1976 via Milestone Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Paramount Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. The album features contributions from Airto Moreira on percussion and vocals, David Amaro and Egberto Gismonti on guitars, George Duke on keyboards, Hermeto Pascoal on electric piano and flute, Alphonso Johnson and Ron Carter on bass, Robertinho Silva and Leon "Ndugu" Chancler on drums, and Laudir de Oliveira on congas. One of the songs featured here, Sometime Ago, was composed by Chick Corea with lyrics by Neville Potter and was featured on the eponymous album by Return to Forever produced in 1972, Flora Purim and her husband Airto Guimorvan Moreira also played on that album.

<i>Stories to Tell</i> (Flora Purim album) 1974 studio album by Flora Purim

Stories to Tell is the fourth solo studio album by Brazilian jazz singer Flora Purim that was released in 1974 on Milestone Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caravanserai Tour</span> 1972–1973 tour by Santana

The Caravanserai Tour was a series of performances by American Latin rock band Santana in support of their album Caravanserai during 1972 and 1973. It started on September 4, 1972, at the Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival in Griffin, Indiana, and ended on October 21, 1973 at Ginasio Municipal Novo in Brasília, Brazil. This tour could be considered to be the group's most eclectic tour at this point, as the band did concerts at every continent except Africa and Antarctica, including one of the first, if not the first, tours of Latin America by a major American rock act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welcome Tour</span> 1973–74 concert tour by Santana

The Welcome Tour was a concert tour by Santana promoting their album, Welcome. The tour began on November 13, 1973 at Colston Hall in Bristol, England and ended on October 29, 1974 at the William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activities Building in College Park, Maryland.

<i>Things Happen That Way</i> 2022 studio album by Dr. John

Things Happen That Way is the final studio album by American musician Dr. John. It was released on September 23, 2022, through Rounder Records, making it his only posthumous release after he passed away of a heart attack on June 6, 2019 at the age of 77. Recording sessions took place at Esplanade Studios and at The Music Shed in New Orleans, at Dirty Power Studios and at Chateau Oblivion. Production was handled by Shane Theriot and Dr. John himself, except for the song "I Walk on Guilded Splinters", which was produced with Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. It features guest appearances from Aaron Neville, Lukas Nelson and Willie Nelson. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to Brandi Carlile's In These Silent Days.

<i>If You Will</i> 2022 studio album by Flora Purim

If You Will is an album by Brazilian jazz vocalist Flora Purim. Her first studio release in over 15 years, it was recorded in Brazil and California, and was issued in 2022 by Strut Records in celebration of the singer's 80th birthday. The album is the creative concept of Italian, London based, radio-dj Roberta Cutolo who engaged on this remote-production journey with Flora Purim during the pandemic by managing to lock a recording deal with Strut Records in the UK. They conceived and drew up together the idea of a 'latin-jazz-dance' album with a message which was going to appeal to new audiences as well as the older ones who instantly showed being particularly appreciative of the fact that Flora Purim was unexpectedly releasing something new after such a long time. On the album, which is dedicated to the memory of George Duke and Chick Corea, Purim is joined by a large group of musicians, including her husband, percussionist Airto Moreira, and daughter, vocalist Diana Purim.

References

  1. Jurek, Thom. "Santana: Welcome [Bonus Track]". AllMusic. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Jurek, Thom (2011). "Welcome - Santana | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 12, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  4. 1 2 Palmer, Bob (January 3, 1974). "Album Reviews: Santana - Welcome". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  5. "Santana: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 28, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  6. 1 2 Winbush, Jeff (August 4, 2012). "Santana: Welcome". All About Jazz. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  7. "The True Story of "Goin' Home" - from Bohemia to Boston".
  8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  9. "Austriancharts.at – Santana – Welcome" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  10. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4969a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  11. "Offiziellecharts.de – Santana – Welcome" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  12. "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 6, 2024. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Santana".
  13. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  14. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  15. "Santana Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  16. "Canadian album certifications – Santana – Welcome". Music Canada.
  17. "British album certifications – Santana – Welcome". British Phonographic Industry.
  18. "American album certifications – Santana – Welcome". Recording Industry Association of America.