The Santana Story

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The Santana Story: Episode 2: Guitar Heaven

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Episode 2

Episode 2: Guitar Heaven

Guitar Heaven

BBC Radio 2 - The Santana Story, Guitar Heaven

Craig Charles continues the story of one of the world's greatest guitarists.

Craig Charles continues the story of Carlos Santana. It's 1999, and a call to an old record company boss sets the guitarist back on the road to the very top.

Craig Charles continues the story of one of the world's greatest guitarists, Mexican-born Carlos Santana, who burst on to the San Francisco music scene in the late 1960s, playing a unique blend of Latin rock with his band Santana. A truly original "world music" ambassador, he has sold more than 90 million records, including Evil Ways, Oye Como Va, Black Magic Woman and, more recently, the multi-Grammy award winning album, Supernatural, which attracted a younger generation of Santana fans.

In programme two, it's 1999, and a call to Carlos Santana's old record company mentor Clive Davis sets the guitarist back on the road to the very top and the biggest success of his career. Clive, who originally signed the Santana band to Columbia in 1969, was now heading his own label Arista Records and enjoying great success. Davis describes the unusual meeting with Carlos, who he hadn't spoken to for over 20 years, in a hotel in Los Angeles. Carlos' psychic advisor had asked what was missing from his life, and he relied "my teenage children don't hear my music on the radio". So, after being advised by the advisor to reconnect with the person who guided him when he was having hits, he called Clive Davis.

Seeing Santana was hungry for success and interested in making radio friendly music, they set about teaming Carlos up with the new generation of hit makers like Lauryn Hill, Eagle Eye Cherry and Rob Thomas, as well as rock stalwarts like Eric Clapton. The resulting album - Supernatural - turned out to the biggest success of his career, selling over 27 million copies worldwide. Davis describes the blueprint, and how they used it for the follow up Shaman, which spawned the massive hit Game Of Love with singer Michelle Branch.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in September 2010.

Amazing music. Played by an amazing line up.

Radio 2: Amazing music. Played by an amazing line-up. The home of great music, entertainment and documentaries

Craig Charles presents the story of one of the world's greatest guitarists, Carlos Santana

Craig Charles presents the story of one of the world's greatest guitarists, Carlos Santana.

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Episode 2: Guitar Heaven

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