Exploring the Legacy of the Black Magic Woman Guitar Hero

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Black Magic Woman is a famous song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. It was written by Peter Green and first released in 1968 as a single. The song gained significant popularity and was later included in the band's compilation album "The Pious Bird of Good Omen" in 1969. The distinctive guitar riff and haunting vocals of Black Magic Woman have made it one of the band's signature songs. The song showcases the band's bluesy sound combined with elements of Latin and psychedelic rock. Its mesmerizing melodies and lyrics evoke a sense of mystery and enchantment.


  • Stefan from Eden, Ny And of course Peter Green wrote another famous song with a color in the title, which. like Black Magic Woman. became even more famous when another band covered it. Judas Priest put their own spin on Peter Green's Green Manalishi (with the two-pronged crown).
  • Glenda Barton from El Verano, Ca Yes Carlos Santana, I believe, played in that famous version of "Sauvecito" with his relative who formed the band Malo. I used to live upstairs from Malo in the Mission and hear them practice all the time.
  • Howard from St. Louis Park, Mn I have heard Santana's version many times and to me it's a prime example of Carlos Santana's outstanding guitar work. Today, it is a memory of Peter Green, who wrote the song when he was an original member of Fleetwood Mac.
  • Jennifur Sun from Ramona Stratis, I've been know to feel that way about a cool looking car and I don't consider myself materialistic.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, Ny On January 10th 1971, "Black Magic Woman" by Santana peaked at #4 (for 2 weeks) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on November 8th, 1970 and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100 (and 7 of those 13 weeks were on Top 10).
    Was track two of side one on the group's 2nd studio album, "Abraxas", and on October 8th, 1971 the album reached #1 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart.
    One other track from the album also made the Top 100, "Oye Como Va"; it peaked at #13 and stayed on the Top 100 for 10 weeks.
    Carlos Santana will celebrate his 67th birthday this coming July 20th.
  • Eric from Nyc, Ny @- wyatt, anywhere, United States

Their first three albums all fulfilled the promise of their Woodstock performance and made them one of the biggest bands in America, but in 1972 they started to fracture and went through a number of lineup changes. For this song s solo, Santana played across the Latin rhythm on his Gibson Les Paul Special through the amp and rode the volume knob throughout the track to add sustain and distortion as required.

Balck magic woman guitar hero

Its mesmerizing melodies and lyrics evoke a sense of mystery and enchantment. Black Magic Woman has been covered by various artists over the years, most notably by Carlos Santana in 1970. Santana's rendition of the song became a massive hit, reaching high positions on music charts worldwide.

Balck magic woman guitar hero

"Black Magic Woman" was a hit for Santana, but few people know that it's actually a cover of a 1968 Fleetwood Mac song that hit #37 in the UK. Peter Green, who was a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, wrote the lyrics.

Many also don't know that Santana started out as a blues band, just like Fleetwood Mac. "I used to go to see the original Fleetwood Mac, and they used to kill me, just knock me out," Carlos Santana said in the book The Guitar Greats. "To me, they were the best blues band."

Santana put their own spin on the song, incorporating Latin textures, but they kept the basic sound from the original intact.

The 1:49 instrumental at the end is called "Gypsy Queen," and was written by the Hungarian jazz guitarist Gabor Szabo. It was omitted from Santana's 1974 Greatest Hits album, even though radio stations usually play "Black Magic Woman" and "Gypsy Queen" as one song. >>

Suggestion credit:
Jim - Oxnard, CA, for above 2

The original version is based on a blues song Peter Green wrote for Fleetwood Mac's first UK album called "I Loved Another Woman." Mick Fleetwood called the original version, "Three minutes of sustain/reverb guitar with two exquisite solos from Peter."

The royalties generated by Santana's cover of this song helped sustain the song's writer, Peter Green, after he left Fleetwood Mac. Green gave most of his money away when he left the band, and would have found himself destitute later in the '70s if he didn't get checks from his old hits.

After this was released, Peter Green befriended some people who were into black magic. In an interview with Cameron Crowe of Rolling Stone magazine, Christine McVie said these were the people who turned him on to acid, which led to Green leaving Fleetwood Mac.

Santana keybord player Gregg Rolie sang lead on this. He joined Journey in 1973.

For this song's solo, Santana played across the Latin rhythm on his Gibson Les Paul Special through the amp and rode the volume knob throughout the track to add sustain and distortion as required.

"Black Magic Woman" was the first single from Santana's second album, Abraxas, released in September 1970. In August 1969, they delivered one of the most memorable performances at Woodstock and released their debut album just two weeks later. Thrust into stardom, they toured constantly and didn't have much time to write new songs, so they included two covers on Abraxas; their version of Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va" was the second single from the album, and also a hit.

Their first three albums all fulfilled the promise of their Woodstock performance and made them one of the biggest bands in America, but in 1972 they started to fracture and went through a number of lineup changes. The band reinvented themselves many times over the years, with guitarist and namesake Carlos Santana the constant. In 1999, at a career nadir, they released one of the best-selling and most-acclaimed albums of that era: Supernatural.

  • More songs from Santana
  • More songs with colors in the title
  • More songs that became hits long after they were first released
  • More songs about magic, witchcraft, UFOs or the occult
  • More songs about gypsies or psychics
  • More songs from 1970
  • Lyrics to Black Magic Woman
  • Santana Artistfacts

Comments: 25

  • Stefan from Eden, Ny And of course Peter Green wrote another famous song with a color in the title, which. like Black Magic Woman. became even more famous when another band covered it. Judas Priest put their own spin on Peter Green's Green Manalishi (with the two-pronged crown).
  • Glenda Barton from El Verano, Ca Yes Carlos Santana, I believe, played in that famous version of "Sauvecito" with his relative who formed the band Malo. I used to live upstairs from Malo in the Mission and hear them practice all the time.
  • Howard from St. Louis Park, Mn I have heard Santana's version many times and to me it's a prime example of Carlos Santana's outstanding guitar work. Today, it is a memory of Peter Green, who wrote the song when he was an original member of Fleetwood Mac.
  • Jennifur Sun from Ramona Stratis, I've been know to feel that way about a cool looking car and I don't consider myself materialistic.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, Ny On January 10th 1971, "Black Magic Woman" by Santana peaked at #4 (for 2 weeks) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on November 8th, 1970 and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100 (and 7 of those 13 weeks were on Top 10).
    Was track two of side one on the group's 2nd studio album, "Abraxas", and on October 8th, 1971 the album reached #1 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart.
    One other track from the album also made the Top 100, "Oye Como Va"; it peaked at #13 and stayed on the Top 100 for 10 weeks.
    Carlos Santana will celebrate his 67th birthday this coming July 20th.
  • Eric from Nyc, Ny @- wyatt, anywhere, United States

Santana sued Budweiser because they copied his arrangement of Black Magic Women. Two people can record a song and have it come out very different. I was watching a show years back were a band played country songs in a blues style and blues songs in a country style. It was very enlightening.

A modern example of this is Hayseed Dixie's covers of heavy metal songs in a bluegrass arrangement.

It's unfortunate that Peter seldom gets credit for writing "such a ledgendary song." I hope he gets the royalties, at least.

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Yellow LedbetterPearl Jam

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The love is growing in the '70s hit "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" because rosemary is the name of an herb.

Cum On Feel The NoizeSlade

"Cum On Feel The Noise" was originally recorded by the British glam band Slade in 1973. Quiet Riot had their first hit with the song when they recorded it in 1983.

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Santana sued Budweiser because they copied his arrangement of Black Magic Women. Two people can record a song and have it come out very different. I was watching a show years back were a band played country songs in a blues style and blues songs in a country style. It was very enlightening.
Balck magic woman guitar hero

His guitar solo in the song has become iconic and is often considered one of the greatest guitar solos of all time. Santana's version of Black Magic Woman introduced the song to a whole new audience and solidified its place in rock music history. The combination of his Latin-inspired guitar playing and the song's mystical atmosphere created a captivating experience for listeners. The song's lyrics add to its allure, recounting a tale of a bewitching woman who possesses an irresistible charm. The lyrics paint a picture of supernatural powers and the intoxicating effect she has on the narrator. The combination of the lyrics, music, and Santana's guitar prowess make Black Magic Woman an enduring classic. Black Magic Woman has remained a beloved song among rock fans and guitar enthusiasts. Its power and allure continue to captivate audiences, and it remains a staple in the live performances of Fleetwood Mac and Carlos Santana. The song's enduring popularity is a testament to its timeless appeal and the mastery of its performers..

Reviews for "Black Magic Woman: Influences and Inspirations"

1. Jack - 2/5
The "Black Magic Woman" guitar hero game was a huge disappointment for me. The song selection was limited, and none of the tracks included in the game appealed to me. The gameplay mechanics felt clunky and unresponsive, making it difficult to enjoy playing the guitar. Additionally, the graphics were outdated and lacked the polish and detail that I have come to expect from other guitar hero games. Overall, I found this game to be a lackluster addition to the franchise, and I would not recommend it to fans of the genre.
2. Emily - 1/5
I was really excited to play "Black Magic Woman" on guitar hero, as it is one of my favorite songs. However, I was thoroughly disappointed with this game. The note charts were poorly designed and did not accurately represent the song's rhythm and melody. It felt more like a random sequence of notes rather than a coherent guitar track. The lack of music variety was also frustrating, as I quickly grew tired of playing the same song over and over again. Overall, I regretted purchasing this game and would not recommend it to fellow guitar hero enthusiasts.
3. David - 2/5
"Black Magic Woman" on guitar hero was a letdown for me. The difficulty level of the game seemed unbalanced, going from too easy to unfairly difficult within a short span of time. This made it hard to find a comfortable challenge level and enjoy the game. The lack of additional features and customization options also made the gameplay experience feel repetitive and stale. Overall, this game fell short of my expectations, and I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a satisfying guitar hero experience.
4. Sarah - 1/5
I found "Black Magic Woman" on guitar hero to be incredibly boring and uninspiring. The song itself lacked the energy and excitement that is usually associated with guitar hero tracks. The note charts were repetitive, and I quickly grew tired of playing the same patterns over and over again. The game failed to capture the thrill of playing a guitar and left me feeling underwhelmed. I would not recommend this game to guitar hero fans looking for an engaging and enjoyable experience.

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