Rob Thomas credits Clive Davis with cross-generational magic behind Santana’s Smooth
TL;DR Summary
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.
- “We were debating whether George Michael or Bon Jovi should sing it, but Carlos was like, ‘I like this guy’s voice’. Clive loved the idea of getting this older guitar player together with newer generations”: Rob Thomas explains the genius of Clive Davis MusicRadar
- The Defining, Imperfect Partnership of Clive Davis and Whitney Houston The New York Times
- Clive Davis, Grammy-Winning Producer Who Shaped the Music Industry, Dies at 94 WSJ
- Clive Davis Won Grammys for Pop, Rock and R&B: Which Artists Have Done That? Billboard
- Clive Davis, recording executive and star-maker, dies at 94 The Washington Post
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