07/22/2026
WHEN SANTANA AND McLAUGHLIN CHASED COLTRANE'S SPIRIT
Inspired by guru Sri Chinmoy and the music of John Coltrane, Santana and McLaughlin created one of the boldest collaborations of the jazz-rock era.
ON THIS DATE (53 YEARS AGO)
July 20, 1973 - Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin: Love Devotion Surrender is released.
# ALL THINGS MUSIC PLUS+ 4.5/5
Love Devotion Surrender is an album by Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, released on July 20, 1973. It reached #14 on the Billboard 200 and #7 on the UK Albums Chart.
By 1973, Carlos Santana was moving beyond the Latin-rock sound that had made him famous, while John McLaughlin had become one of the leading figures in the emerging jazz-fusion movement through the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Both musicians had recently become followers of spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy, and both were increasingly drawn toward using music as a vehicle for spiritual expression.
The result was Love Devotion Surrender, an album conceived as a tribute to John Coltrane, whose influence loomed large over both artists. Although only two Coltrane compositions appear on the record—"A Love Supreme" and "Naima"—his spirit permeates the entire project.
Recorded with an extraordinary lineup that included members of Santana's band and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, the album brought together Billy Cobham, Jan Hammer, Larry Young, Don Alias, Armando Peraza, Doug Rauch, and Michael Shrieve. The sessions blended jazz improvisation, rock power, Latin percussion, and spiritual searching into something that sounded unlike anything either artist had previously recorded.
For many Santana fans, the album was a shock. Coming just months after the adventurous Caravanserai, it pushed even further into jazz and extended improvisation. Yet over time, what once seemed challenging has become one of the defining documents of the early fusion era.
Love Devotion Surrender remains a fascinating meeting of two master guitarists at a moment when artistic exploration mattered more than commercial expectations. It captured two musicians searching for something beyond genre, beyond technique, and beyond themselves.
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REVIEW EXCERPT
"A hopelessly misunderstood record in its time by Santana fans."
"After three decades, Love Devotion Surrender still sounds completely radical and stunningly, movingly beautiful."
"The interplay of two men who were not merely paying tribute to Coltrane, but trying to communicate with the language of the heart."
— Thom Jurek, AllMusic
TRACKS:
Side one
1. "A Love Supreme" (John Coltrane) – 7:48
2. "Naima" (John Coltrane) – 3:09
3. "The Life Divine" (John McLaughlin) – 9:30
Side two
1. "Let us Go Into the House of the Lord" (Traditional) – 15:45
2. "Meditation" (John McLaughlin) – 2:45
