1968 Classic, First Released by a Legendary Band, Became a Timeless Latin Rock Anthem Years Later
Not many may know that one of CarlosSantana's biggest hits of his career was originally a Fleetwood Mac song. In 1968, Peter Green developed a track that was released early in the band's career, but didn't gain fame until it became a Latin rock hit.
"Black Magic Woman" was the epitome of sultry blues rock that first appeared as a single for the band, but didn't actually gain much traction. Green reportedly wrote the track after being inspired by a former girlfriend, Sandra Eldson, whom he nicknamed "Magic Mamma." The band founder later admitted that the track was also inspired by Otis Rush's "All Your Love," which was released in 1958.
The Rush song was actually recorded by Green's former band, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. Influenced by what Mayall once said, Green said in his book Peter Green: The Biography, "One of things [Mayall] said was that if you really like something, you should take the first lines and make up another song from them. So that's what I did with 'Black Magic Woman'."
Upon the track's release, it did moderately well in the U.K. and didn't manage to chart in the U.S. Two years later, "Black Magic Woman" was re-recorded by Latin guitarist Santana for his album Abraxas, with Gregg Rolie on vocals. The track was mixed with Green's original version and Gábor Szabó's 1966 instrumental "Gypsy Queen."
The result was a blue rock track with a sultry Latin rhythm that Santana has been known for, thanks to his guitar. His arrangement also included conga, timbales, organ, and piano to create a "voodoo" feel.
Santana's version of "Black Magic Woman" became a staple and one of his biggest hits, spending 13 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also peaked at No.4 in January of 1971. It's said that his album, Abraxas, also became a No. 1 album thanks to the song's popularity on the chart.
In 1998, both Fleetwood Mac and Santana were among the inductees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Santana asked Mick Fleetwood to get Green on board with performing "Black Magic Woman" with him on stage. Green agreed, but refused to recreate one of his guitar solos.
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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 2:49 PM.