Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990) Songwriting Credits

Authorship Breakdown 6 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Santana carries a lyricist or composer credit.

60%

6 trackswritten by Santana 4 tracksoutside writers

Santana's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist60%

Composer60%

Producer100%

Performer100%

By the Numbers

10

Tracks

15

Lyricists

4

Producers

1990

Released

Data Insight

Spirits Dancing in the Flesh leans heavily on covers and reinterpretations rather than original band material, with Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman," the Isley Brothers' "Who's That Lady," Babatunde Olatunji's "Jin-go-lo-ba," and a reading of Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone from the Sun" folded into the medley with John Coltrane's "Peace on Earth." Carlos Santana wrote or co-wrote the remaining material with band members Chester Thompson and Alex Ligertwood, while "Full Moon" came from keyboardist Paolo Rustichelli. The record is built around guest contributions: Wayne Shorter adds soprano and tenor saxophone, Bobby Womack and gospel singer Tramaine Hawkins take lead vocals, and Living Colour's Vernon Reid both plays guitar and shares production. The result is a guest-driven album where Santana's guitar threads through other writers' songs more than it carries new ones of his own.

Spirits Dancing in the Flesh is the fifteenth studio album by Santana, released in 1990 on Columbia Records. The album reconnected Santana with their foundational Latin rock sound after the more polished commercial albums of the 1980s, with Carlos Santana explicitly pursuing a return to the rhythmic and spiritual energy that had defined Caravanserai and Welcome. The album featured the full band including Chester Thompson, Karl Perazzo, and Raul Rekow, and its percussion-heavy arrangements felt like a homecoming. A cover of John Lee Hooker's "The Healer" and the politically charged "Goodness and Mercy" showed the breadth of Carlos Santana's musical and lyrical interests. Spirits Dancing in the Flesh set the stage for the creative rejuvenation that would culminate in Supernatural nearly a decade later.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers

#	Title	Lyricist(s)	Composer(s)	Producer(s)	Performers
1	Let There Be Light/Spirits Dancing in the Flesh	Carlos SantanaChester D. Thompson	Carlos SantanaChester D. Thompson	Carlos SantanaVernon ReidChester D. ThompsonJim Gaines	Carlos Santana
2	Gypsy Woman	Curtis Mayfield	Curtis Mayfield	Carlos SantanaVernon ReidChester D. ThompsonJim Gaines	Carlos Santana
3	It's a Jungle Out There	Carlos Santana	Carlos Santana	Carlos SantanaVernon ReidChester D. ThompsonJim Gaines	Carlos Santana
4	Soweto (Africa Libre)	Carlos SantanaChester D. ThompsonAlphonso Johnson	Carlos SantanaChester D. ThompsonAlphonso Johnson	Carlos SantanaVernon ReidChester D. ThompsonJim Gaines	Carlos Santana
5	Choose	Carlos SantanaChester D. ThompsonAlex Ligertwood	Carlos SantanaChester D. ThompsonAlex Ligertwood	Carlos SantanaVernon ReidChester D. ThompsonJim Gaines	Carlos Santana
6	Peace on Earth...Mother Earth...Third Stone from the Sun	John ColtraneCarlos SantanaJimi Hendrix	John ColtraneCarlos SantanaJimi Hendrix	Carlos SantanaVernon ReidChester D. ThompsonJim Gaines	Carlos Santana
7	Full Moon	Paolo Rustichelli	Paolo Rustichelli	Carlos SantanaVernon ReidChester D. ThompsonJim Gaines	Carlos Santana
8	Who's That Lady	Rudolph IsleyRonald IsleyO'Kelly Isley Jr.Ernie IsleyMarvin IsleyChris Jasper	Rudolph IsleyRonald IsleyO'Kelly Isley Jr.Ernie IsleyMarvin IsleyChris Jasper	Carlos SantanaVernon ReidChester D. ThompsonJim Gaines	Carlos Santana
9	Jin-go-lo-ba	Babatunde Olatunji	Babatunde Olatunji	Carlos SantanaVernon ReidChester D. ThompsonJim Gaines	Carlos Santana
10	Goodness and Mercy	Carlos SantanaChester D. Thompson	Carlos SantanaChester D. Thompson	Carlos SantanaVernon ReidChester D. ThompsonJim Gaines	Carlos Santana