Welcome (Santana album)

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.

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]
Christgau's Record Guide	B+[2]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]

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

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Going Home"	Instrumental	Adapted from Antonín Dvořák's "New World Symphony"; arr.: Alice Coltrane and Santana Band	4:10
2.	"Love, Devotion & Surrender"	Carlos Santana	Santana, Richard Kermode	3:35
3.	"Samba de Sausalito"	Instrumental	José Areas	3:08
4.	"When I Look into Your Eyes"	Michael Shrieve	Shrieve, Tom Coster	5:49
5.	"Yours Is the Light"	Shrieve	Kermode	5:44

Side two

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
6.	"Mother Africa"	Instrumental	Herbie Mann; arr. by Coster, Santana	5:54
7.	"Light of Life"	Santana	Santana, Kermode, Coster	3:49
8.	"Flame - Sky"	Instrumental	Doug Rauch, Santana, John McLaughlin	11:32
9.	"Welcome"	Instrumental	John Coltrane	6:28

2003 remastered CD edition bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
10.	"Mantra"	Santana, Shrieve, Coster	6:10

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

• Alice Coltrane – piano (1, 9), organ and Farfisa organ (1) Arrangement (1, 7)
• 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

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[5]	Gold	50,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[6]	Silver	60,000^^
United States (RIAA)[7]	Gold	500,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Jurek, Thom (2011). "Welcome - Santana | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
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.
3. Palmer, Bob (3 January 1974). "Album Reviews: Santana - Welcome". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-06-05. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
4. "Santana: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 28 January 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
5. "Canadian album certifications – Santana – Welcome". Music Canada.
6. "British album certifications – Santana – Welcome". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Welcome in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
7. "American album certifications – Santana – Welcome". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.