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Welcome is the fifth studio album by Santana, released in 1973.

Reception

In a review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote: “Welcome is a jazz record with rock elements, not a rock record that flirted with jazz and Latin musical forms… Welcome was… ahead of its time as a musical journey and is one of the more enduring recordings the band ever made. This is a record that pushes the envelope even today and is one of the most inspired recordings in the voluminous Santana oeuvre.”

Jeff Winbush of All About Jazz described the album as “the summit of Santana’s jazz fusion era,” and remarked: “The secret weapon is Michael Shrieve’s energetic drumming and the dual keyboard attack of Coster and Kermode. They push and pull Santana to go beyond and stop holding back.”

Track listing
Side one
1. “Going Home” Instrumental Adapted from Antonín Dvořák’s “New World Symphony” composed by William Arms Fisher;[8] arr.: Alice Coltrane and Santana Band 4:11
2. “Love, Devotion & Surrender” Carlos Santana Santana, Richard Kermode 3:38
3. “Samba de Sausalito” Instrumental José Areas 3:11
4. “When I Look into Your Eyes” Michael Shrieve Shrieve, Tom Coster 5:52
5. “Yours Is the Light” Shrieve Kermode 5:47
Side two
No. Title Lyrics Music Length
6. “Mother Africa” Instrumental Herbie Mann; arr. by Coster, Santana – Adapted from Herbie Mann’s “Candle Dance” 5:55
7. “Light of Life” Santana Santana, Kermode, Coster 3:52
8. “Flame – Sky” Instrumental Doug Rauch, Santana, John McLaughlin 11:33
9. “Welcome” Instrumental John Coltrane 6:35

Personnel
Carlos Santana – electric guitar (2–5, 7–9), acoustic guitar (2), bass guitar (6), kalimba (6), percussion (1, 7), vocals (2), producer
Tom Coster – Yamaha organ (1, 4, 6, 8), Hammond organ (2, 4, 5), electric piano (3, 7), acoustic piano (6, 8, 9), organ (7), marimba (6), percussion (3), strings arrangements (7), producer
Richard Kermode – Hammond organ (1, 3, 8), mellotron (1), electric piano (2, 4–7, 9), acoustic piano (5), marimba (4), shekere (4, 6), percussion (3)
Douglas Rauch – bass guitar (1–5, 7–9)
Michael Shrieve – drums (1, 2, 4–8), producer
José “Chepito” Areas – percussion (3, 9), congas (3), timbales (2, 3, 6, 7)
Armando Peraza – percussion (1, 3, 9) congas (2, 4–8), bongos (4), cabasa (5)
Leon Thomas – lead vocals (2, 4, 7), whistling (5)

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Released: November 9, 1973
Recorded: April to June 1973
Length: 50:39
Label: Columbia
Producers: Carlos Santana, Mike Shrieve, Tom Coster