# Welcome Tour

The Welcome Tour was a concert tour by Santana promoting their album, Welcome. The tour began on November 13, 1973 at Colston Hall in Bristol, England and ended on October 29, 1974 at the William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activities Building in College Park, Maryland.

## History

After releasing their new album Welcome on November 9, 1973, the band went on tour in North America and Europe to promote the release. The band started the tour with a European tour, starting on November 13, 1973 in England. The tour was scheduled to have two shows in Yugoslavia, but the band was denied entry into the country. Following the European tour, the band ended 1973 with a New Year's Eve show at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. In 1974, the band started a North American tour. After finishing a short tour with British guitarist John McLaughlin, Carlos Santana assembled a new lineup of the band. The group added saxophonist Jules Broussard and singer/keyboardist Leon Patillo. Drummer Michael Shrieve left due to health problems and he ended up getting replaced by Leon "Ndugu" Chancler for a short period. Doug Rauch quit the band and David Brown, who had played with Santana from 1966 to 1971, followed in his footsteps.
The set lists of this tour were similar to the set lists of their previous tour, the difference being the addition of "Mirage" and "Give and Take", months before their release on Borboletta and the removal of certain songs from the last tour.
One of the largest crowds Santana performed to during this tour was an appearance at the World Series of Rock festival in Cleveland's Cleveland Stadium on August 31, before a crowd of around 88,000 people. Another large crowd Santana performed to was at the First Annual Barndance and Bar B. Q. in Austin, Texas, playing to a crowd of at least 80,000 people. The band sometimes opened for other artists during this tour such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

## Reception

A show on October 11, 1974 was given a positive review by Billboard.

## Live releases

Live material from this tour has appeared on the following releases:
* "Bambele" from December 31, 1973 at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California was released on the 1988 compilation album Viva Santana!.

### Recordings

No songs from 1974 have been officially released on an album. The concerts on July 28 and September 14 were broadcast on American radio, but only the July concert has surfaced.

## Tour band

* Leon Patillo – lead vocals, piano, organ
* Carlos Santana – electric guitar, Echoplex, Latin percussion, vocals
* Tom Coster – Yamaha organ, Hammond organ, electric piano, electric organ, vocals
* David Brown – bass guitar
* Jules Broussard – saxophone, flute
* Michael Shrieve – drums (through an unknown date)
* Leon "Ndugu" Chancler – drums (beginning on an unknown date)
* José ”Chepito” Areas – timbales, congas, percussion, vocals
* Armando Peraza – congas, percussion

## Typical set lists

* "Going Home" (Dvorák; arr.: Coltrane, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza)
* "A-1 Funk" (Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza)
* "Every Step of the Way" (Shrieve)
* "Black Magic Woman" (Green)
* "Gypsy Queen" (Szabó)
* "Oye Como Va" (Puente)
* "Just in Time to See the Sun" (Rolie, Santana, Shrieve)
* "Bambele" (Areas, Peraza)
* "Um Um Um" (Thomas)
* "Batukada" (Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza)
* "Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba)" (Moreira)
* "Stone Flower (Introduction)" (Jobim)
* "Waiting" (Santana)
* "Castillos de Arena Part 1 (Sand Castle)" (Young, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza, Corea)
* "Flor de Canela" (Carlos Santana, Doug Rauch)
* "Free Angela" (Cochran)
* Concierto de Aranjuez (Rodrigo)
* "Samba de Sausalito" (Areas)
* "Castillos de Arena Part 2 (Sand Castle)" (Corea, Young, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza)
* "When I Look into Your Eyes" (Shrieve, Coster)
* "Se Acabó" (Areas)
* "Savor" (Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Santana, Shrieve)
* "Toussaint L'Ouverture" (Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Santana, Shrieve)
* "Samba Pa Ti" (Santana)
* "Going Home" (Anton Dvorák; arranged by Alice Coltrane, Carlos Santana, Tom Coster, Richard Kermode, Doug Rauch, Michael Shrieve, José Areas, Armando Peraza)
* "A-1 Funk" (Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza)
* "Every Step of the Way" (Shrieve)
* "Black Magic Woman" (Peter Green)
* "Gypsy Queen" (Gábor Szabó)
* "Oye Como Va" (Tito Puente)
* "Mirage" (Leon Patillo)
* "Just in Time to See the Sun" (Gregg Rolie, Santana, Shrieve)
* "Bambele" (Areas, Peraza)
* "Give and Take" (Santana, Coster, Shrieve)
* "Incident at Neshabur" (Alberto Gianquinto, Santana)
* "Soul Sacrifice" (Santana, Rolie, David Brown, Marcus Malone)
* "Samba Pa Ti" (Santana)
* "Savor" (Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Santana, Shrieve)
* "Toussaint L'Ouverture" (Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Santana, Shrieve)

## Tour dates
### European leg (November 13 – December 12, 1973)

List of tour dates with date, city, country, venue :
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| November 13, 1973 | Bristol | England | Colston Hall |
| November 14, 1973 (2 shows) | London | England | Rainbow Theatre |
| November 15, 1973 (2 shows) | London | England | Rainbow Theatre |
| November 16, 1973 (2 shows) | Birmingham | England | Birmingham Odeon |
| November 17, 1973 | London | England | Empire Pool |
| November 18, 1973 (2 shows) | Manchester | England | The Hardrock Concert Theatre |
| November 20, 1973 | Düsseldorf | West Germany | Philips Halle |
| November 22, 1973 | Offenburg | West Germany | Oberrheinhalle |
| November 23, 1973 | Böblingen | West Germany | Sporthalle |
| November 25, 1973 | Frankfurt | West Germany | Festhalle Messe Frankfurt |
| November 26, 1973 | Hamburg | West Germany | Congress Centrum Hamburg |
| November 27, 1973 | West Berlin | West Germany | Deutschlandhalle |
| November 26, 1973 | Brussels | Belgium | Forest National |
| November 30, 1973 | Vienna | Austria | Wiener Stadthalle |
| December 3, 1973 | Turin | Italy | Palasport di Torino |
| December 5, 1973 (2 shows) | Barcelona | Spain | Palacio Municipal de Deportes |
| December 6, 1973 (2 shows) | Madrid | Spain | Teatro Monumental |
| December 8, 1973 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Sportpaleis |
| December 9, 1973 (2 shows) | Zürich | Switzerland | Tonhalle |
| December 12, 1973 | Rome | Italy | Palazzo dello Sport |

### North American leg (December 31, 1973 – October 29, 1974)

List of tour dates with date, city, country, venue :
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| December 31, 1973 | San Francisco | United States | Winterland Ballroom |
| January 14, 1974 | Ithaca | United States | Barton Hall |
| July 13, 1974 | Allendale Charter Township | United States | G.V.S.C. Fieldhouse |
| July 22, 1974 | Edmonton | Canada | Kinsmen Field House |
| July 24, 1974 | Vancouver | Canada | Pacific Coliseum |
| July 25, 1974 | Seattle | United States | Paramount Theatre |
| July 26, 1974 | Portland | United States | Paramount Theatre |
| July 28, 1974 | San Diego | United States | Balboa Stadium |
| July 31, 1974 | Los Angeles | United States | The Century Plaza Hotel |
| August 2, 1974 | Santa Barbara | United States | Robertson Gymnasium |
| August 4, 1974 | Milwaukee | United States | Henry Maier Festival Park |
| August 6, 1974 | Clear Lake | United States | Surf Ballroom |
| August 7, 1974 | Green Bay | United States | Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena |
| August 9, 1974 | Mays Landing | United States | Atlantic City Race Course |
| August 10, 1974 | Clarkston | United States | Pine Knob Music Theatre |
| August 11, 1974 | Orchard Park | United States | Rich Stadium |
| August 14, 1974 | Winnipeg | Canada | Winnipeg Arena |
| August 16, 1974 | Allendale Charter Township | United States | G.V.S.C. Fieldhouse |
| August 17, 1974 | Saint Paul | United States | Saint Paul Civic Center |
| August 18, 1974 | Milwaukee | United States | MECCA Auditorium |
| August 31, 1974 | Cleveland | United States | Cleveland Stadium |
| September 1, 1974 | Austin | United States | Memorial Stadium |
| September 13, 1974 | San Francisco | United States | Winterland Ballroom |
| September 14, 1974 | San Francisco | United States | Winterland Ballroom |
| September 15, 1974 | Fresno | United States | Selland Arena |
| September 17, 1974 | Phoenix | United States | Celebrity Theatre |
| September 18, 1974 | Las Vegas | United States | International Ice Palace |
| September 20, 1974 | San Bernardino | United States | Swing Auditorium |
| September 21, 1974 | Bakersfield | United States | Bakersfield Civic Auditorium |
| September 23, 1974 | Albuquerque | United States | University Stadium |
| September 24, 1974 | Las Cruces | United States | Pan American Center |
| September 26, 1974 | Tulsa | United States | Tulsa Assembly Center |
| September 27, 1974 | Oklahoma City | United States | All Sports Stadium |
| September 28, 1974 | Houston | United States | Sam Houston Coliseum |
| September 29, 1974 | Shreveport | United States | Hirsch Memorial Coliseum |
| October 2, 1974 | Atlanta | United States | Omni Coliseum |
| October 3, 1974 | Tampa | United States | Curtis Hixon Hall |
| October 4, 1974 | Orlando | United States | Orlando Sports Stadium |
| October 5, 1974 | Jacksonville | United States | Jacksonville Coliseum |
| October 6, 1974 | Miami | United States | Miami Jai-Alai Fronton |
| October 9, 1974 | Passaic | United States | Capitol Theatre |
| October 10, 1974 | Passaic | United States | Capitol Theatre |
| October 11, 1974 (2 shows) | New York City | United States | Academy of Music |
| October 12, 1974 (2 shows) | New York City | United States | Academy of Music |
| October 13, 1974 | New York City | United States | Academy of Music |
| October 14, 1974 | Ithaca | United States | Barton Hall |
| October 15, 1974 | New Haven | United States | New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| October 17, 1974 | Providence | United States | Providence Civic Center |
| October 18, 1974 | Rochester | United States | The Dome Arena |
| October 19, 1974 | College Park | United States | William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activities Building |
| October 20, 1974 | Boston | United States | Music Hall |
| October 22, 1974 | Erie | United States | Erie County Field House |
| October 23, 1974 | Charleston | United States | Charleston Civic Center |
| October 24, 1974 | Pittsburgh | United States | Civic Arena |
| October 25, 1974 | Chicago | United States | International Amphitheatre |
| October 26, 1974 | Oshkosh | United States | Kolf Sports Center |
| October 27, 1974 | Madison | United States | Dane County Coliseum |
| October 28, 1974 | Milwaukee | United States | MECCA Auditorium |
| October 29, 1974 | College Park | United States | William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activities Building |