GREGG ROLIE
The Original Voice of Santana
Gregg
Rolie is responsible for co-founding two phenomenally popular,
multi-platinum many times over super groups... SANTANA and
JOURNEY.
In 1998, this world class musician, writer, producer was inducted
into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall Of Fame as the original voice of the
Santana band. In addition to launching. along with Carlos Santana,
the now legendary act, Rolie also co-produced their first 4
groundbreaking albums. His singing talents will forever be
immortalized by his unforgettable lead vocals on the classic
Santana hits "Black Magic Woman" "Evil Ways"
and "Oye Como Va".
Some 35 years after Gregg and Carlos fortuitously met in San
Francisco, the year 2001 marked the release of Rolie’s third
solo album ROOTS, featuring the lead track "Give
It To Me". The first-ever release on Bay Area based
Tower Records’ new proprietary label 33rd Street, and Rolie’s
first CD following a personal hiatus, ROOTS finds Gregg revisiting
the incredible brew of sounds he helped conjure up in the late
60s. Recalling those heady days, he remembers "It was an
amazing time. We created something that no one could fathom … it
was about the rhythms and solos more than the songs. It wasn’t
Latin music, rock music, the blues — not any of the above. It
was a combination of all of them". Rolie calls ROOTS’ 12
original selections "Latin rock plus … the instrumentation
is Latin percussion, with organ, guitar, horns, and lots of great
solo work and songwriting", adding that "I really wanted
to go all the way back to my Santana roots".
Those auspicious roots officially began in the late 60s and
flowered amazingly in 1969, the year Santana’s self-titled debut
album was released just weeks after the band gave an electrifying
performance at Woodstock. Rolie calls the documentary film made of
that landmark concert "the mother of all music Videos",
and the event did indeed skyrocket Santana into instant worlwide
renown. Their second album, the quadruple-platinum, hit packed
Abraxas, remains Gregg’s favorite from his tenure with the band,
and features many of the lead vocals he is best known for.
After choosing to part ways with Santana after album #4, Rolie
went immediately on to establish Journey with fellow ex-Santana
mate, guitarist Neal Schon, in 1972. In its original incarnation,
Journey delivered a unique jazz-rock amalgam that spotlighted solo
instrumental work more than vocals. In addition to once again
lending his considerable vocal and keyboard prowess to the
endeavor, Rolie co-wrote and co-produced the band’s first seven
albums, and credits the Journey era with substantially honing his
songwriting skills, a strength clearly evident on ROOTS’
outstanding repertoire. Rolie toured extensively with Journey,
remaining on throughout multiple personnel changes, including the
1978 addition of Steve Perry as lead vocalist ("We were now
writing for singers instead of solos", says Rolie) before
exiting after the hugely successful 1981 live double album
Captured.
During the ‘80’s Rolie played, wrote and produced on the
Santana albums Shango and Freedom, and released his debut,
self-titled 1985 solo album and its 1987 follow-up Gringo, before
co-founding the all-new Journey-esque rock group The Storm at the
tail end of the decade. The Storm released two albums - 92’s
eponymous disc that yielded the #13 Billboard Hot 100 hit
"I’ve Got A Lot To Learn About Love" and 96’s Eye Of
the Storm. That same year, Rolie, along with 5 other original
Santana members, formed Abraxas Pool, a spirited collaboration
that resulted in a 1997 critically acclaimed album of the same
name.
Gregg currently tours with his band, The Gregg Rolie
Band. And, hopefully, for a long time to come.
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