David Brown from the original santana band

matito · #1 10-29-2006, 03:27 AM

I really like this guys playing, he was on the first 3 santana albums i think, and was cool at woodstock.

just i can't find any details or what he did after he left santana, i'd be interested in seeing his other work.

I read somewhere he died a few years ago. thats all i could find on him.

thanks

JimK · #2 10-29-2006, 06:04 AM

He pops up on some other Santana albums...like Amigo & Live At The Fillmore (pre-Santana, the album).

Check out the Legacy Edition of Santana III...Disc 2 is Live stuff.
More Brown on DVD can be seen on Soul To Soul...the Santana III-era band playing in West Africa.
Voices Of Lating Rock written by Jim McCarthy has some info on Santana; it appears Brown had demoins/drug problems during/after his time with Santana. DEitto for Brown's replacement, Dougie Rauch.

The other day, the local Classic Rock station was playing "Black Magic Woman"...for the gear-obsessed-
The bass tone is thick, phat & sits so right in the mix...all done on a stock P-bass. Sorry, I always argue with some friends that are seemingly always chasing the latest technology. I usually tell them their efforts/resources would be better spent elsewhere. I mean, really, what's wrong with Brown's tone on those early records?

corinpills · #3 10-29-2006, 07:25 PM

He's a monster! Some of the grooviest, yet understated bass playing you'll ever hear. His tone is amazing.

markjazzbassist · #4 10-29-2006, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corinpills

He's a monster! Some of the grooviest, yet understated bass playing you'll ever hear. His tone is amazing.

+1

i love early santana. great stuff.

Alvaro Martín Gómez A. · #5 10-29-2006, 11:01 PM

Check out "Let Me", the third track from "Amigos". Maybe not an outstanding song as a whole, but its cool lead bass groove (played by Mr. Brown, of course) is the main reason why this is one of my all-time favorite Santana tunes. I played it along with the LP many times, many years ago.

Alvaro Martín Gómez A. · #6 10-29-2006, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matito

I read somewhere he died a few years ago. thats all i could find on him.

thanks

Not so much about him on Wikipedia:

Quote:

David Brown played with Carlos Santana at Woodstock in 1969. He played with the guitarist on several other dates and albums. He was the bassist from 1966-1976. He died in 2000 of liver and kidney failure.

Mojo-Man · #7 10-30-2006, 06:01 AM

Also Doug Rauch, played killer bass on early Santana.

Check out Lotus.
Great playing.

jerry · #8 10-30-2006, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojo-Man

Also Doug Rauch, played killer bass on early Santana.

Check out Lotus.
Great playing.

I loved Rauch and Brown too.....pick a era, and Santana always had a smokin' bassist.

these_go211 · #9 10-30-2006, 11:40 AM

that dude had some FAT FAT tone. coupled with that warm creamy SG p90 tone santana had made for a heavenly sound.

nysbob · #10 10-30-2006, 12:21 PM

Doug Rauch was in a class by himself...you can put on Caranvaserai and hear things most players today can't touch.

PhR · #11 11-01-2006, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nysbob

Doug Rauch was in a class by himself...you can put on Caranvaserai and hear things most players today can't touch.

Agreed, a unique style and sound.

dougjwray · #12 11-01-2006, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

The other day, the local Classic Rock station was playing "Black Magic Woman"...for the gear-obsessed-
The bass tone is thick, phat & sits so right in the mix...all done on a stock P-bass. Sorry, I always argue with some friends that are seemingly always chasing the latest technology. I usually tell them their efforts/resources would be better spent elsewhere. I mean, really, what's wrong with Brown's tone on those early records?

I'm with you.

I still play his intro to "Soul Sacrifice" when I'm noodling around. The Woodstock version is IT for me, when it comes to that kind of tone. As you say, stock Precision (sunburst w/rosewood fingerboard... there's a Woodstock picture of him from the back, where you can see the strap button on the back on the headstock... pre-CBS, right?)... flatwound strings, 'natch.

Mojo-Man · #13 11-02-2006, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nysbob

Doug Rauch was in a class by himself...you can put on Caranvaserai and hear things most players today can't touch.

Just got Welcome-CD. 1973.
Killer finger funk.
This was three years before Jaco, hit big.
Doug blows me away.

nysbob · #14 11-02-2006, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojo-Man

Just got Welcome-CD. 1973.
Killer finger funk.
This was three years before Jaco, hit big.
Doug blows me away.

I saw him live with Santana in '73. I was watching him, but didn't have a clue how he was doing what he was doing.

There's a track on Caravanserai -all the Love In The Universe- that is unfrigginbelievable...he's got like 3 different things going on at the same time. Check it out.

Mojo-Man · #15 11-02-2006, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nysbob

I saw him live with Santana in '73. I was watching him, but didn't have a clue how he was doing what he was doing.

There's a track on Caravanserai -all the Love In The Universe- that is unfrigginbelievable...he's got like 3 different things going on at the same time. Check it out.

I seen him with Carlos and John Mclsughlin tour.
LOVE DEVOTION SURRENDER
Maybe 1972-1973.
Carlos
John
Doug
Larry Young-organ
Billy Cobham-Drums.
Unkown conga player.
Dough used a black jazz bass, and a sunburst P-bass.
Way ahead of his time.

PhR · #16 11-02-2006, 01:37 PM

The unknown conga player on that Santana&McLaughlin tour was Armando Peraza.
Doug played a lot with his thumb, all those fast 16th note patterns were him double thumbing. I recall someone writing that when he played with Cobham in '75 he played everything using just his thumb.

Here's Doug with his Jazz Bass:

jerry · #17 11-02-2006, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojo-Man

Just got Welcome-CD. 1973.
Killer finger funk.
This was three years before Jaco, hit big.
Doug blows me away.

On the re-release of Welcome there is a bonus track called Mantra with some stunning work by Rauch! NYSBob is right, Doug is one of electric bass historys great lost treasures!

Mojo-Man · #18 11-02-2006, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhR

The unknown conga player on that Santana&McLaughlin tour was Armando Peraza.
Doug played a lot with his thumb, all those fast 16th note patterns were him double thumbing. I recall someone writing that when he played with Cobham in '75 he played everything using just his thumb.

Here's Doug with his Jazz Bass:

Great Pic.

bassist15 · #19 11-02-2006, 05:55 PM

Ive only heard a few of the popular songs of his but I love the groove break on Black MAgic Woman. I def need to get some more Santana cds. Rauch has a funky look

PhR · #20 11-03-2006, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerry

On the re-release of Welcome there is a bonus track called Mantra with some stunning work by Rauch! NYSBob is right, Doug is one of electric bass historys great lost treasures!

I was hoping for more bonus tracks on these releases but "Mantra" is better than nothing. The new remaster of "Welcome" credits also David Brown playing bass but that is incorrect. The original vinyl credits say that Carlos plays bass in "Mother Africa", all other tracks are by Rauch.

"Santana III" was quite recently reissued as a double cd and it has a great Fillmore West concert from July 4, 1971. Excellent playing from the original Santana band (plus Coke Escovedo on percussion) including David Brown.

Here's the Doug Rauch thread:
Doug Rauch