Unlocking the Magic: The Untold Story Behind Santana's Caravanserai (1972) - Documentary 

It’s my favorite Santana album and it still sounds amazingly timeless.

When Caravasarai came out, Not One of My Friends Liked It!!! I EMBRACED IT AS UNIQUE FOR ITS TIME, NOW A MASTERPIECE!!! I STILL LISTEN TO IT EVEN TODAY!! 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸 Great Documentary For The SANTANA FANS!!

An absolute masterpiece of rock fusion. Waves Within is not only his best guitar work, but one of the greatest songs of that era.

I said this before…it is a 💎 in the Santana catalog… Following the first three Perfect albums!!!❤To Santana forever!!

This vision of fusion jazz music I feel will never be duplicated . To hear these young musicians come together and play with such chemistry and cohesiveness is truly remarkable . RIP Duggy Raush Richard Kermode

One of my top 10 albums of all time. This album is severely underrated.

Not to take away from the first three albums, but Caravanserai, Welcome and Barboletta are my holy trinity of Santana albums. Love it!

My favorite album of all time!!!! Thank you!

This is the first Santana album that I bought with my own earned money. I was 12 and that was about the time I started mowing lawns and painted houses. I could buy a new record a couple of times a month and still buy my school clothes.

Listen to this along with Miles' In a Silent Way in the dark..it doesn't get much better than that.

🍃🌬Song of the Wind...

The first four Santana albums are iconic

Honestly one of my favourite albums of all time!! It’s like a religious experience listen to Caravanserai. I bought the album in 1984 and fell in love with it. Great headphone album! “Welcome” and “Lotus” and “Borboletta” are also masterpiece albums. I love all Santana up to Moonflower. I’ve been lucky enough to see Carlos a few times. In 1989 I saw Jeff Beck open for Santana in Toronto. That was incredible! Looking forward to this,Jose! Cheers ✌️

Soooooo looking forward to this one! That album is AMAZING!!!

Fantastic album. My go to Santana record.

Spiritual Albums of SANTANA are always severely underrated! DEVADIP's Path is not the easy one! Only for the happy few...Don't expect this music to be a GRAMMY winner! Anyway, CARAVANSERAI is a Milestone in Santana's Discography! Thanks for this documentary!

Also… great to see the Voices Of East Harlem and their music in here. Doug was an incredible bass player…. Imagine having been at that Tanglewood show !

Another PBS documentary? No...JCM shares his love of music with us...thank you.

I'm now 65 & Caravanserai, Borboletta & Welcome are my favorite 3 - Interesting video as well!!

One of my go to albums for psychedelic journeys... A masterpiece.

Fantastic album, love it! It's a real fusion of styles: jazz fusion, prog rock and psychedelic rock, funk, world music. There was still some of the Latin rock from the first 3 albums, but Caravanserai was the first album that Carlos Santana really started to move away from the sound of the first 3 albums and into other more experimental territories. My favorite Santana album, followed by Santana 3 and Borboletta, making up my top 3.

Got this when I was 13. I am 64 now…First I did not like it. No hits. But soon I started to understand it. Have listened this album more than any other Santana albums over the years. Thanks for the very interesting bakcground story! 👏👏👏

One of my favorite albums of all time. Brilliant. Probably my favorite Santana album (I go back and forth between Caravanserai and Santana 3). Great job, thank you.

Thank you so much for this. By far my favorite Santana album...Welcome & Borboletta rounding out my top 3.

Man, I really love your videos about Santana!! Awesome!! And CARAVANSERAI is my favorite album!

My favorite Santana album. It's an incredible amalgamation of Latin rhythms, jazz & rock with a mysterious element. Stoneflower is intoxicating..simply fabulous.

I learned to surf in 1974-5 to Santana. Sitting in a VW bug on the beach in between surfing. Caravanserai, Welcome and Borboleta. Caravanserai was the soundtrack of finally surfing my first waves successfully. For 16 years forward I chased waves and Santana concerts in California. Add, Amigos, Festival and the whole Lotus, Mahavishnu and Alice Coltrane music Burned into my heart and mind with every beautiful wave I caught. Carlos Santana and surfing go together in the Eternal Caravan of life perfectly.

Thanks so much for this excellent review and overview… brilliant. This album followed by Borboletto and Welcome (alongside the brilliant album with Alice Coltrane and his album with John McGlaughlin “Love Devotion And Surrender”) for me are the absolute pinnacle of Santana’s achievement. All of it inspired by his spiritual path at that time. Magnificent music that I continue to listen to 50 years after first hearing it. If you don’t know those other albums I Urge you to listen to them. Transcendent!!

Jose, I CANT WAIT FOR THIS ONE!! That’s my favorite Santana album. I’m going to listen to this album on the way to my gig tonight. 🙌🏻

Great Job….thx…Caravanserait changed my whole life

Blessings... one of my favorite albums from Mr. Santana and friends

🌔🌕🌖🌚🎑 Duuuuude....Really Good !!!

NAILED IT!!! Thank you!

Caravanseri was given to me a few year ago by a friend. We had a mutual friend who died years ago who called this one of his favorite albums. I found out for myself why. It's a great summer album-I think some albums go with certain seasons- and the windows can be opened at night so the grasshoppers outside blend with the grasshoppers of the opening track.

I fell in love with Santana in 1967 when I first heard "Evil Ways" and followed his musical journey with each new album. When I heard Caravanserai, I didn't completely understand it, but I was captivated by it and couldn't stop listening to it. It took me on a musical exploration that has never stopped and the music of that album has only grown more attractive and enticing with the passing years. íViva Santana!

Ahh my favourite Santana album. I have to say J, that I'm glad your moving into your other favourite bands now you've finished your zeppelin mission. Mate , you went deeper than anyone ever went into Zep and that work is now forever and we are thankful. I hope you go as deep with others and Jeff Beck. Love your stuff brother.❤

This has been a very great experience watching these Santana videos. Thanks so much, JCM. I am not very knowledgeable outside of the first album, Abraxas, and Welcome with John Mclaughlin. I am hoping for an ELP Brain Salad Surgery video. Thx

Thanx for this! I saw SANTANA twice opening for Jeff Beck. It was 1995 I saw them at the beginning and the end of the tour. They played at Jones Beach and had 2 drummers and alot of 60s type decorations. They go on this improvised jam then all come back together to the song! There was an unnanounced appearance from a member of SANTO AND JOHNNY ( " Sleepwalk"- which oddly enough Jeff Beck recorded for " Porkys Revenge" soundtrack. Cant remember which member it was. Santana performed Bob Marleys " Standup". At the end of the tour in NYC Palladium Terry Bozzio joined on percussion on one song and Vernon Reid joined in on a song called " Sunra". I was blown away. If thats not enough Jeff Beck was also on the bill!!!

Wow! We have very similar musical taste. This is also one of my favorite albums of all times. I NEVER get tired of it. Your right you have to listen to the album from beginning to end to fully appreciate it as a true musical masterpiece. I first heard it in 1991. That year I saw the best concert ever in my life, Carlos Santana live at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. He played for over 3 hours with no opening act! He was touring the Spirits Dancing In The Flesh album. Thank you so much for this video it is making me so nostalgic!!!

I love this album and really appreciate your documentary on it. Have been listening to it since it came out. Have to admit, I didn't like it so much at first, but I grew into it and glad it did.

Far out!✨️ A absolute favorite of mine....lots of journies and trips with this one. Carlos is a spiritual master here. One of the best overlooked albums ever.

I hadn’t thought about connections between Miles Davis and Santana before but now it seems so obvious. Thanks for that revelation and now I have a few more albums to download and listen to.

By far the best Santana album.A work of art as apposed commercial singles.

This album was just one of about ten albums in 1972 that I will always remember and play just to remind me of how beautiful 1972 was. The other 9 lps will blow your mind ❤❤!

are you ready Santanamigos !!!!

Thank you for these videos! My Tio Joe and Marcos love them too !

While I enjoy the early song-focused albums, Caravanserai is definitely my favourite of their releases. Thanks for illuminating the circumstances of this gem of a record and taking me back to a memorably different time of my life through the music

Your research and opinion are spot on and appreciated

Been a while since I played this one. Thanks for the reminder :)

Karavanserai is one of my TOP 3 SANTANA recordings! to me its a MASTERPIECE like the Monalisa.

A nice insight into this iconic record, thanks.

First 5 Santana albums will never be matched to the rest of the Santana collections.... Caravanserai and 🦋 are my favorite .

Incredibly incredible

Listened untill 14:47, then I listened to the album. It is still pure magic. As was Welcome and Borboletta. Stevie Wonder also did some masterpieces in the same period, I believe Music of my mind was one of them. Santanas first was as special, he mixed rock, blues and latin. Blod, sweat and tears mixed big band and rock. Thank the lord my ears were big enough to take all that great music in. Love and peace!

One of the seminal records of a generation. I loved playing this in Hawaii. He was most influenced by John McGlaughlin and their guru at the time. It's his highest achievement.

Thank you !!!!!

Brilliant video.

Hi JCM, I returned to watch this great video again. As I said before in an earlier post, I saw the Santana band live in 1973, with the late great Doug Rauch on bass, Richard Kermode on keyboards ( along with Tom Coster) and Leon Thomas . Because of witnessing this band live, the Santana lineup between 1972 up to 1974 is by far my all time favorite. Doug's bass playing blew me away. His sense of rhythm and percussion was like having the rhythm and dynamics of Armando Perraz'as congas and Chepito's timbales being transposed to an electric bass. So fluid, flowing and funky too. I still have heard nothing like it since. Richard's Latin / Salsa grooves on the Rhodes also added a lot of energy and melody to the songs too. I could really appreciate what they had added to the band after they left.........as I saw Santana again a couple times in 1974 and later.........and the energy and grooves just weren't what they were in 1973. For me, it was like the magic was missing, although I still loved Carlos's playing when he had the Gibson L-6S later that year. When I saw Carlos sit in for an encore with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in May ( or June ? ) of 1974, Carlos was still playing his sunburst Les Paul......which was my all time favorite sounding axe that I saw him use live. I believe that McLaughlin was playing through a Mesa Boogie Mk 1 also for that show. Anyway, I really enjoyed the photo inserts you put in the video of the city scapes. That's just how San Francisco looked back then , which for me added to the whole exciting vibe that was going on with music at that time. I still hope some video of Wendy Haas shows up somewhere from back then. .....I also wish ......and have to believe that someone has some video from the 1973 tour of Santana & McLaughlin together promoting their Love Devotion and Surrender album. Thanks again and God bless.

I loved it jazzed up

As a big fan of the first four Santana albums, I deeply appreciate the extensive research you’ve done on your videos. Thank you! Looking forward to seeing the Carlos official documentary movie soon.

wonderful presentation of one of my all time favourite albums.

One of my favorite Santana álbums along with lotus.

Incredible album. His best. I yearn to hear some of these tracks at his concerts but he has moved on, and I never have.

Great video about what I consider to be my fav Santana album. It's so diverse and the musician playing is phenomenal. I can hear Mile Bitches Brew, On The Corner and Miles In The Sky being big contributors to Caravanserai being made. This is a musicians musician album all the way.

This is my favorite era of Santana, when they delivered on the musical depth that Incident at Neshabur on Abraxas had only hinted at. Tom Coster wasn't as high profile as other jazz keyboard players, but he was at the top of my list of favorites. Caravans, Welcome, and the mind-blowing live album, Lotus, we're all incredible thanks to Coster's influence on the band's direction.

I don't know what it is about Hinduism or other Eastern religions that inspires the most progressive and complex type of music in the 70s, but I'm reminded that Todd Rundgren's Utopia and "Initiation" came from the same religious fountain as "Caravanserai" and "Tales from Topographic Oceans". It was music that was truly out of this world and beyond the minds of the average listener, more mysterious than even the most LSD-inspired music in the 60s ever did

I would listen this cassette at the beginning of every journey from NC to PA which would begin at 4am. Perfect road soundtrack.

Another great video, i think I first saw Santana as a teenager in the Woodstock movie on cable one day, i liked it. Heard all the hitson the radio. And bought the first 3 Santana and loved them. I borrowed this one and couldn't get into it, I had become a huge metal head by this time and this was too jazzy for me. Cut to today, I watched the video and then went to your cut of the album, I went into it with the mindset of it being a journey. I had a bit of herb and sat down to listen and I must say I was blown away. Thank you for sending me this transcendent work of art.

Simply put, it is a great album. Not just a great Santana album, but a great album, period. It vaulted Carlos from a popular hit maker into the realms of John MacLaughlin and Pink Floyd. It was Carlos' concept album, a popular goal at the time. It was a step up to the highest level of musicianship. Whether the public loved it or not, it stood as a must-have album for progressive rock people ever since. It commanded attention, and respect.

you never forget the moment you first heard Caravanserai; i kept playing it over and over back in the days of its release; it was other worldly; one had to go to the source and hear him live, see him live; there was no looking back after this album; it was like Blood on the Tracks, a before and after moment; Carlos was light years away from his nearest rivals; this documentary opens up a new window into that before and after moment;

@JCM, 💥💥Sir, what an AWESOME documentary. I'll try not to ramble here but you have enlivened so many thoughts. I am a fan of Santana starting with the Caravanserai album and cemented in 1973 when they played the most incredible concert here in London on 15th Nov. I play the cd often now as I find it - yes, I know it sounds pretentious - replenishes my soul [I am not a religious man] and I guess a lot is needed right now with so much nonsense happening all around us. I didn't, in fact, take to the album right away but I persevered as my colleague at work, Mike, said he thoght it was a good album. After about 6 plays all through I started to get the hang of it, 'I got it', and shortly after I was playing it once before work, again when I got in - and again before bed. I believe this is not only Sanatana's finest studio album but the best one ever recorded: why? iirc it was recorded after Carlos was allowed back into the group when the other members had pushed him out: I may have this particular timing out. The songs and playing by Gregg and Neal was beyond superb, especially when it became apparent at the extent of their disenchantment with the direction of the band. On the matter of Bambele: I have this studio recording on a special edition CD celebrating the 3rd album anniversary of release: BUT an author named Jim McCarthy I think said the guitarist, although sounding a lot like Carlos, was in fact Gabor Szabo - and this fact has apparently been corroborated by Michael Carabello. I have seen Carlos play live in that style at a concert in London to which I took my son to [total coincidence, he was born on the 20th anniv of the concert I mentioned at the beginning - and yes, I HAVE rambled 😀😀]. [ - EDIT: correction - not Bambele ---Benbele [for those out there who do not know this track ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AHGzuEkUVwE.html I am personally astounded it never reached an album on initial release, I think this track is AWESOME and I could listen to this on a loop for hours]. There are lots of soundboard 'unofficial' concert recordings out in the ether that are all beyond inCREDible and well worth searching out.

🎼🎸🎶Santana songs were my strength in a bands I played guitar in the early 70,s . He is still relevant after all these years ,l continue to love his music and play

My favourite Santana album

Great video. Thank you ! 1972 to 1974 is my favorite Santana time frame for many reasons. Doug Rauch, Richard Kermode, Carlos' guitar , tone and the Mesa Boogie Mk 1. Good to see the pic of Wendy Haas too. I love her voice and thought she did a great job sharing " Love , Devotion, and Surrender with the amazingly soulful Leon Thomas. I feel blessed that I was able to see Santana's "Lotus" band lineup live.

I was a mere 12 years old and was mesmerized by Caravanserai and still own it to this day

Man. I'd like to see a video of the first 3 albums too...all played a big part of my life. Also Louts...the live album released in 74 I believe. Recorded in 73 in Japan. You could only get it in Japan for years. But got myself a copy years ago and that album has taken me deep places. And gives you a feel of how the band really was at this time!

Loved this documentary. I’ve loved this album since the 70’s…Santanas best IMO

Thank you so much Jose for this. Back then we were so young and innocent with pure love for music. This album and Borboletta are my alltime favorites.

First Santana album I bought aged 14 in 1976 , on cassette because I had £3 and it was cheaper than others at £2.99 ! What a discovery ! Awesome , a spiritual experience , never tire of it . Yes , favourite Santana album .

Wonderful video! Thank you. This is the first time Tom Coster played. I love this album. It is the long drive/commute album. It goes deep. This is really beautiful music. Vishnu and Miles/Weather Report was the buzz.....those were the days.

One of my top 5 all time albums. I got to see this tour,and it was uplifting

Your research is mind blowing. Amazing work, greatly appreciated and educated. ty

One of the best. Thank you for its story !

Richard Kermode’s fiery piano solo on Malo Dos Oye Mama is worth the price of the album alone RIP bro…

Thanks for making this. Can't be altering the running order of this though..every step of the way is the perfect end and gregg rolie signs of with some great organ as it fades out. My favourite album of all time. Made at such a time of transition in the band

Santana 3 y Caravanserai mis 2 albumen favoritos!

Wunderbar! Caravanserai is by far the best album of Carlos Santana and his conjuntos!

Brilliant..This when Carlos hit superdrive....One of his best....

Excellent analysis. Thank you so much for all this information.

All the love in the universe is always one of my favs. Would love to see a Zappa video

Another thrilling dive into "The Making Of..." series JCM. Knowing that you were going to delve into this album, I listened to it the other night..at the appropriate volume...It's such a great work of sonic excellence. I'm baffled by your ability to get unreleased audio from both the studio and live shows. What struck me this time when listening is the strange, ethereal organ sound that I guess Rolie is playing throughout the album, it sounds slightly haunting and breezy at the same time. I also noticed how much Neal is playing, especially on side one. Your revamped tracking order would probably throw me for a loop, as I have had this album since the day it was released in '72. Personally, the way the album is sequenced makes perfect sense(to me). I'd say that the majority of the album is outstanding, however; "All the Love in the Universe" is a bit too bombastic for me. I took this album to my High School in '74 and played "Song of the Wind" for a class project. It went over well, of course! Keep up the good work, there are lots of classic Santana fans out here. I'll be watching!

Your review is sublime, as usual. 👏👏👏

Thanku for this excellent documentary on santana caravanseri u pinpoint every detail of this work of beauty this album is high on my all time best. This was carlos new direction santana a explorer in finding nu territories enjoyed this very MUCH jcm .viva santana✌

My Favorite Santana Album...

Song of the Wind talks.....like it's trying to explain something. So does the burst of soul, Song for Devadip and the reconciliation that is Samba Pa Ti.

I just wanted to thank you for answering many I had about this period. My friends and I discovered this music a few years after it’s release and for me opened the door to explore jazz. I hope you do a video on Oneness! I know there was some sort of lost album done after that one. I had down loaded some studios tracks post Oneness that purported to be a lost album. I also have a disc of Santana without Carlos . I know you touched on that in another video. Thank you again !

Thank you. I was never certain whether I liked this album out of nostalgia (bought it in 74) or for its timeless quality but now I think its the latter.

Love your spirit brother!!

Thank you so much for sharing! 🙏❤🌹 Doug, Hadley, Armando 🌹❤🙏 ✌ ❤ 🎶 🌎

Thank you very much for these documentals!!!