Inner Secrets cover art

  Studio Album · No. 8

Inner Secrets Songwriting Credits by Santana

1978 Columbia 9 tracks 43 min

Produced by Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert

Columbia RockPop RockLatin Rock
56%
Authorship
Collaborator

Holds writing credit on 5 of 9 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 5 / 9 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 9 tracks with documented writers, by whether Santana carries a lyricist or composer credit.

56%
5 trackswritten by Santana 4 tracksoutside writers
Santana's roles on this album

Share of the 9 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist56%
Composer56%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

9
Tracks
17
Lyricists
2
Producers
Certified Gold in the US (500,000 units) by the RIAA.
Worldwide Copies Sold
1978
Released
Data Insight

Inner Secrets pushes Santana toward a more mainstream rock and pop sound, steered by producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter rather than the band itself. The track list leans heavily on outside material, pairing band originals such as "Move On" and the percussion workout "Wham!" with a run of pop and rock covers: "Stormy" (the Classics IV hit by Buddy Buie and James Cobb), "Well All Right" (Buddy Holly and his Crickets), and "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)" (a Four Tops song written by Lambert and Potter). Carlos Santana shares writing credits on roughly half the album, often alongside keyboardist Chris Rhyne or bassist David Margen, while the producers contribute the remaining material. The result trims back the Latin and jazz-fusion experiments of earlier records in favor of tighter, radio-aimed arrangements built around Santana's guitar.

Inner Secrets is the ninth studio album by Santana, released in 1978 on Columbia Records and the first to feature Alex Ligertwood as lead vocalist. With Tom Coster's departure after Festival, the band entered a new chapter, and Inner Secrets reflected the commercial pressures of the late-70s rock market by leaning toward a polished, radio-ready sound. The album included a well-received cover of The Zombies' "She's Not There," which became one of Santana's stronger charting singles of the era. Ligertwood's bluesy, elastic vocal style gave the band a new identity after the spiritual-jazz period, and Carlos Santana's guitar remained the constant anchor across these personnel and stylistic changes. Inner Secrets was a transitional record that pointed toward the more streamlined sound the band would pursue into the 1980s.

Track Listing & Credits 9 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Dealer / Spanish Rose
Jim CapaldiCarlos Santana Jim CapaldiCarlos Santana Brian PotterDennis Lambert Carlos Santana
2
Move On
Carlos SantanaChris Rhyne Carlos SantanaChris Rhyne Brian PotterDennis Lambert Carlos Santana
3
One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)
Dennis LambertBrian Potter Dennis LambertBrian Potter Brian PotterDennis Lambert Carlos Santana
4
Stormy #32
Buddy BuieJames Cobb Buddy BuieJames Cobb Brian PotterDennis Lambert Carlos Santana
5
Well All Right #69
Buddy HollyJerry AllisonJoe B. MauldinNorman Petty Buddy HollyJerry AllisonJoe B. MauldinNorman Petty Brian PotterDennis Lambert Carlos Santana
6
Open Invitation
Carlos SantanaDennis LambertBrian PotterGreg WalkerDavid Margen Carlos SantanaDennis LambertBrian PotterGreg WalkerDavid Margen Brian PotterDennis Lambert Carlos Santana
7
Life Is a Lady / Holiday
Dennis LambertCarlos Santana Dennis LambertCarlos Santana Brian PotterDennis Lambert Carlos Santana
8
The Facts of Love
Dennis LambertBrian Potter Dennis LambertBrian Potter Brian PotterDennis Lambert Carlos Santana
9
Wham!
Carlos SantanaGraham LearArmando PerazaRaul RekowPete Escovedo Carlos SantanaGraham LearArmando PerazaRaul RekowPete Escovedo Brian PotterDennis Lambert Carlos Santana

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 17 contributors

CS
Carlos Santana
Writer
On this album5 written
DL
Dennis Lambert
Writer · Producer
On this album4 written
BP
Brian Potter
Writer · Producer
On this album3 written
AP
Armando Peraza
Writer
On this album1 written
BB
Buddy Buie
Writer
On this album1 written
BH
Buddy Holly
Writer
On this album1 written
CR
Chris Rhyne
Writer
On this album1 written
DM
David Margen
Writer
On this album1 written
GL
Graham Lear
Writer
On this album1 written
GW
Greg Walker
Writer
On this album1 written
JC
James Cobb
Writer
On this album1 written
JA
Jerry Allison
Writer
On this album1 written

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Frequently Asked Questions Inner Secrets

When was Santana's Inner Secrets released and on what label?
Inner Secrets was released in October 1978 on Columbia Records. It was recorded at Western Recorders in Hollywood, California during July and August 1978.
Who produced Santana's Inner Secrets?
Inner Secrets was produced by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, the songwriting and production team who also wrote several of the album's tracks, including "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)" and "The Facts of Love." Their involvement helped steer the record toward a more commercial pop-rock direction.
What musical direction does Inner Secrets take compared to earlier Santana albums?
Inner Secrets moves toward mainstream rock and pop, smoothing out the jazz-fusion experiments and Latin and acid-rock textures of earlier Santana records. The arrangements are tighter and more radio-oriented, emphasizing Carlos Santana as a rock guitarist.
Did Inner Secrets produce any hit singles?
Yes. "Stormy" was the album's biggest single, reaching number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 19 on the Adult Contemporary chart in early 1979. "Well All Right" was also released as a single and peaked at number 69 on the Hot 100 in late 1978.
Who wrote "Stormy" on Inner Secrets?
"Stormy" was written by Buddy Buie and James Cobb and was originally a 1968 hit for the Classics IV. Santana recorded it as a cover for Inner Secrets, and it became the album's most successful single.
Is "Well All Right" on Inner Secrets a cover?
Yes. "Well All Right" was written by Buddy Holly along with Jerry Allison, Joe Mauldin, and Norman Petty, and was first recorded by Buddy Holly and the Crickets in 1958. Santana's version reworks it as a rock track for Inner Secrets.
What is "Wham!" on Inner Secrets?
"Wham!" is a percussion-driven instrumental that closes the album. It was written by Carlos Santana with band percussionists Armando Peraza, Raul Rekow, and Pete Escovedo, plus Graham Lear, and it carries over the Latin percussion energy from earlier Santana records.
Which songs on Inner Secrets are covers?
Inner Secrets leans heavily on covers. "Stormy" is a Classics IV song, "Well All Right" is a Buddy Holly and the Crickets song, and "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)" was a Four Tops single written by producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter. "Dealer" within the opening medley comes from Jim Capaldi of Traffic.
How did Inner Secrets perform on the charts and was it certified?
Inner Secrets reached number 27 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the RIAA for 500,000 units sold in the United States. It also earned Gold certifications in the United Kingdom, France, and Canada.
Did Carlos Santana write any songs on Inner Secrets?
Yes. Carlos Santana shares writing credits on about half the album, including "Move On" (with keyboardist Chris Rhyne), "Open Invitation," "Life Is a Lady/Holiday," and "Wham!" The remaining tracks were largely written by producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter or are outside covers.

Sources

Wikipedia: Inner Secrets Wikipedia - Stormy (song) Music VF - Santana songs chart history MusicBrainz - Inner Secrets release group Cover Art Archive - Inner Secrets Cover Art Archive: Inner Secrets by Santana