Evil Ways
Encyclopedia
"Evil Ways" is a song
by Santana
from their 1969 album Santana. It was written by Clarence "Sonny" Henry and recorded by jazz percussionist Willie Bobo
in 1968 on his album of the same name. The song is in simple verse form. Next year it was recorded by Santana
.
Released as a single in late 1969, it became the band's first top forty and top ten hit in the U.S., peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart. Gregg Rolie
performs the lead vocals and plays a Hammond organ
solo
in the middle section. The double-time
coda
includes a guitar solo
performed by Carlos Santana
.
"Evil Ways" is about a girl who is spiteful. "You've got to change your evil ways, baby/Before I stop lovin' you." She tries to make her boyfriend jealous by associating with her friends. "You hangin' 'round, baby/With Jean and Joan and-a who-knows-who."
Some radio stations play edit versions of the song, cutting a few bars from the introduction, parts of the organ instrumental portion in the middle, and the coda, shortening the guitar improvisation by fading the song out earlier, part of this reason is to make it more for AM radio use, than for progressive rock use.
sampled this track and used it as the main melody for his single "Mentirosa
" (1989).
Alex Gimeno samples the riff from Evil Ways in his track "Funky Bikini" from his musical project titled Ursula 1000.
Los Lonely Boys
perform this song on their 2009 tribute EP entitled 1969.
The song was also covered by Cal Tjader
(Willie Bobo
was a former member of Tjader's band) with vocals by Carmen McRae
on his 1982 album "Heat Wave", released on CD in 1990.
credit was originally given to Jimmie Zack. Zack was a minor rockabilly
artist out of the Midwest
who recorded a song with the same title (as Jimmie Zack and The Blues Rockers) for a small regional label in 1960 (http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/ss/26/ss26898.mp3); however, it was not the same song as recorded by Santana.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
from their 1969 album Santana. It was written by Clarence "Sonny" Henry and recorded by jazz percussionist Willie Bobo
Willie Bobo
Willie Bobo was the stage name of William Correa , an American jazz percussionist.-Biography:William Correa grew up in Spanish Harlem, New York City. He made his name in Latin Jazz, specifically Afro-Cuban jazz, in the 1960s and '70s, with the timbales becoming his favoured instrument...
in 1968 on his album of the same name. The song is in simple verse form. Next year it was recorded by Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
.
Released as a single in late 1969, it became the band's first top forty and top ten hit in the U.S., peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart. Gregg Rolie
Gregg Rolie
Gregg Alan Rolie is an American keyboardist, organist, and singer, who is one of the founding members of the bands Santana, The Storm, Abraxas Pool and Journey, for whom he was the original lead singer. He currently performs with his Gregg Rolie Band...
performs the lead vocals and plays a Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
in the middle section. The double-time
Double-time
In music and dance, double-time is a type of meter and tempo or rhythmic feel. It is also associated with specific time signatures such as 2/2. Contrast with half time....
coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
includes a guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
performed by Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
.
"Evil Ways" is about a girl who is spiteful. "You've got to change your evil ways, baby/Before I stop lovin' you." She tries to make her boyfriend jealous by associating with her friends. "You hangin' 'round, baby/With Jean and Joan and-a who-knows-who."
Some radio stations play edit versions of the song, cutting a few bars from the introduction, parts of the organ instrumental portion in the middle, and the coda, shortening the guitar improvisation by fading the song out earlier, part of this reason is to make it more for AM radio use, than for progressive rock use.
Notable covers, remixes, variations, samples and influences
Latin rapper Mellow Man AceMellow Man Ace
Ulpiano Sergio Reyes , better known as Mellow Man Ace, is an American rapper. He is best known for his hit single "Mentirosa"...
sampled this track and used it as the main melody for his single "Mentirosa
Mentirosa (Mellow Man Ace song)
"Mentirosa" is a single by Mellow Man Ace from his debut album, Escape from Havana.Using a sample of Santana's "Evil Ways", "Mentirosa" was one of the first songs produced by Tony G, with scratches provided by Tony's younger brother Julio G. The song became Ace's only top 40 single, reaching No. 14...
" (1989).
Alex Gimeno samples the riff from Evil Ways in his track "Funky Bikini" from his musical project titled Ursula 1000.
Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys is a Chicano rock power trio from San Angelo, Texas. They play a style of music they call "Texican Rock n' Roll," combining elements of rock and roll, Texas blues, brown eyed soul, country, and Tejano....
perform this song on their 2009 tribute EP entitled 1969.
The song was also covered by Cal Tjader
Cal Tjader
Callen Radcliffe Tjader, Jr. a.k.a. Cal Tjader was a Latin jazz musician, though he also explored various other jazz idioms. Unlike other American jazz musicians who experimented with the music from Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America, he never abandoned it, performing it until his...
(Willie Bobo
Willie Bobo
Willie Bobo was the stage name of William Correa , an American jazz percussionist.-Biography:William Correa grew up in Spanish Harlem, New York City. He made his name in Latin Jazz, specifically Afro-Cuban jazz, in the 1960s and '70s, with the timbales becoming his favoured instrument...
was a former member of Tjader's band) with vocals by Carmen McRae
Carmen McRae
Carmen Mercedes McRae was an American jazz singer, composer, pianist, and actress. Considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century, it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and her ironic interpretations of song lyrics that made her memorable...
on his 1982 album "Heat Wave", released on CD in 1990.
Erroneous credit
On first pressings of both Santana's debut album and the single release, the songwritingSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
credit was originally given to Jimmie Zack. Zack was a minor rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
artist out of the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
who recorded a song with the same title (as Jimmie Zack and The Blues Rockers) for a small regional label in 1960 (http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/ss/26/ss26898.mp3); however, it was not the same song as recorded by Santana.