Studio Album · No. 8
Inner Secrets
Produced by Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert
Santana wrote 5 of 9 documented tracks
Authorship Breakdown 5 / 9 documented
Scored across the 9 tracks with documented writers, by whether Santana carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 9 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
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
| # | Title | Lyricist(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 |