Caravanserai (album)

Caravanserai
Studio album by Santana
Released	October 11, 1972
Recorded	February 21–May 5, 1972
Studio	Columbia Studios, San Francisco, California
Genre	Jazz fusion, Latin rock
Length	51:21
Label	Columbia/CBS Records
Producer	Carlos Santana, Mike Shrieve
Santana chronology
Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live! (1972) Caravanserai (1972) Love Devotion Surrender (1973)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	B−[2]
Rolling Stone	(not rated)[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]

Caravanserai is the fourth studio album by Santana, released on October 11, 1972. It marked a major turning point in Carlos Santana's career as it was a sharp departure from his critically acclaimed first three albums. Original bass guitarist David Brown left the group in 1971 and was replaced by Doug Rauch and Tom Rutley, while Armando Peraza replaced original percussionist Michael Carabello after his departure. During this period, Santana's relationship with longtime keyboardist/vocalist Gregg Rolie rapidly deteriorated; consequently, keyboardist Tom Coster performed on one song before replacing Rolie shortly after the album's release. Caravanserai reached number eight in the Billboard 200 chart and number six in the R&B Albums chart in 1972.^[5]

The sound contrasted greatly with Santana's trademark fusion of salsa, rock, and jazz, and concentrated mostly on jazz-like instrumental passages. All but three tracks were instrumentals, and consequently the album yielded no hit singles. The album is the first among a series of Santana albums that were known for their increasing musical complexity, marking a move away from the popular rock format of the early Santana albums toward a more contemplative and experimental jazz sound. While Caravanserai is regarded as an artistic success, the musical changes that began on its release in 1972 marked the start of a slide in Santana's commercial popularity. This album was mixed and released in both stereo and quadraphonic.

In a 2013 interview, drummer and album co-producer Michael Shrieve recalled Columbia Records President Clive Davis, upon first hearing the finished album, telling Carlos he was committing "career suicide".

It was the last Santana album to feature Rolie and guitarist Neal Schon, who went on to co-found Journey the following year.

In 2000 SME records in Japan, part of Sony Music, also released the remastered version as an SACD.^[6] This disc is stereo only, and furthermore, it is a single layer SACD, which means that ordinary CD players will not play it.

The album was remastered in 2003 for rerelease on Legacy/Columbia/SME.

Track listing

On the Q8 quad version,^[7] "Song of the Wind" and "La Fuente"—the next to last tracks on each side of the LP—were traded to even the timing for the tape.

Personnel

• Carlos Santana – lead guitar (2-4,8,9), guitar (5-6,10), vocals (6), percussion (1,8)
• Neal Schon – guitar (1,3-6,8-10)
• Gregg Rolie – organ (2-6,8,10), electric piano (6), vocals (4,8), piano
• Douglas Rauch – bass (2-6), guitar (2-3)
• Douglas Rodrigues – guitar (2)
• Wendy Haas – piano (1,8)
• Tom Rutley – acoustic bass (1,6,8-10)
• Michael Shrieve – drums (1-6,8-10), percussion
• José "Chepito" Areas – percussion, congas (7), timbales (2-4,6-7,9-10), bongos (8)
• James Mingo Lewis – percussion (1,8-9), congas (2-10), bongos (7), vocals (6), acoustic piano (9)
• Armando Peraza – percussion (8), bongos (9)
• Hadley Caliman – saxophone intro (1), flute (10)
• Rico Reyes – vocals (6)
• Lenny White – castanets (6)
• Tom Coster – electric piano (9)
• Tom Harrell – orchestra arrangement (10)

Certifications

References