Santana: Who played what on Song Of The Wind?

[Hari Seldon]

Hi,

on Song Of The Wind from the album Caravanserai there is Neil Schon listed as co-author and as guitarist.
Apart from the last few seconds of the piece I only can identify one guitarist playing an endless flowing melody (Santana in divine mode ;- ) with a very constant tone.
On other 2 lead guitar recordings (like Love Devotion Surrender or Santana III) it's always clearly audible who plays what.
Does Neil Schon really play on this track (and if, what)?

 

[Oakley]

I want to bump this. It sounds to me like there are five punch-ins: at 1:39, 3:07, 4:11, 4:37, 5:36. Some of these sound like slightly different settings. But it sure sounds like its one guitarist. I always thought it really was them switching off and they just sounded like they were the same guitarist.

 

[wildschwein]

Neal didn't get as much solo time on that record as he did on Santana III -- one of the reasons he left with Roley et al. to form Journey.

 

[jimmyj]

Maybe NS came up with the 2 chord vamp and played rhythm. I don't hear anything of the soloing that sounds remotely like him, though.

 

[Hari Seldon]

I don't hear anything of the soloing that sounds remotely like him, though.

That's what I thought, too. None of the nervous, trebly and wahwah-laden stuff he offered on other tunes.

 

[jimmyj]

OTOH, I think I've determined that NS played the outro solo on "Taboo" from Santana III. That's some excellent playing, IMO.

 

[wildschwein]

OTOH, I think I've determined that NS played the outro solo on "Taboo" from Santana III. That's some excellent playing, IMO.

Yeah that solo is killer. Up there with Of a Lifetime off Journey's first LP.

 

[great-case.com]

Nice bump! Tough question. My take on it is that there's only one... but I'll give it some more time.

Is it possible he showed the licks to Carlos, got the jam started - so to speak - and hence garnered writers cred? I kind of hope that happens once in awhile cause I've given some really fine licks away over the years

 

[Hari Seldon]

Is it possible he showed the licks to Carlos, got the jam started - so to speak - and hence garnered writers cred? I kind of hope that happens once in awhile cause I've given some really fine licks away over the years

I don't think so. There are some Santana trademark lines in song of the wind, including the quote of Breezin'. CS was a big fan of Gabor Szabo, and the original recording was just one year old when they did Caravanserai. And the Imaj7 - IVmaj7 pattern is the same like, for example, in Incident At Neshabur on Abraxas.

 

[Tahitijack]

Carlos goes into great detail on who played what in his autobiography Universal Tone. I don't have the book any more but its probably at your library or book store. Worth reading if you are a fan.

 

[Hari Seldon]

But no info on song of the wind...

 

[aliensporebomb]

It sounds to me that Neil has the more bitey, stratty tone on that and Carlos the more Les Paul type tone even though they almost sound like they used the same type of amp and effects for the track. I love that track too. There's also a quote from "Never Can Say Goodbye" in it too.

 

[bob-i]

I don't hear Schon on that cut at all, but honestly that track also doesn't knock me out. Nothing more than jamming on 2 chords, no melodic theme that sticks with you. Carlos has done many more interesting instrumentals, Samba Pa Ti and Europa come to mind.

 

[dnauhei]

I seems like from your original post that you are expecting Santana himself to respond. I thought it would be helpful for you to know that he goes by the name Tweedbucket on TGP.

 

[Oakley]

....There are some Santana trademark lines in song of the wind, including the quote of Breezin'. ...

There are some nice melodic lines there. You can also hear some of them the tune on Love Devotion and Surrender - Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord.

 

[Balok]

(referencing this track)
Some of the greatest tones I've ever heard from an overdriven electric guitar. Just epic. Sounds like the 2nd speaker out was driving a Leslie speaker panned to the right, left side is a plate reverb or the Twin's own reverb.
I thought I remembered some one saying this was Neal and Carlos through the same rig calling and responding, but not sure how that would be done. I hear what sounds like Neal licks at :47, 1:57, 3:06, 3:15, 3:36 and 4:56. If you listen to Journey 1 you'll hear Neal's tendencies and tones from that period including Leslie use and a bright, very dynamic overdriven Fender tone. (his best ever IMO)
Topaz:

 

[BadHat]

I don't know who played what, I always assumed it was all Carlos. I have loved that song from the first time I heard it umpteen years ago when it came out.

 

[Balok]

Schon quoted:
“‘Song of the Wind’ is amazing on that, which is a song Carlos and I just winged, and I actually play the first solo on that; he played the middle solo and I played the last solo on that, and you know, it’s two chords, and we just improvised and played.”

full:
http://www.goldminemag.com/article/santana-or-slowhand-thats-the-choice-neal-schon-had-to-make

 

[Hari Seldon]

This is fascinating. I still can't hear any change during the song, and I barely listened to any record more often than Caravanserai. Still one of my absolute favourites.
Ok, point goes to Schon. Wasn't very fond of his playing from what I knew on Santana III or else.

 

[Kenny Blue]

Schon quoted:
“‘Song of the Wind’ is amazing on that, which is a song Carlos and I just winged, and I actually play the first solo on that; he played the middle solo and I played the last solo on that, and you know, it’s two chords, and we just improvised and played.”

full:
http://www.goldminemag.com/article/santana-or-slowhand-thats-the-choice-neal-schon-had-to-make

Great article. Thanks for posting it.