AhPook said:

I read Santana as Sinatra. That was a strange few seconds...

Sinatra? There´s a Prince connection with Sinatra, too. In one interview the reporter started talking about Prince´s vocal skills, to which Prince just humbly replied that according to his grandmother, Sinatra was the best singer.

madhouseman said:

KoolEaze said:

Right ? Especially coming from him, of all people. Sounds almost like a newbie question.

.

But then again, maybe he´s working on a new book covering a new era and is looking for comparisons, and sometimes it´s better to include more than just one´s own observations.

I really like his Purple Rain era book and it would be nice if we could get a Parade or SOTT era studio sessions book in the future.

Thank you KoolEaze. I'm currently working on a follow up book and I've had several people mention the connection with Santana in their interviews about Prince and have noted that Prince cited Carlos as well as an influence. Unfortunately, I'm not as familiar with Santana's music so I thought I'd ask the group because of the wealth of knowledge out there.

I mention his Santana like playing in the first book when discussing "In A Spanish Villa" (pg. 252 of the paperback), but since I'm working on a different era, I wanted to see if there was someone who knew of something I'd missed.

Thank you all for the responses and clarity, as well as the support. I want this book series to be as accurate as possible so it is always good to get the opinion of others. The org has a lot of people who see and hear things that the rest of us miss and I'm proud to be a part of the group for almost 17 years!

You´re welcome, and thanks to you, too. Your book is amazing.

If you´re not that familiar with Santana and if there´s anything I can do for you, just drop me a line, I own pretty much all of the oldschool Santana albums on vinyl.

There are some pretty good examples on this thread. I´ve listened to Valentina again and the part I mentioned starts at the 2.32 min. mark. Valentina is actually quite a nice song if the lyrics weren´t so silly. I really like the beat and the guitar and the vocal delivery....but I´m digressing here.

By the way, did you know that Carlos Santana also had a phase where he changed his name to Devadip and had some sort of religious awakening and would dress in all white for a while? He also got a shorter haircut during that phase.

And much like Prince´s namechange, the namechange to Devadip also changed the musical direction very much.

https://ultimateclassicro...e-devadip/

Don´t get me wrong, I´m not saying that Prince copied the namechange idea from his hero Santana but still, it is an interesting fact.

KoolEaze said:

madhouseman said:

Thank you KoolEaze. I'm currently working on a follow up book and I've had several people mention the connection with Santana in their interviews about Prince and have noted that Prince cited Carlos as well as an influence. Unfortunately, I'm not as familiar with Santana's music so I thought I'd ask the group because of the wealth of knowledge out there.

I mention his Santana like playing in the first book when discussing "In A Spanish Villa" (pg. 252 of the paperback), but since I'm working on a different era, I wanted to see if there was someone who knew of something I'd missed.

Thank you all for the responses and clarity, as well as the support. I want this book series to be as accurate as possible so it is always good to get the opinion of others. The org has a lot of people who see and hear things that the rest of us miss and I'm proud to be a part of the group for almost 17 years!

You´re welcome, and thanks to you, too. Your book is amazing.

If you´re not that familiar with Santana and if there´s anything I can do for you, just drop me a line, I own pretty much all of the oldschool Santana albums on vinyl.

There are some pretty good examples on this thread. I´ve listened to Valentina again and the part I mentioned starts at the 2.32 min. mark. Valentina is actually quite a nice song if the lyrics weren´t so silly. I really like the beat and the guitar and the vocal delivery....but I´m digressing here.

By the way, did you know that Carlos Santana also had a phase where he changed his name to Devadip and had some sort of religious awakening and would dress in all white for a while? He also got a shorter haircut during that phase.

And much like Prince´s namechange, the namechange to Devadip also changed the musical direction very much.

https://ultimateclassicro...e-devadip/

Don´t get me wrong, I´m not saying that Prince copied the namechange idea from his hero Santana but still, it is an interesting fact.

WOW! I didn't know that. Once more showing how deep the knowledge on this site goes. Thanx a lot for the info and for the props on the book.

KoolEaze said:

violetcrush said:

KoolEaze said:

You´re welcome, and thanks to you, too. Your book is amazing.

If you´re not that familiar with Santana and if there´s anything I can do for you, just drop me a line, I own pretty much all of the oldschool Santana albums on vinyl.

There are some pretty good examples on this thread. I´ve listened to Valentina again and the part I mentioned starts at the 2.32 min. mark. Valentina is actually quite a nice song if the lyrics weren´t so silly. I really like the beat and the guitar and the vocal delivery....but I´m digressing here.

By the way, did you know that Carlos Santana also had a phase where he changed his name to Devadip and had some sort of religious awakening and would dress in all white for a while? He also got a shorter haircut during that phase.

And much like Prince´s namechange, the namechange to Devadip also changed the musical direction very much.

https://ultimateclassicro...e-devadip/

Don´t get me wrong, I´m not saying that Prince copied the namechange idea from his hero Santana but still, it is an interesting fact.

Very interesting! Do you know during what time period Carlos changed his name?

It´s in the link I posted above. 45 years ago.

KoolEaze said:

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

he lied and told the truth in this quote, he told the truth because santana had a bigger influence to my ears but he lied by dismissing Jimi. jesse johnson told a story of how he asked prince about hendrix and prince said he never listened to him, jesse's response was along the lines of "yeah, right". jimi's influence was there in the playing, in the stage mannerisms, in the wardrobe and sometimes in the songs too.

violetcrush said:

RJOrion said:

doesnt really have a santana sounding song...but in alot of his guitar solos, Prince plays with a melodic, deliberate, Santana-esque feel and tone...like: Computer Blue Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad The Morning Papers

Yes, the style of his playing was much more "Santana-esque" than the style of Jimi - although many of his songs did reflect Jimi's influence.

*
Prince often played the "Santana medley" during his concerts featuring four of the band's songs, and he stated many times that Carlos's playing was a big influence on him.

*

Prince's answer to comparisons of his playing to Jimi Hendrix (RS interview 1985):

*

What do you think about the comparisons between you and Jimi Hendrix?

It’s only because he’s black. That’s really the only thing we have in common. He plays different guitar than I do. If they really listened to my stuff, they’d hear more of a Santana influence than Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix played more blues; Santana played prettier. You can’t compare people, you really can’t, unless someone is blatantly trying to rip somebody off. And you really can’t tell that unless you play the songs.

You’ve got to understand that there’s only so much you can do on an electric guitar. I don’t know what these people are thinking—they’re usually non-guitar-playing mamma-jammas saying this kind of stuff. There are only so many sounds a guitar can make. Lord knows I’ve tried to make a guitar sound like something new to myself.

[Edited 3/9/19 7:12am]

KoolEaze said:

AhPook said:

I read Santana as Sinatra. That was a strange few seconds...

Sinatra? There´s a Prince connection with Sinatra, too. In one interview the reporter started talking about Prince´s vocal skills, to which Prince just humbly replied that according to his grandmother, Sinatra was the best singer.

he mentioned him in that one song too,

PeteSilas said:

madhouseman said:

I'm currently working on a follow up book

Seriously fantastic news!!!!!!

AhPook said:

I read Santana as Sinatra. That was a strange few seconds...

massing said:

madhouseman said:

I'm currently working on a follow up book

Seriously fantastic news!!!!!!

Yes!

RJOrion said:

Computer Blue

I'd never considered this one until now. Wow. Especially the Father's Song breakdown.

Fury live always sounded like the most obvious one to me.

No serious guitar afficianado's album collection is really complete unless you have at least listened to Santana!

My pop had his Abraxas album on vinyl, still does up in the attic somewhere. Key listening...

As a sidenote, that damn Abraxas album cover was scary as hell with the Cosmos/Space guy and the big breasted sister. SCARY!

Looking at the foldgate and listening to the music takes you places...

williamb610 said:

RJOrion said:

williamb610 said:

No serious guitar afficianado's album collection is really complete unless you have at least listened to Santana!

My pop had his Abraxas album on vinyl, still does up in the attic somewhere. Key listening...

As a sidenote, that damn Abraxas album cover was scary as hell with the Cosmos/Space guy and the big breasted sister. SCARY!

Looking at the foldgate and listening to the music takes you places...

Abraxas is the album that made made me learn how to recognize and play tritones(diminished 5th) chords and intervals on guitar, when i first started playing...THAT changed EVERYTHING

Tritones? What's that? I've got a guitar but I'm a neophyte when it comes to playing it or understanding how to really kill on it!

williamb610 said:

The "Instrumental Jam" which opens the famous Aug 18, 1988 aftershow at The Trojan Horse is the first one that comes to my mind. I don't have the musical language to describe the style well, but sustained notes are one characteristic of Carlos's playing. I also think of crunching a lower chord during a solo instead of continuing to wail high on the neck. Examples include "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" and "Purple Rain".

I saw Santana guest on "The Santana Medley" at an Oakland Hit n Run show (2013?) Unfortunately, Carlos's guitar didn't work, so he took P's and played... something. Was also cool to see P do the break on piano instead of guitar.

Found this snippet from an interview with Prince by the Minneapolis Tribune April 1978 to promote his first record:

*

"The album opens with Prince singing against 45 other vocal tapes of himself – a Niagara of voices cascading and intertwining over and around each other in a dreamy, romantic melody. It closes with a hard-rocking fireball titled “I’m Yours ,” wherein Prince shows that his guitar playing need not cower beneath his synthesizers. Three clean lead guitar lines a la Carlos Santana, all distinct and all cooking, wind around each other, jump from track to track (he knows how to use the studio) and wind up into a final, fiery fade-out."

*

So, that journalist felt that I'm Yours had a Santana-esque sound to it

*

And just for fun....the last part of the interview - I love these older ones....

*

What makes all them “Prince” ?

“It’s hard to say. I guess it’s just the basic sound. It’s hard to classify Earth Wind & Fire, for instance, but you can always tell it’s them when you hear them. It’s not a brand of music, it’s a group sound, identity of their own. If you want EW&F, you just go out and buy them. Maybe my voice, or just my total sound, who knows ? It is my album.”

Now Prince, who says he doesn’t want his real name known “because it’s too hard to remember,” is putting together a band to take with him on a national tour to promote the album.

“So far I only have a bass player, Andre Anderson from Champagne,” Prince said. “I’m going to New York to audition some people. I’m going to have two keyboard players on stage and have a lot of synthesizers. I’m not sure who I’ll have on stage. Right now I have to try to figure out who’s going to fit. I have to try and create a personality group. I’m looking forward to going out on the road ; I like performing.”

Will he bring any horns or woodwinds with him on the road ? “Well, I’m going to pick up a flute pretty soon.”

In A Spanish Villa

Question Of U

God(instrumental)

Pink Cashmere

The pentatonic scale(basic blues scale) is just 5 notes of a minor scale. Prince adds the natural minor notes over certain chords to give it that 'Santana sound'....as well as using relative major scale notes.

Also his guitar tone is very Santana-esque.

To get that 'eastern' sound on guitar, sometimes he'll do a chromatic(no skipping frets/notes) run. Example would be the main riff in the song "Rave".

The Hendrix influence I hear more in the scratching, runs, hammer-ons, etc.

Bambi tho is all Hendrix. Main riff and everything.

[Edited 3/21/19 14:54pm]

If we are talking about his guitar playing, I would say "Annie Christian."