Welcome (Santana album)

Welcome
Studio album by Santana
Released	November 9, 1973
Recorded	April to June 1973
Genre	Jazz fusion
Length	50:34
Label	Columbia
Producer	Carlos Santana, Mike Shrieve, Tom Coster
Santana chronology
Caravanserai (1972) Welcome (1973) Lotus (1974)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	B+[2]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]

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 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.

In 2003, the album was re-released with a bonus track, "Mantra", which was part of a jam session between Tom Coster, Carlos Santana, and Mike Shrieve.

Track listing

Side one

Side two

2003 remastered CD edition bonus track

Personnel

Band members

• Carlos Santana – electric guitar (2-5,7-9), acoustic guitar (2), bass guitar (6), kalimba (6), percussion (1,7), vocals (2), producer
• Tom Coster – Yamaha organ (1,4,6,8), Hammond organ (2,4,5), electric piano (3,7), acoustic piano (6,8,9), organ (7), marimba (6), percussion (3), strings arrangements (7), producer
• Richard Kermode – Hammond organ (1,3,8), mellotron (1), electric piano (2,4-7,9), acoustic piano (5), marimba (4), shekere (4,6), percussion (3)
• Douglas Rauch – bass guitar (1-5,7-9)
• Michael Shrieve – drums (1,2,4-8), producer
• José "Chepito" Areas – percussion (3,9), congas (3), timbales (2,3,6,7)
• Armando Peraza – percussion (1,3,9) congas (2,4-8), bongos (4), cabasa (5)
• Leon Thomas – lead vocals (2, 4, 7), whistling (5)

Additional musicians

• Wendy Haas – vocals (2, 4)
• Flora Purim – lead vocals (5)
• John McLaughlin – guitar (8)
• Joe Farrell – solo flute (4)
• Bob Yance – flute (4, 5)
• Mel Martin – flute (4, 5)
• Douglas Rodriguez – rhythm guitar (4)
• Tony Smith – drums (3)
• Jules Broussard – soprano saxophone (6)
• Greg Adams – strings arrangements (7)

Production

• Glen Kolotkin - engineer
• Bob Irwin - 2003 CD reissue producer

Certifications

References