(04) Santana - Supernatural (1999)

“Supernatural” is a 1999 concept album by Santana. It went 15 times platinum in the US and won nine Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year as well as three Latin Grammy Awards including Record of the Year.
The album, conceived by Clive Davis and A&R'd by Pete Ganbarg, was phenomenally successful, eventually selling over 25 million copies worldwide; it is generally seen to have revived Santana's dormant career.

Santana was still a respected rock veteran in 1999, but it had been years since he had a hit, even if he continued to fare well on the concert circuits. Clive Davis, the man who had signed Santana to Columbia in 1968, offered him the opportunity to set up shop at his label, Arista. In the tradition of comebacks and label debuts by veteran artists in the '90s, Supernatural, Santana's first effort for Arista, is designed as a star-studded event. At first listen, there doesn't seem to be a track that doesn't have a guest star, which brings up the primary problem with the album — despite several interesting or excellent moments, it never develops a consistent voice that holds the album together. The fault doesn't lay with the guest stars or even with Santana, who continues to turn in fine performances. There's just a general directionless feeling to the record, enhanced by several songs that seem like excuses for jams, which, truth be told, isn't all that foreign on latter-day Santana records. Then again, the grooves often play better than the ploys for radio play, but that's not always the case, since Lauryn Hill's "Do You Like the Way" and the Dust Brothers-produced, Eagle-Eye Cherry-sung "Wishing It Was" are as captivating as the Eric Clapton duet, "The Calling." But that just confirms that Supernatural just doesn't have much of a direction, flipping between traditional Santana numbers and polished contemporary collaborations, with both extremes being equally likely to hit or miss. That doesn't quite constitute a triumph, but the peak moments of Supernatural are some of Santana's best music of the '90s, which does make it a successful comeback.

Track listing:
01 - "(Da Le) Yaleo" – 5:53
02 - "Love of My Life" feat. Dave Matthews & Carter Beauford – 5:47
03 - "Put Your Lights On" feat. Everlast – 4:45
04 - "Africa Bamba" – 4:42
05 - "Smooth" feat. Rob Thomas – 4:58
06 - "Do You Like the Way" feat. Lauryn Hill & Cee-Lo – 5:54
07 - "Maria Maria" feat. The Product G&B – 4:22
08 - "Migra" – 5:28
09 - "Corazón Espinado" feat. Mana (F. Olvera) – 4:36
10 - "Wishing It Was" feat. Eagle-Eye Cherry – 4:52
11 - "El Farol" – 4:51
12 - "Primavera" – 6:18
13 - "The Calling" feat. Eric Clapton (C. Santana & C. Thompson) – 7:48
14 - "Day of Celebration" (Bonus Track) – 4:28

Length 74:59

"Day of Celebration" is not officially listed because it is a hidden track. It is preceded by 12 seconds of silence from the end of "The Calling". Technically, it is part of "The Calling", making the total track length 12:28.

Released: June 15, 1999
Recorded: 1998–1999
Genre: Latin rock, Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Blues Rock
Label: Arista Records
Producers: Clive Davis, Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, The Dust Brothers, Alex Gonzales, Charles Goodan, Lauryn Hill, Art Hodge, Wyclef Jean, Fher Olvera, K.C. Porter, Dante Ross, Matt Serletic

Personnel

(Da Le) Yaleo
Guitar - Carlos Santana
Keyboards - Chester Thompson
Bass - Benny Rietveld
Drums - Billy Johnson
Percussion - Karl Perazzo
Congas - Raul Rekow
Vocals - Carlos Santana, Karl Perazzo, Tony Lindsay
Trombone - Jose Abel Figueroa, Mic Gillette
Trumpet - Marvin McFadden, Mic Gillette

Love of My Life
Guitar - Carlos Santana
Lead Vocal - Dave Matthews
Keyboards - George Whitty
Bass - Benny Rietveld
Drums - Carter Beauford
Congas & Percussion - Karl Perazzo

Put Your Lights On
Lead Guitar - Carlos Santana
Rhythm Guitar & Lead Vocal - Everlast
Keyboards - Chester Thompson
Programming - John Gamble
Congas & Percussion - Carlos Santana
Bass - Benny Rietveld

Africa Bamba
Guitar - Carlos Santana
Keyboards - Chester Thompson
Bass - Benny Rietveld
Drums - Horacio Hernandez
Percussion - Karl Perazzo
Congas - Raul Rekow
Lead Vocal - Carlos Santana
Vamp Out Vocal - Karl Perazzo
Background Vocals - Carlos Santana, Karl Perazzo, Tony Lindsay

Smooth
Lead Guitar - Carlos Santana
Lead Vocal - Rob Thomas
Keyboards - Chester Thompson
Bass - Benny Rietveld
Drums - Rodney Holmes
Percussion - Karl Perazzo
Congas - Raul Rekow
Trombone - Jeff Cressman, Jose Abel Figueroa
Trumpet - Javier Melendez, William Ortiz

Do You Like The Way
Lead Guitar - Carlos Santana
Lead Vocals - Lauryn Hill, Cee-Lo
Rhythm Guitar - Francis Dunnery, Al Anderson
Keyboards - Loris Holland
Programming - Kobie Brown, Che Pope
Bass - Tom Barney
Background Vocals - Lenesha Randolph, Lauryn Hill
Saxophone & Flute - Danny Wolinski
Trombone - Steve Toure
Trumpet & Flugelhorn - Earl Gardner
Tuba - Joseph Daley

Maria Maria
Guitar - Carlos Santana
Lead Vocal - The Product G&B
Additional Vocal - Carlos Santana
Cello - Joseph Herbert
Viola - Daniel Seidenberg, Hari Balakrisnan
Violin - Jeremy Cohen

Migra
Guitar & Sleigh Bells - Carlos Santana
Keyboards - Chester Thompson
Programming & Accordion - K. C. Porter
Bass - Benny Rietveld
Drums - Rodney Holmes
Percussion - Karl Perazzo
Congas - Raul Rekow
Vocals - Tony Lindsay, Karl Perazzo, K. C. Porter
Trombone - Ramon Flores, Mic Gillette
Trumpet - Jose Abel Figueroa, Marvin McFadden, Mic Gillette

Corazón Espinado
Lead Guitar - Carlos Santana
Lead Vocal - Fher
Rhythm Guitar - Sergio Vallin
Keyboards - Alberto Salas, Chester Thompson
Bass - Juan D. Calleros
Drums - Alex Gonzales
Timbales & Percussion - Karl Perazzo
Congas - Raul Rekow
Background Vocals - Gonzalo Chomat, Alez Gonzales
Vocal Direction - Jose Quintana

Wishing It Was
Lead & Rhythm Guitar - Carlos Santana
Lead Vocal - Eagle-Eye Cherry
Background Vocals - Chad & Earl
Keyboards - Chester Thompson
Bass - Benny Rietveld
Drums - Rodney Holmes
Timbales & Percussion - Karl Perazzo
Congas & Percussion - Raul Rekow
Additional Percussion - Humberto Hernandez

El Farol
Lead Guitar - Carlos Santana
Rhythm Guitar & Percussion - Raul Pacheco
Keyboards & Programming - K. C. Porter, Chester Thompson
Bass - Benny Rietveld
Drums - Greg Bissonette
Timbales - Karl Perazzo
Congas - Raul Rekow

Primavera
Lead Guitar - Carlos Santana
Rhythm Guitar - J. B. Eckl
Keyboards - K.C. Porter, Chester Thompson
Programming - K. C. Porter
Bass - Mike Porcaro
Drums - Jimmy Keegan
Timbales & Percussion - Karl Perazzo
Congas & Percussion - Luis Conte
Lead Vocal - K. C. Porter
Background Vocals - K. C. Porter, Fher, Tony Lindsay, C. Santana, Karl Perazzo
Spanish Translation - Chein Garcia Alonso

The Calling
Lead & Rhythm Guitar - Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana
Keyboards - Chester Thompson
Programming - Mike Mani
Percussion - Carlos Santana
Vocals - Tony Lindsay, Jeanie Tracy
Pro Tools Editing - Andre for Screaming Lizard