Las Vegas Weekly

August 26, 2010 · 2:36 PM

Photos: Santana, India.Arie, Gavin Rossdale, Chris Daughtry at HRH

By Don Chareunsy

Mary Wilson, India.Arie, Carlos Santana, Clive Davis, Olivia Harrison, Chris Daughtry and Gavin Rossdale walk the red carpet at the Hard Rock Hotel on Aug. 25, 2010.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/ErikKabik.com

By Don Chareunsy, Vegas DeLuxe editor

Music legends Carlos Santana and Clive Davis hit the red carpet at Vanity in the Hard Rock Hotel yesterday afternoon to celebrate Santana’s new album Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time, and it was a jam-packed Wednesday that included the red carpet and a preview listening party during the day and a 2-hour concert at The Joint in the evening.

Album guest collaborators Chris Daughtry, Gavin Rossdale and India.Arie, resplendent in a green goddess gown with matching eye shadow, plus Santana band members, including standout vocalist Andy Vargas, joined Santana and Davis on the red carpet, as did singer Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Olivia Harrison (the widow of George Harrison), The Mirage headliner Terry Fator and girlfriend Taylor Makakoa and NBA legend Bill Walton.

Davis, who walked the red carpet with Santana, is credited with launching the careers of many superstars, among them Paris headliner Barry Manilow. “I’m going to see Barry’s show on Friday and am looking forward to it,” Davis said on the red carpet. (Another protegee, American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia, is performing at Rain in the Palms on Friday -- perhaps Davis and Manilow will stop by after Manilow’s performance?)

Daughtry has been in Las Vegas often in the past year, for the Andre Agassi Grand Slam benefit and for performances at Pure and The Orleans, among others.

“It seems like every time we’re here, it’s for a benefit of some sort, although tonight is an unveiling of Carlos’ album. Las Vegas is one of those places. It’s a slice of America, you know?” Daughtry laughed on the red carpet.

Of his collaboration on the album, Daughtry said, “I hadn’t met Carlos until yesterday. We didn’t actually get a chance to meet during the recording process due to our schedules, and we were on the road. We met for the first time yesterday, and it seems to be going well.”

Santana, in a recurring theme in all of his interviews and onstage talk, discussed on the red carpet the importance of truth, love and friendship in his music and career. Rossdale had a coughing fit during the red carpet, left to get a drink of water and sadly never returned for interviews. Fator said that he hasn’t seen Santana’s show yet and is of course watching America’s Got Talent, which he won in Season 2 and led to his $100 million contract at The Mirage.

Guitar Heaven, due in stores Sept. 21, includes Daughtry on Def Leppard’s “Photograph,” Rossdale on T-Rex’s “Bang a Gong,” India.Arie on “The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” Chris Cornell of Soundgarden fame on Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” Pat Monahan of Train on Van Halen’s “Dance the Night Away,” Chester Bennington of Linkin Park and Ray Manzarek of The Doors on The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm” and Joe Cocker on Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing.” Yo-Yo Ma also performs on The Beatles classic with Santana and India.Arie.

During the preview listening party, Davis detailed his long history with Santana, who he said was the third or fourth artist he discovered in his illustrious career, and the story of how Guitar Heaven came to be after months of calls to Santana. Eight of the album’s songs were played in full: “Whole Lotta Love,” Nas on AC/DC’s “Back in Black,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Photograph,” Rob Thomas on Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Bang a Gong,” “Riders on the Storm” and “Dance the Night Away.”

Davis admitted that cover songs have always been a tough sell with music critics, but he said that successful covers bring to the newly realized work “originality, imagination and creativity.” He told the audience that Olivia Harrison “jumped for joy and cried at the same time” after hearing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and she received a standing ovation after an introduction by Davis. And with Guitar Greats, he advised to the guest artists, “Do not cut Carlos off. Let him fly and soar!”

Daughtry and Rossdale, who were by themselves, shared a VIP booth with their handlers, while India.Arie was in a VIP booth with friends and handlers, during the listening preview party, and Davis and the album’s artists received standing ovations. Davis also mentioned the attendance of Wilson in the audience.

Santana summed up at the end of the listening preview party, “We are all worthy of God’s grace. God is love. We are all created and conceived by love.”

India.Arie, Daughtry and Rossdale performed their album cuts with Santana at The Joint, while India.Arie followed up The Beatles song with Billie Holliday’s “God Bless the Child.” Rossdale, who danced all over the stage, continued to work the audience into a frenzy after his T-Rex cover with The Zombies’ “She’s Not There.” The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm” also was performed, but without Bennington and Manzarek. Standing ovations were commonplace throughout the concert.

Santana’s latest run of Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits continues through Labor Day weekend. Thanks to contributing photographers Tom Donoghue and Erik Kabik for their photo galleries for Vegas DeLuxe and to Christopher Rauschnot @24kMedia on Twitter for his videos posted on YouTube.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

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