Caravanserai (album)

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Caravanserai
Studio album by
Santana
ReleasedOctober 11, 1972 (1972-10-11)
RecordedFebruary 21 – May 5, 1972
StudioColumbia Studios, San Francisco, California
Genre
Length51:33
Label
Producer
Santana chronology
Santana
(1971) 		Caravanserai
(1972) 		Welcome
(1973)
Carlos Santana chronology
Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!
(1972) 		Caravanserai
(1972) 		Love Devotion Surrender
(1973)

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.

Release and promotion[edit]

The album was mixed and released in both stereo and quadraphonic. It was released on October 11, 1972. The album was supported with a tour, which spanned the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania and lasted from September 1972 to December 1973. The shows on July 3 and 4, 1973 at the Osaka Kosei Nenkin Kaikan in Osaka, Japan, were released as the triple vinyl LP Lotus.

The inner cover carried a quote by Paramahansa Yogananda:

The body melts into the universe.
The universe melts into the soundless voice.
The sound melts into the all-shining light.
And the light enters the bosom of infinite joy.

— [1][2]

In 2000 SME records in Japan, part of Sony Music, released the remastered version as an SACD, in stereo only.[3] In 2022 SME records released the remastered version as an SACD in both stereo and quadraphonic.[4]

The album was remastered in 2003 for re-release on Legacy/Columbia/SME.

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Christgau's Record GuideB−[6]
Rolling Stone(not rated)[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[9]

The album reached number eight in the Billboard 200 chart and number six in the R&B Albums chart in 1972.[10]

The album was regarded as an artistic success, but the musical changes that began on its release in 1972 marked the start of a fall in Santana's commercial popularity. In a 2013 interview, drummer and album co-producer Michael Shrieve recalled that Columbia Records president Clive Davis, upon first hearing the finished album, told Santana he was committing "career suicide."

A 1976 review in Rolling Stone by Ralph Gleason said the album affirmed and "speaks directly to the universality of man, both in the sound of the music and in the vocals."[11] Caravanserai was also voted number 609 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[12]

Track listing[edit]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation" (instrumental)Tom Rutley, Neal Schon, Michael Shrieve4:28
2."Waves Within" (instrumental)Doug Rauch, Gregg Rolie, Carlos Santana3:54
3."Look Up (To See What's Coming Down)" (instrumental)Rauch, Rolie, Santana3:00
4."Just in Time to See the Sun"Rolie, Santana, Shrieve2:18
5."Song of the Wind" (instrumental)Rolie, Santana, Schon6:04
6."All the Love of the Universe"Santana, Schon7:40
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Future Primitive" (instrumental)José Areas, Mingo Lewis4:12
8."Stone Flower"Antônio Carlos Jobim (music)
Santana, Shrieve (lyrics)		6:15
9."La Fuente del Ritmo" (instrumental)Lewis4:34
10."Every Step of the Way" (instrumental)Shrieve9:05
Total length:51:33

On the Q8 quad version,[13] "Song of the Wind" and "La Fuente del Ritmo"—the next to last tracks on each side of the LP—were traded to even the timing for the tape.

Personnel[edit]

  • Carlos Santana – lead guitar (2-4, 8, 9), guitar (5, 6, 10), vocals (4, 6, 8), percussion (1, 8)
  • Neal Schon – guitar (1, 3–6, 8–10)
  • Gregg Rolie – organ (2-6, 8, 10), electric piano (6), vocals (4), 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, vocals (8)
  • 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)

Production[edit]

  • Produced by Carlos Santana & Mike Shrieve
  • Recorded & engineered by Glen Kolotkin & Mike Larner
  • Recorded at Columbia Studios, San Francisco, California March, April, & May 1972
April 6, recorded All the Love of the Universe

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[24] Gold 50,000^
France (SNEP)[25] Gold 100,000*
United States (RIAA)[26] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Caravanserai (liner notes). Santana. CBS Columbia. 1972. KC 31610.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ p36, Metaphysical Meditations, Paramahansa Yogananda
  3. ^ "Santana - Caravanserai". Discogs. December 18, 1999.
  4. ^ "Santana - Caravanserai". Discogs. November 30, 2022.
  5. ^ Henderson, Alex. "Caravanserai". allmusic.com. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Gleason, Ralph J. (December 8, 1976). "Santana: Caravanserai : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  8. ^ "Santana: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 28, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  9. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
  10. ^ "Caravanserai - Santana | Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  11. ^ Gleason, Ralph J. (December 8, 1976). "Santana: Caravanserai : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  12. ^ Colin Larkin (2006). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 203. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
  13. ^ "Santana: Caravanserai [SQ/Q8]". Archived from the original on November 27, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  14. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  15. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4227". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  16. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Santana – Caravanserai" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  17. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Santana – Caravanserai" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  19. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved May 27, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Santana".
  20. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Santana – Caravanserai". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  21. ^ "Santana | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  22. ^ "Santana Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  23. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1973. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  24. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Santana – Caravanserai". Music Canada.
  25. ^ "French album certifications – Santana – Caravanserai" (in French). InfoDisc. Select SANTANA and click OK. 
  26. ^ "American album certifications – Santana – Caravanserai". Recording Industry Association of America.
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