SANTANA – PROVIDENCE 1973 SOUNDBOARD (2 CD-R)

Description

Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI, USA 15th August 1973

　Santana’s first soundboard series continues to thrill collectors worldwide. From the original collection of relics that forms the basis of this series, a superb soundboard from 1973 has now emerged.

　This release features a recording of the “Providence concert on August 15, 1973,” and it’s the first-ever publicly released soundboard recording. As those who have taken the time to read this article may know, newly unearthed Santana soundboard recordings have been released one after another since last year. This is a treasured archive that a core collector on the West Coast meticulously transferred to CD-Rs before his death and entrusted to a close friend.

New masterpieces of phenomenal quality are appearing at a furious pace, such as “EDMONTON 1974 SOUNDBOARD (Uxbridge 2738),” “FRESNO 1974 SOUNDBOARD (Uxbridge 2671),” “KANSAS CITY 1985 SOUNDBOARD (Uxbridge 2715),” and “CHICAGO 1985 SOUNDBOARD (Uxbridge 2680).” Up until now, the focus has been mainly on 1974 and 1985, but this work turns the clock back even further, going back to the very heart of the golden age of 1973.

　And speaking of 1973, that was the year the legendary album ‘LOTUS’ was recorded. In other words, this album could be called the “North American version of LOTUS.” First, let’s take a look at their activities at the time and confirm the position of this album.

●1973
– January 18th – April 8th: North America #1 (48 shows)
– June 21st: Anchorage show
– June 27th – July 19th: Asia (16 shows) ← *Official LOTUS
* (‘LOVE DEVOTION SURRENDER’ released on July 20th)
– July 23rd – August 8th: Oceania (12 shows)
– August 12th – September 14th: North America #2 (24 shows) ← ★HERE★
– September 21st – October 21st: Central and South America (21 shows)
(‘WELCOME’ released on November 9th)
– November 13th – December 12th: Europe (26 shows)
– December 31st: San Francisco show

[The “North American version of LOTUS” unearthed from the collection of personal belongings]
　This is Santana in 1973. It was an intense year, traveling around the world with almost no rest from the beginning to the end of the year. In the course of that journey, the Providence performance for this album was the second show of “North America #2.” It was about a month after their legendary first visit to Japan that produced “Lotus,” and they had just returned to North America after their Oceania leg. In other words, it was a triumphant return to the stage, bringing back the band’s potential that was etched into “Lotus.”

　This album, which conveys such a special period, also boasts a special sound. With the same superb quality as its sister albums from 1974, directly connected to the mixing console, it revives the exhilarating feeling of the performance sound flowing in without passing through any filters. Distant cheers recede like the faint sound of the tide, and only the band’s breathing swirls in your head. Because it is unprocessed and unadjusted, it lacks the polished feel of a regular official release, but it unleashes a raw edge and a powerful dynamism that disregards listenability. A tremendous amount of energy erupts from inside your brain, which could be called a “100% raw version of LOTUS.”

[A setlist from North America in 1973, similar to, yet different from, the legendary masterpiece]
　What is depicted in this superb soundboard is a scorching hot stage show that generously displays the repertoire from the ‘LOTUS’ era. It seems that the last few songs of the show are missing from the recording, but even so, it is a lengthy recording of about 94 minutes, and different from ‘LOTUS’. Let’s summarize the setlist here.

●Lotus Legends
– A-1 Funk/Japan (★)/Um-Um-Um (★)/Batukada/Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba)/Castillos de Arena, Pt. 1 (Sand Castle)/Free Angela
●Others
– Heavenly Guardians: Black Magic Woman-Gypsy Queen/Oye Como Va/Se A Cabo
– Welcome: Going Home/Yours Is The Light/Mantra/Samba De Sausalito/Light Of Life (★)
– Others: Every Step Of The Way/Bambele (★)/Stone Flower/Waiting/Flor De Canela (★★)
*Note: Tracks marked with “★” were not included in the traditional album ‘LOTUS (original version)’. Tracks marked with “★★”

were not even included in ‘LOTUS: COMPLETE EDITION’. …and so on. The medleys have also been broken down, so they are not labeled as “○ songs”, but you should be able to understand the approximate composition. What’s particularly striking is that the core tracks from ‘LOTUS’ are performed on the North American stage as well. “A-1 Funk,” “Batukada,” “Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba),” “Castillos de Arena,” “Free Angela”…it truly feels like a “North American version of LOTUS.” On the other hand, “Flor De Canela,” which can’t be heard on the later ‘COMPLETE EDITION,’ is also a refreshing addition.

　While the 1974 companion albums followed a standard pattern of a “Going Home” medley followed by “Toussaint L’Overture,” this album opens with a medley just like on “Lotus.” With tracks from “Welcome” mixed in, a more unrestrained and unpredictable structure unfolds. For collectors who have followed this newly unearthed series, experiencing how the band’s shows changed from 1973 to 1974 will be a particularly delightful experience.

　Discovered from the private archives of a core collector who passed away a few years ago, this is a new masterpiece live album that will become the “North American version of LOTUS.” Inheriting the potential of the historically great album, this superb soundboard recording is infused with the raw energy of America. A particularly special piece in this newly unearthed series, please enjoy it to the fullest.

★The first ever soundboard recording of the “Providence concert on August 15, 1973.” This treasure trove live album, unearthed from the collector’s noteworthy collection and directly connected to the mixing console, includes “Flor De Canela,” which cannot be heard on the official ‘LOTUS’ album. A new masterpiece of cultural heritage quality that will become the “North American version of LOTUS.”

Disc:1 (34:20)
1. Going Home > A-1 Funk > Every Step Of The Way
2. Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen
3. Oye Como Va

Disc:2 (59:28)
1. Japan
2. Bambele
3. Um-Um-Um
4. Yours Is The Light
5. Batukada
6. Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba)
7. Stone Flower
8. Waiting
9. Castillos De Arena, Part 1 (Sand Castle)
10. Mantra
11. Free Angela
12. Flor De Canela
13. Samba De Sausalito
14. Light Of Life
15. Se A Cabo

SOUNDBOARD RECORDING