Carlos Santana is betting that fans cannot get too much of a good thing with the release of his third collection of collaborations with top musical names.
“All That I Am,” released Nov. 1 on Arista Records, is the latest in a series that began with Santana’s 1999’s fairy-tale comeback, “Supernatural,” and continued with 2002’s “Shaman.”
Those two albums sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, according to Arista, so one could argue that the formula of pairing Santana’s trademark guitar and Latin percussion with pretty much anybody and any style is a winning one. Even if it means sharing, and sometimes ceding, the limelight.
“My role is to complement,” Santana says of his 38th recording. “It’s nothing new. I’ve been doing this since 1968. I am very perceptive; I am a very secure person. So therefore, it’s easy for me just to step back and complement.”
There is plenty of Santana solo work on “All That I Am,” but on the bulk of the album — nine of the 13 tracks — he teams with a wide roster of artists. They include Michelle Branch & the Wreckers on first single “I’m Feeling You,” Sean Paul and Joss Stone on “Cry Baby Cry,” Bo Bice of “American Idol” on “Brown Skin Girl” and Steven Tyler on “Just Feel Better.” Four of the tracks are in Spanish.
In a sense, as Santana himself says, there is nothing “really new” in “All That I Am,” compared with its two predecessors.
“I’m a multidimensional person,” he says. “I’m not only the little Mexican that plays classic rock. Most people play only one thing. It’s also affirming, after ‘Supernatural’ and ‘Shaman,’ to have so many guests offer me their heart. It’s very natural to call it ‘All That I Am,’ because I am all these people. I’ve been saying it’s important to invite people to embrace their absoluteness, their totality. You’re not just one little person anymore — Hebrew, Mexican or Irish. You’re part of all the connection with humanity.”
Santana’s connection goes beyond his music.
The Santana name is associated with, among other products, the Carlos Santana fragrance for men and women, a sparkling wine and a line of women’s shoes, Carlos by Carlos Santana, made by the Brown Shoe Co. A portion of the shoe sales goes to the Milagro Foundation, the philanthropic organization run by Santana and wife Deborah.
While much of what Santana does musically benefits Milagro, his commercial products operate separately from his music.
“All That I Am” was produced by Santana and BMG U.S. chairman/CEO Clive Davis. It was Davis, the founder of Arista and J Records, who signed Santana to Columbia Records in the 1960s and to Arista three decades later.
The first Santana/Davis album from Arista, “Supernatural,” took Santana to No. 1 on The Billboard 200 for the first time in 28 years. “Supernatural” went on to sell 11.5 million copies in the United States, making it the sixth-best-selling album in the Nielsen SoundScan era (1991-).
Davis and Santana collaborated again on “Shaman,” but Davis left Arista shortly after the album’s release. “Shaman” has scanned 2.4 million copies in the United States.
“All That I Am” has Davis fully involved again and although it would be unrealistic to expect it to sell as much as “Supernatural,” the label is hoping for something in-between the two previous albums.
A key aspect of the marketing campaign behind the set involves teaming with Target for a multimillion-dollar advertising blitz that includes a TV campaign, in-store visibility and circulars. The retailer is also releasing an exclusive EP with seven previous hit Santana tracks.
Select tracks from a release day performance at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom will be made available for sale as downloads through properties affliated with show co-sponsor Rhapsody (including Real Player, Real Guide and rollingstone.com), with proceeds going to Milagro.
After completing the first round of U.S. album promotion, Santana will play 23 European tour dates beginning at the end of April. North American touring will follow.
Despite the big push behind the album, Santana says he has no expectations.
“It’s like when my wife got pregnant. I didn’t have expectations about having a Mozart or Beethoven,” he says. “I hope people like it, but I don’t do things to show off or compete. I don’t compete with any of the albums. It’s all about what’s in my heart now, and again.”
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