Studio Album · No. 9
Marathon
Produced by Keith Olsen, Carlos Santana, David DeVore
Santana wrote 10 of 11 documented tracks
Authorship Breakdown 10 / 11 documented
Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Santana carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Marathon pushes Santana toward a sleeker commercial rock direction, trading the band's earlier Latin-jazz fusion for radio-shaped songwriting. Carlos Santana writes or co-writes most of the record, sharing credits with guitarist Chris Solberg, keyboardist Alan Pasqua, and bassist David Margen, who contributes the instrumental "Runnin" and co-writes "Hard Times." The album marks the studio debut of Scottish vocalist Alex Ligertwood, who sings lead and co-writes four tracks including the single "You Know That I Love You," beginning a tenure that would anchor Santana's vocals through the 1980s.
Marathon is the tenth studio album by Santana, released in 1979 on Columbia Records. The album consolidated the sound established on Inner Secrets, a harder-edged rock approach with Alex Ligertwood's vocals and Carlos Santana's ever-present guitar at the center. "You Know That I Love You" became one of the band's biggest radio hits of the era, a polished pop-rock track that connected with the mainstream audience. The album's title reflected the sense of endurance Carlos Santana brought to his career, more than a decade in, he was still adapting, still experimenting, and still leading the band through commercial and stylistic territory that would have been unrecognizable to the Woodstock crowd a decade earlier. Marathon is a strong entry in Santana's transitional period between the spiritual-jazz 70s and the more focused approach of the 1980s.
Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Marathon
|
Carlos Santana | Carlos Santana | Keith OlsenCarlos SantanaDavid DeVore | Carlos Santana |
| 2 |
Lightning in the Sky
|
Carlos SantanaChris Solberg | Carlos SantanaChris Solberg | Keith OlsenCarlos SantanaDavid DeVore | Carlos Santana |
| 3 |
Aqua Marine
|
Alan PasquaCarlos Santana | Alan PasquaCarlos Santana | Keith OlsenCarlos SantanaDavid DeVore | Carlos Santana |
| 4 |
You Know That I Love You
#35
|
Alex LigertwoodAlan PasquaCarlos SantanaChris Solberg | Alex LigertwoodAlan PasquaCarlos SantanaChris Solberg | Keith OlsenCarlos SantanaDavid DeVore | Carlos Santana |
| 5 |
All I Ever Wanted
|
Alex LigertwoodCarlos SantanaChris Solberg | Alex LigertwoodCarlos SantanaChris Solberg | Keith OlsenCarlos SantanaDavid DeVore | Carlos Santana |
| 6 |
Stand Up
|
Carlos SantanaChris Solberg | Carlos SantanaChris Solberg | Keith OlsenCarlos SantanaDavid DeVore | Carlos Santana |
| 7 |
Runnin
|
David Margen | David Margen | Keith OlsenCarlos SantanaDavid DeVore | Carlos Santana |
| 8 |
Summer Lady
|
Alex LigertwoodAlan PasquaChris Solberg | Alex LigertwoodAlan PasquaChris Solberg | Keith OlsenCarlos SantanaDavid DeVore | Carlos Santana |
| 9 |
Love
|
Carlos SantanaChris Solberg | Carlos SantanaChris Solberg | Keith OlsenCarlos SantanaDavid DeVore | Carlos Santana |
| 10 |
Stay (Beside Me)
|
Carlos Santana | Carlos Santana | Keith OlsenCarlos SantanaDavid DeVore | Carlos Santana |
| 11 |
Hard Times
|
Alex LigertwoodDavid MargenAlan Pasqua | Alex LigertwoodDavid MargenAlan Pasqua | Keith OlsenCarlos SantanaDavid DeVore | Carlos Santana |