Rob Thomas credits Clive Davis with cross-generational magic behind Santana’s Smooth
TL;DR
Rob Thomas salutes Clive Davis as a rare tastemaker who trusted his gut over industry trends, recounting how Davis paired an older guitarist with younger generations to create cross-generational hits—most notably Santana’s Smooth and the Supernatural era—while weighing a Tina Turner collaboration before deciding otherwise, a testament to Davis’s instinctual approach that Thomas says is increasingly rare in today’s label world.
Topics:entertainmentmusic-industry#clive-davis#music-industry#rob-thomas#santana#smooth#supernatural
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