Santana - Santana III

180-gram audiophile vinyl

Gatefold sleeve

Includes four bonus tracks previously not on vinyl

Santana III is an album of lasts. It was the last album recorded with the original Woodstock-line up and the last to hit No. 1 in the Billboard charts until 1999's Supernatural. But there are also a number of important firsts on this album; Coke Escovedo joins in for the first time on percussion, as does Neal Schon (Journey) — a mere seventeen when they recorded the album — on guitar.

Santana III is seen by many as the band's commercial and creative highpoint. The band sounds darker, more raw, and more eager with the doubling up on guitar of Schon's rock'n'roll sensibilities and Santana's ecstatic high notes and soulful fills.

Escovedo's and Chepito's percussion is as fast as it is furious, and the minimal production adds greatly to the timeless appeal of this album. For this double LP audiophile edition we have added four bonus tracks that were originally recorded in the same time period as Santanta III but have never appeared on vinyl before. These exclusive bonus tracks: "Gumbo," "Folsom Street — One," "Banbeye," and "No One To Depend On" add an extra drive to an already compelling album, that extra spark to the powder keg that is the explosive Santana!