Maps of Music

Moonflower (1977)

Where the lyrics of Moonflower take you, and where it was really made.

Moonflower is a double album in which studio and live tracks alternate on every side, and its single 'She's Not There' is a cover of a 1960s Zombies song.

Key places

Munich's Olympiahalle, a live recording site (1977)

Live show Olympiahalle Munich — Live tracks for Moonflower were recorded during the European leg in December 1976, and Olympiahalle Munich is listed among the recording locations. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Colmar, a live recording city (1977)

Live show Foire des Vins-Colmar — Live tracks for Moonflower were recorded at the Foire des Vins in Colmar during the 1976 European shows, and the point is placed at the city centre. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Pavillon de Paris, a live recording site (1977)

Live show Pavillon de Paris — Some live tracks for Moonflower were recorded at the Pavillon de Paris during the European shows of 1976, and the site is listed in the recording credits. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Hammersmith Odeon, London, a live recording city (1977)

Live show Wild Bunch Studios (London) — Live tracks for Moonflower were recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London during the 1976 European shows, and the point is placed at the city centre. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The Automatt, where the album was mixed (1977)

Recording site The Automatt — Moonflower was mixed at The Automatt in San Francisco, which is listed in the album's mixing credits. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Moonflower: double album by Santana, released in 1977
• Studio and live tracks are interspersed with one another throughout the album
• Perhaps the group's most popular live album
• Lotus (1974) had no U.S. domestic release until 1991, so Moonflower filled that gap for American listeners
• Mix of the Latin and blues rock fusion of the late 1960s and early 1970s with the more experimental, spiritual jazz fusion sound of the mid-1970s
• First of five albums with drummer Graham Lear

Background

• Live material was recorded during the supporting tour for the album Amigos
• Greg Walker on vocals, Tom Coster on keyboards, Raul Rekow on percussion
• Pablo Tellez plays bass on the live tracks; David Margen plays bass on the studio tracks
• Pete Escovedo plays percussion on the studio tracks; José "Chepito" Areas plays percussion on the live tracks

Recording

• Studio tracks were recorded at CBS Recording Studios in San Francisco
• Live tracks were recorded in Europe in December 1976
• Live recording was done at Olympiahalle Munich, Foire des Vins-Colmar, Pavillon de Paris and Hammersmith Odeon in London
• Live recording and production in Europe were credited to David Rubinson & Friends
• Mixing was done at The Automatt in San Francisco

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · fr.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Disc 1

Disc 2

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in San Francisco, California, in 1966 by Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana.
• Named the Santana Blues Band at a January 1967 Fillmore audition; shortened to Santana by the end of 1967.
• Signed with Columbia Records in late 1968.
• The "classic" line-up stabilised in May 1969: Carlos Santana, Gregg Rolie, Michael Carabello, David Brown, Michael Shrieve and Jose "Chepito" Areas.

Members

• Carlos Santana is the only consistent member across the band's history.
• Classic line-up: Santana, Gregg Rolie (organ, lead vocals), Michael Carabello and Jose "Chepito" Areas (percussion), Michael Shrieve (drums), David Brown (bass).
• Brown died in 2000; Areas was not invited to the 2014 reunion.
• Classic line-up members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Career

• Breakthrough at the 1969 Woodstock Festival; the debut album Santana peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard 200.
• Abraxas (1970) and Santana III (1971) both reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200.
• Early 1970s experiments with jazz fusion on Caravanserai (1972), Welcome (1973) and Borboletta (1974).
• Amigos (1976) returned the band to commercial success; Moonflower (1977) was its most successful album since Santana III.
• Commercial decline in the 1980s, followed by a seven-year recording hiatus.
• Supernatural (1999) won eight Grammy Awards and sold an estimated 30 million copies worldwide.
• Santana IV (2016) reunited the classic line-up, the first recording together in 45 years.
• Estimated 100 million records sold worldwide.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart: number 10
• Single cover of "She's Not There" peaked at number 27
• That single was the first Santana recording to reach the Billboard Top 40 since "No One to Depend On" reached number 36 in 1972

Reappraisal

• Top 10 Billboard placement and platinum certification did not happen again until Supernatural in 1999

Records

• Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart: number 10
• Eventually certified platinum
• "She's Not There" single: number 27
• First Billboard Top 40 single for Santana since 1972

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The mobile recording facilities of The Rolling Stones, based in London, were used for the recordings.
• The original vinyl edition carried a poem by Hindu guru Sri Chinmoy.
• The nickname Devadip that appears on this album was given to Santana by that guru.
• The original double vinyl separated tracks for its double titles.
• The CD edition includes an 8-page insert with track titles, credits and photos.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · fr.wikipedia.org

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