Gregg Rolie‘s Journey: Santana co-founder Headlines blues night at Cherry Fest

July 7, 2004

“This is the best band I have ever played with,” said Gregg Rolie.
Powerful words coming from a guy who co-founded two multi-platinum album selling rock bands: Santana and Journey.
Rolie plans to back that statement up Friday July 9 at the National Cherry Festival when the Gregg Rolie Band headlines the Bayside Blues Festival. The group will perform the classic hits of Santana and music from Rolie’s 2001 solo release “Roots.”
The band features Michael Carabello on congas. Carabello is also a founding member and the original conga player of Santana and in 1998 he became the first Latin percussionist/conga player inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with Santana. Adrian Areas is on timbales, and the son of original Santana timbales player Jose “Chepito” Areas. Alphonso Johnson, is the band’s internationally acclaimed bassist and Chapman stick artist. Johnson was also a member of Santana during the 1980s and is a legend around jazz circles. Wally Minko is a famed keyboardist for Jean Luc Ponty, Tom Jones and Barry Manilow and is in the band. Ron Wikso has played drums with Foreigner, David Lee Roth and Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi; rounding out the group is guitarist Kurt Griffey who has taken the stage with such legends as Randy Meisner and Spencer Davis.

MAGICAL TIME
So what makes these guys the best? After all, Rolie was in two renowned bands with legendary guitarist Carlos Santana in one and vocalist Steve Perry in another.
“These guys love to play music for the music and it shows on stage,” said Rolie. “They come ready to play every night and everyone is so talented. Just look at their bios.”
So was Carlos Santana chopped liver?
“No, don’t get me wrong, that was a magical time as well,” said Rolie. “When the original band Santana got back together in 1998 to perform at our induction ceremonies for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the magic was definitely there again. I think for me if I would have stayed with Santana for all these years it wouldn’t have worked for the band or me. As I look back on it I have a real appreciation for what we accomplished.”
Because Rolie left Santana in 1972 to form Journey with guitar prodigy Neal Schon (Schon was 16 when he joined Santana) the group Santana over the years has been perceived as “solo-act.” In reality Santana was a band made up of six talented musicians and it was for that reason the original members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and not just the band’s namesake.
Carlos Santana and Gregg Rolie co-founded the band in 1966 during a chance meeting in San Francisco. Because of union requirements of establishing a bandleader the name Santana Blues Band emerged and for their 1968 debut at the legendary Filmore they dropped “Blues Band” and simply called themselves Santana.
“Actually Carlos didn’t want the band named after him, he saw himself as just a guitar player in a band,” said Rolie. “Decisions were made by committee and not just Carlos or myself.”
Because of the name the assumption was Carlos Santana was “the band,” and to this day many believe he was the vocalist.

BLACK MAGIC
Rolie was actually the lead singer of the group and his powerful vocals and keyboard talents on “Evil Ways,” “Jingo,” “Persuasion,” “Oyes Como Va, and “Black Magic Woman,” combined with the guitar wizardry of Carlos Santana lifted the band Santana to superstar status literally overnight.
“Certainly Carlos and I were the driving forces behind the band,” said Rolie. “But what made Santana a great band was we were a melting pot of musical ideas and talent. Everyone in the band brought something to the table. Each member was important to the group’s success. We were not one style, we were blues, rock, jazz and Latin all blended together.”
That “group process” is why it took the band a whole year to record “Black Magic Woman,” after Rolie brought the song to their attention.
“I loved that song the first time I heard Peter Green (founder of Fleetwood Mac) play it,” said Rolie. “I thought it would be great for us, but the way we worked was everyone in the band had to take ownership of every song and it took a year before that happened.”
It didn’t take that long for Santana to catch on. Without an album the group took to the stage at Woodstock early on day two of the festival and mesmerized 400,000 fans with a two-song set that featured Rolie’s vocals on the song “Persuasion,” and an extended instrumental “Soul Sacrifice,” that electrified the crowd.
Within weeks of Woodstock Columbia Records would release the debut album by Santana. The group would also make an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show just two months after Woodstock. Because of Rolie’s role as the group’s lead singer he would receive about 90 percent of the camera time.

FAMILIAR STRANGERS
In addition to his lead vocal and keyboard responsibilities Rolie also co-produced Santana’s first four albums. Despite their musical connection on stage Rolie and Santana “never really knew each other.” Rolie likened their relationship to that of co-workers “you work with everyday but you don’t really know them and they don’t really know you.”
“It is hard to explain, but we never sat down and got to know each other,” said Rolie. “We were strangers and close friends all at once. Don’t get me wrong, Carlos and I stay in touch and we keep in better contact then I do with the guys from Journey.”
By 1972 Rolie had four successful Santana albums under his belt including his personal favorite, “Abraxas,” the group’s second album that has gone platinum five times. Despite Santana’s success Rolie was ready to move on. He wasn’t pleased with the musical direction of the group; he didn’t feel that the music was bad it was just heading too far down the jazz line for him so he parted ways.
“My musical philosophy has always been that you play everything and draw from the best,” said Rollie. “I saw the band narrowing its focus and I wasn’t interested in doing that. To me it wasn’t what defined Santana.”
He and Santana remained in contact and 10 years later in 1982 he produced several songs for the band on their “Shango” album. Including the song “Hold On,” which was the band’s first major hit in 10 years.
When he left Santana he took 18-year-old guitar sensation Neal Schon with him. The two founded Journey in 1972. Rolie would enjoy 10 years with Journey, recording seven albums and singing lead vocals on the hit “Just the Same Way,” and “Feeling That Way.”

MOVING ON
In 1981 after Journey had become successful and with everything pointing to the group enjoying success in the future, Rolie left.
“First of all my house wasn’t a home -- it was a place I visited every so often. I really was getting tired of living on a bus and out of a suitcase,” said Rolie. “More importantly I wanted to start a family and you really can’t be successful at a family if you are on the road all the time. Those first 12 years of a child’s life are so important in shaping who they will become that I wanted to be there for my kids.”
Rolie has two kids, 19 and 15; his oldest son Sean is the lead guitarist for Tritium, an emerging San Diego modern rock band.
While raising his kids Rolie didn’t drop off the musical radar screen. He formed a couple of successful bands, including Abraxas Pool that featured all the original members of Santana minus Carlos. Hardcore Santana fans gave the group’s 1997 self-titled and only release high praise saying the album “picked up where the band left off 25 years prior.”
In 1991 Rolie founded The Storm with vocalist Kevin Chalfant (707 and songwriter of hits for Cher and The Starship) and Journey members Steve Smith and Ross Vallory. The group had two hits “I’ve Got A lot To Learn About Love,” that reached number three on the charts and “Show Me The Way,” that appeared in a Lincoln Continental commercial.

FLY IN AND OUT
As for touring Rolie has developed the concept that many are now taking by primarily just going out on weekends.
“With Clear Channel owning just about everything, trying to route a major tour is impossible,” said Rolie. “We primarily just do weekends. Fly in and fly out and we are home with our families and it is a lot better actually then being on the road for months at a time.”
Rolie remembers the group’s first show together just after the release of his “Roots” album.
“It was September 12, 2001. First we had to decide whether or not to do the concert and we felt we should because it was a fundraiser for Magic Johnson’s HIV/AIDS charities,” said Rolie. “I remember driving the expressway in California and it was like the twilight zone there was literally no one on the road. It was very eerie.”
It has been three years since he released an album so plans must be in the works for another one?
“No,” said Rolie. “I have some new material but the band and I are just focusing ourselves on live shows. If anything I would like to release a DVD of our live show featuring unreleased new and old material.”
When the Gregg Rolie Band steps on stage July 9 at the National Cherry Festival he brings with him the experience of selling over 30 million albums, the success of starting two great rock and roll bands, a membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the best band he has ever played with. The night begins with the reemergence of Don Swan and The Radio Flyers and blues great Guitar Shorty, brother-in-law of Jimi Hendrix opening for Rolie. For additional information on this or any of the numerous events at the National Cherry Festival visit www.cherryfestival.com.
The week’s lineup includes the following, with a $3 commemorative Cherry Festival pin getting you in the shows all week:

Saturday July 3: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
Sunday July 4: Encore Society
Monday July 5: Lip Sync Contest/Local Bands
Tuesday July 6: Asleep at The Wheel
Wednesday July 7: “1964” The Tribute
Thursday July 8: Eddie Money
Friday July 9: Gregg Rolie (Santana, Journey)
Saturday July 10: United States Air Force Band & Fireworks