Lotus
Live album by
Santana
ReleasedMay 1974 (Japan)
Nov. 1975 (Europe)
June 1991 (U.S.)
RecordedJuly 3rd and 4th, 1973
VenueOsaka Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan,[1][2]
Osaka, Japan
Genre
Length121:08 (original LP)
118:51 (1991 2CD reissue)
156:18 (2017 3CD reissue)
LabelCBS/Sony
Producer
Santana chronology
Welcome
(1973) 		Lotus
(1974) 		Greatest Hits
(1974)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]

Lotus (Japanese: ロータスの伝説) is a 1974 live album by the Latin rock band Santana, recorded at the Osaka Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Osaka, Japan in July 1973, during their Caravanserai Tour. The Welcome album recording sessions were completed shortly before this concert, and that album was later released in November 1974. Lotus was originally released as a triple vinyl LP in Japan only.[4] This version of the album was later released internationally.

In 2017 a limited edition version was released as Lotus: Complete Edition. This release is a 3 disc set hybrid Super Audio CD with seven previously unreleased bonus tracks. This was also a Japan only release.

Original release

The 1973 live recordings were mixed in 4-channel quadraphonic sound and released in the CBS Stereo Quadraphonic (SQ) matrix system. The SQ encoding makes it possible to format all 4 channels into a 2 channel stereo version, which is compatible with conventional stereo playback equipment. Some releases of this mix have been marked as "Quadraphonic" or "SQ" and some are not. However, all known releases of Lotus prior to 2017 use the same SQ encoded 2 channel recordings. The 4 channels can still be heard on modern equipment provided that the listener has a proper SQ decoder and 4 channel playback system.

The complete 3-LP set was released in Europe in 1975. The first U.S. release was in 1991 as a 2-CD and 2 cassette tape set. It re-issued again on vinyl in the Netherlands and on CD in Japan in 2006 as a 3-CD set. It was also re-issued as a 3-LP set in the US in 2013. In 2016 this version was also released in the United States by Audio Fidelity on a 2 disc set on Super Audio CD.

2017 "Complete" Edition

In 2017, Lotus: Complete Edition was released in Japan as a 3 disc set hybrid Super Audio CD. Seven bonus tracks were added. In addition to 4.0 surround sound audio there are stereo SACD tracks as well as a stereo CD layer which can be played on conventional CD players.

Track listing

Vinyl

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Meditation" (from Love Devotion Surrender)John McLaughlin1:40
2."Going Home" (from Welcome)Alice Coltrane, Carlos Santana, Tom Coster, Richard Kermode, Doug Rauch, Michael Shrieve, José Areas, Armando Peraza2:53
3."A-1 Funk" (new track)Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza3:13
4."Every Step of the Way" (from Caravanserai)Shrieve11:30
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Black Magic Woman" (from Abraxas)Peter Green3:38
6."Gypsy Queen" (from Abraxas)Gábor Szabó3:58
7."Oye Como Va" (from Abraxas)Tito Puente5:47
8."Yours Is the Light" (from Welcome)Kermode5:30
9."Batukada" (new track)Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza0:55
10."Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba)" (new track)Airto Moreira4:13
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Stone Flower (Introduction)" (from Caravanserai)Antônio Carlos Jobim1:14
12."Waiting" (from Santana)Santana4:14
13."Castillos de Arena Part 1 (Sand Castle)" (new track)Joaquim Young, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza, Chick Corea2:51
14."Free Angela" (new track)Todd Cochran4:26
15."Samba de Sausalito" (from Welcome)Areas4:02
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
16."Mantra" (from Welcome)Coster, Santana, Shrieve7:17
17."Kyoto (Drum Solo)" (new track)Shrieve9:58
18."Castillos de Arena Part 2 (Sand Castle)" (new track)Corea, Young, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza1:13
19."Se a Cabo" (from Abraxas)Areas5:39
Side five
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
20."Samba Pa Ti" (from Abraxas)Santana8:56
21."Savor" (from Santana)Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Santana, Shrieve3:06
22."Toussaint L'Overture" (from Santana III)Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Santana, Shrieve7:40
Side six
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
23."Incident at Neshabur" (from Abraxas)Santana, Alberto Gianquinto17:15
Total length:121:08

1991 CD reissue

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Going Home" (from Welcome)Coltrane, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza3:33
2."A-1 Funk" (new track)Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza3:13
3."Every Step of the Way" (from Caravanserai)Shrieve11:30
4."Black Magic Woman" (from Abraxas)Green3:38
5."Gypsy Queen" (from Abraxas)Szabó3:58
6."Oye Como Va" (from Abraxas)Puente5:47
7."Yours Is the Light" (from Welcome)Kermode5:30
8."Batuka" (from Santana III)Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Shrieve0:55
9."Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba)" (new track)Moreira4:13
10."Stone Flower (Introduction)" (from Caravanserai)Jobim, Santana, Shrieve1:14
11."Waiting" (from Santana)Santana4:14
12."Castillos de Arena Part 1 (Sand Castle)" (new track)Corea, Young, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza2:51
13."Free Angela" (new track)Cochran4:26
14."Samba de Sausalito" (from Welcome)Areas4:02
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
15."Mantra" (new track)Coster, Santana, Shrieve7:17
16."Kyoto (Drum Solo)" (new track)Shrieve9:58
17."Castillos de Arena Part 2 (Sand Castle)" (new track)Corea, Young, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza1:13
18."Incident at Neshabur" (from Abraxas)Gianquinto, Santana15:57
19."Se a Cabo" (from Abraxas)Areas5:39
20."Samba Pa Ti" (from Abraxas)Santana8:56
21."Mr. Udo" (re-titled from "Savor")Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza3:07
22."Toussaint L'Overture" (from Santana III)Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Santana, Shrieve7:40

Japanese 3-CD

The same track listing as the original vinyl release (two sides per CD), except "Mr. Udo" in place of "Savor".

2017 Japanese 3-SACD

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Meditation" 1:39
2."Going Home" (from Welcome)Anton Dvorák; arranged by Coltrane, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza2:53
3."A-1 Funk" (new track)Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza3:13
4."Every Step of the Way" (from Caravanserai)Shrieve11:30
5."Black Magic Woman" (from Abraxas)Green3:38
6."Gypsy Queen" (from Abraxas)Szabó3:58
7."Oye Como Va" (from Abraxas)Puente5:47
8."Japan" (previously unreleased bonus track)Hayashi, Matsuhima; arranged by Santana, Kermode, Shrieve, Rauch, Coster, Peraza, Areas4:49
9."Bambele" (previously unreleased bonus track)Areas, Peraza4:52
10."Um Um Um" (previously unreleased bonus track)Leon Thomas6:51
11."Yours Is the Light" (from Welcome)Kermode5:30
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Batuka" (from Santana III)Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Shrieve0:55
13."Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba)" (new track)Moreira4:13
14."Stone Flower (Introduction)" (from Caravanserai)Jobim, Santana, Shrieve1:14
15."Waiting" (from Santana)Santana4:14
16."Castillos de Arena Part 1 (Sand Castle)" (new track)Corea, Young, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza2:51
17."Free Angela" (new track)Cochran4:26
18."Samba de Sausalito" (from Welcome)Areas4:02
19."Mantra" (from Welcome)Coster, Santana, Shrieve7:17
20."Kyoto (Drum Solo)" (new track)Shrieve9:58
21."Castillos de Arena Part 2 (Sand Castle)" (new track)Corea, Young, Santana, Kermode, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza2:51
22."Light of Life" (previously unreleased bonus track)Santana, Kermode, Coster3:29
23."Se a Cabo" (from Abraxas)Areas5:39
Disc three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
24."Samba Pa Ti" (from Abraxas)Santana8:56
25."Mr. Udo" (new track)Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza3:07
26."The Creator Has a Master Plan" (previously unreleased bonus track)Thomas, Pharoah Sanders9:02
27."Savor" (previously unreleased bonus tracks)Santana, Brown, Rolie, Shrieve, Areas, Carabello4:15
28."Conga Solo" (previously unreleased bonus tracks)Peraza2:45
29."Toussaint L'Overture" (from Santana III)Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Santana, Shrieve7:40
30."Incident at Neshabur" (from Abraxas)Gianquinto, Santana16:22

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[5] 49
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[6] 15
Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)[7] 12
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[8] 12
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[9] 21

See also

References

  1. ^ Discogs - Lotus 1991 reissue 2CD Austria
  2. ^ Discogs - Lotus 1991 reMastered 2CD Japan
  3. ^ Ruhlmann, William (2011). "Lotus – Santana | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  4. ^ Discogs - Lotus 1974 Quadraphonic 3-vinyl-LP Japan
  5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Santana – Lotus" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 27 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Santana".
  8. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  9. ^ "Charts.nz – Santana – Lotus". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  10. ^ Thorgerson, Storm; Powell, Aubrey (1999). 100 Best Album Covers. DK Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 0-7894-4951-X.
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