Santana recruits Nas and Daughtry for covers album

[Jagermeister]

DETROIT (Billboard) - Carlos Santana was initially intimidated by mentor Clive Davis' pitch for his next album -- another "Supernatural"-style all-star collaboration, but this time on a collection of iconic rock songs by the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and others.


"I was like, 'No, I don't know if I want to do this one, Clive. This one's a little challenging,'" the guitarist and bandleader told Billboard.com.

"And he would stay on the phone for at least 45 minutes to an hour, three times in one year, and I was like, 'Oh, lord...' But then I started realizing that someone with that intense passion of commitment couldn't be wrong, so I had to trust him. And it was incredible."

The album -- Santana's first since "All That I Am" in 2005 -- is due out in September and is not yet titled. The track list is being finalized as well, but during sessions Santana reunited with "Smooth" partner Rob Thomas on Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" and worked with Joe Cocker on Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing," Scott Weiland on the Rolling Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," Chris Daughtry on Def Leppard's "Photograph," Soundgarden's Chris Cornell on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," Papa Roach"s Jacoby Shaddix on Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" and rapper Nas, who lays down rhymes on AC/DC's "Back in Black."

Santana chose half of the songs while Davis, Sony Music's chief creative officer, picked the other half. Davis, who originally signed Santana in the 1960s, masterminded his 1999 comeback "Supernatural," a worldwide smash that also garnered nine Grammys.

"What I brought to the table is my heart, knowing that I complement, I don't compete," Santana said of the recording sessions. "I brought my heart, trusting that there's enough in me of purity and innocence and genuineness that I couldn't possible, excuse the expression, f--- it up. I know Eric (Clapton). I know Jeff Beck. I know Jimmy Page. And they know me. I have supreme certainty and confidence that they're going to say, 'Hey man, I love what you did with my song."

While he considers ever song "incredible," Santana said his very favorite is the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," which he recorded with India.Arie and cellist Yo Yo Ma.

"I sent the song to George Harrison's widow, Olivia, and I got back an email that says, 'Carlos, I listened to the song and I started crying and jumping with joy at the same time. And I want you to know that George really loved you, because he understood your passion for compassion.' And I was like, 'Bam!' that's like George Harrison himself, through his beautiful wife, validating my existence and what I did with that song."

Santana plans to preview some of the covers during his upcoming summer tour with Steve Winwood, which gets under way June 30 in Saint Paul, Minn. He also plans to have Winwood "join my band" for collaborations he hopes are "totally different" than what fans might expect.

"I would prefer not to do Steve Winwood or Santana songs with him," Santana explained. "I would like to go to the Bob Marley repertoire or Marvin Gaye or African music by King Sunny Ade or really, really obscure other-side-of-the-tracks. So I'm crossing my fingers."

After the summer tour with Winwood, Santana is returning to Las Vegas in August for his second residency at the Hard Rock Hotel. Santana is touring Europe in September and October, including a stop at London's O2 Arena.

Santana has another album ready to go as well, an all-instrumental set called "Shape Shifter," which he recorded with his band and he plans to release after the next album has run its course.

[twonabomber]

ideas like this is why i think Clive Davis should retire.

[chefcraig]

I know Eric (Clapton). I know Jeff Beck. I know Jimmy Page. And they know me. I have supreme certainty and confidence that they're going to say, 'Hey man, I love what you did with my song."

I wonder what Jeff Beck tune Carlos will be covering?

[jero]

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[chefcraig]

I never thought I'd say it, but Carlos Santana is rapidly turning into B.B. King, playing the same three or four note solo on every track he shows up on. I'm not exactly looking forward to hearing anything else from this album, which seems to have the phrase "aim low" attached to it. :indifferent0020:

[Nitro Express]

Carlos is good for one song. He plays his thing very good and it's good for one song and then all the other songs sound the same. Carlos does his one trick well but he's a one trick pony.

[Mushroom]

I wonder what Jeff Beck tune Carlos will be covering?

Seems like a silly collection but Can't You Hear Me Knockin' had Santana written all over it since 1971.


Track Listing:

1. Whole Lotta Love featuring Chris Cornell (Led Zeppelin)

2. Can’t You Hear Me Knockin featuring Scott Weiland (The Rolling Stones)

3. Sunshine Of Your Love featuring Rob Thomas (Cream)

4. While My Guitar Gently Weeps featuring india.arie and Yo-Yo Ma (The Beatles)

5. Photograph featuring Chris Daughtry (Def Leppard)

6. Back In Black featuring Nas (AC/DC)

7. Riders On the Storm featuring Chester Bennington and Ray Manzarek (The Doors)

8. Smoke On the Water featuring Jacoby Shaddix (Deep Purple)

9. Dance the Night Away featuring Pat Monahan (Van Halen)

10. Bang A Gong featuring Gavin Rossdale (T. Rex)

11. Little Wing featuring Joe Cocker (Jimi Hendrix)

12. I Ain’t Superstitious featuring Jonny Lang (Howlin’ Wolf, Jeff Beck Group)

13. Fortunate Son featuring Scott Stapp (Credence Clearwater Revival)
*Deluxe Edition Only*

14. Under the Bridge featuring Andy Vargas (Red Hot Chili Peppers)*Deluxe Edition Only*

[chefcraig]

Maybe some actual work went into this, but then again maybe not. I mean come on...how can you cover a Def Leppard tune and still manage to get the opening chords wrong? :duh:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gjCn70d6iA

[FORD]

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I would have thought that Santana covering this song would put a little more emphasis on the Latin flavor that Ed & Alex had in the original. Instead he seems to bury it under a bunch of overproduced corporate crap.

And that singer? Horrible. And here I thought Rob Thomas singing Cream would be the biggest trainwreck on the album. (No I haven't heard that yet. Probably don't want to)

[FORD]

I wonder what Jeff Beck tune Carlos will be covering?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f831LG6pr9E

Now that's more like it!

[jero]

Like we haven't heard that a zillion times!

[jero]

I never thought I'd say it, but Carlos Santana is rapidly turning into B.B. King, playing the same three or four note solo on every track he shows up on. I'm not exactly looking forward to hearing anything else from this album, which seems to have the phrase "aim low" attached to it. :indifferent0020:

I like that singer though

[sonrisa salvaje]

I wonder why Carlos chose Dance the Night Away. I mean if this album is supposed to be made around all time great guitar songs, i think he could have chose something more challenging. Did he have to do something with a guest vocalist or could he have attempted Eruption?

[Seshmeister]

Never noticed this thread.

I was just listening to an interview and I didn't expect the album to sound like this. His talk was all about putting his interpretation on the music, his art, how even at 63 unlike most guitarists his age he likes to really rock out,

What a fucking crock, it's just competent very very straight session musician style covers(apart from not knowing the chords to Photograph).

What's the point?

[ELVIS]

To get idiots to buy it on itunes...

[lesfunk]

Carlos Santana is the patron saint of mediocre guitarists

[DavidLeeNatra]

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man, does this sucks...!!! even pat boone did a better job with "Panama" on his "metal" album!

[SilvioDante]

I heard about this album a few months ago and figured it would be awful.

I have always said, some songs are perfect they way they were first recorded. They just can't be covered. End of story. "Photograph" is perfect the way it was. There is no way that having Carlos tuning down about 3 step so that tool can sing it would make it better or even listenable...

I am not even gonna comment on the train wreck (pun intended) that is "Dance the Night Away"....

[ToraToraTora]

I heard about this album a few months ago and figured it would be awful.

I have always said, some songs are perfect they way they were first recorded. They just can't be covered. End of story. "Photograph" is perfect the way it was. There is no way that having Carlos tuning down about 3 step so that tool can sing it would make it better or even listenable...

I am not even gonna comment on the train wreck (pun intended) that is "Dance the Night Away"....

And his dreadful version of Back In Black is a fuckin travesty. NAS = Nasty Audio Shit

[ELVIS]

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LMAO!

[ashstralia]

What's the point?

$$$$$!

[High Life Man]

I had no idea. I heard a cover of "Photograph" this afternoon. So horribly shitty....until I found this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlhMeKvwuDI&feature=relmfu

[High Life Man]

Even worse:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlkdpDXy67Y&feature=related

[High Life Man]

BTW - sorry if this is a repost. Move it. Merge it. Twatever.

[Diamondjimi]

Totally pussified... Tacos and salsa for the masses.....

[chefcraig]

Yeah, the whole album is fairly ghastly. :barf:

Santana recruits Nas and Daughtry for covers album (http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/showthread.php?59418-Santana-recruits-Nas-and-Daughtry-for-covers-album)

[Diamondjimi]

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LMAO!


Shite!

[VAiN]

I fucking HATE santana.. all of his shit sounds the same to me, I can't stand that latin beat and the guy has like 1 riff.... fuck him and his good song destroying covers album.

[sadaist]

I fucking HATE santana.. all of his shit sounds the same to me, I can't stand that latin beat and the guy has like 1 riff.... fuck him and his good song destroying covers album.


I like that 1 song he did.....that he recorded 172 different times.

[bantonelli]

Santana is not even well liked by his collegues in his original band that played Woodstock. He basically quit the band and made sure to get all the accolades, forgetting his bandmates and moving on. I find that Santana can't do anything without obtaining the current singers to help get him noticed. Karma is a biotch.

The one true success of the original band was the fantastic voice and B3 Hammond playing of Gregg Rolie. Gregg went on to co-found JOURNEY.... WHEN it was a great band (Prior to the addition of Steve Perry). Gregg's new band, "Gregg Rolie Band" is stellar!

[sadaist]

Santana is not even well liked by his collegues in his original band that played Woodstock. He basically quit the band and made sure to get all the accolades, forgetting his bandmates and moving on. I find that Santana can't do anything without obtaining the current singers to help get him noticed. Karma is a biotch.

The one true success of the original band was the fantastic voice and B3 Hammond playing of Gregg Rolie. Gregg went on to co-found JOURNEY.... WHEN it was a great band (Prior to the addition of Steve Perry). Gregg's new band, "Gregg Rolie Band" is stellar!

Wait........Don't be angry. I found this pic for you Bantonelli. ENJOY!

http://www.decadentlifestyle.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/David-Lee-Roth.jpg

[GreenBayLA]

Dance... cover is finger-tapping free.

[lesfunk]

Carlos Santana is the patron saint of mediocre guitarists

[chefcraig]

Carlos Santana is the patron saint of mediocre guitarists

Which explains his "discovery" of Neal Schon.

[Antman]

Train sucks. I fuckin hate that Sister song. Fuck Santana too.

[ashstralia]

Train sucks. I fuckin hate that Sister song.

agree ant, did anyone else notice that that song was basically a crappy re-write of that even crappier jason mraz 'i'm your's' crap?

santana sucks.