Put Your Lights On

"Put Your Lights On"
Single by Santana featuring Everlast
from the album Supernatural
B-side
WrittenFebruary 1998
ReleasedAugust 24, 1999 (1999-08-24)[1]
Length
  • 4:45 (album version)
  • 4:05 (radio edit)
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Erik Schrody
Producer(s)
Santana singles chronology
"Smooth"
(1999) 		"Put Your Lights On"
(1999) 		"Maria Maria"
(1999)
Everlast singles chronology
"So Long"
(1999) 		"Put Your Lights On"
(1999) 		"Black Jesus"
(2000)

"Put Your Lights On" is a song by American rock band Santana and American musician Everlast from Santana's 18th studio album, Supernatural (1999). Serviced to US rock radio in August 1999, the song peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and number eight on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. "Put Your Lights On" won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards.[2]

Background

Everlast wrote the song while recovering from a major heart attack that he had suffered in February 1998 (directly after he completed recording his second solo album, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues). He has referred to it as "one of the most personal songs I ever wrote", stating that the song was "kind of all about hope, but it's coming from a really dark place you know, so... and really questioning a lot of your beliefs, and affirming, you know, stuff in your soul."[3] Everlast converted to Islam in 1996, and the end of the song contains the words "La ilaha illa Allah", ("There is no God but God" in Arabic), the first part of the Shahada, the Islamic profession of faith.

Santana called Everlast in 1998, asking him if he could contribute a song for Supernatural, and Everlast suggested "Put Your Lights On". According to Everlast, Santana loved the song, and "from then on everything went very fast." Everlast has stated that he was unsure whether to include the Arabic-language portion in the recorded song, because "I did not want to sell Allah's words", but that Santana insisted that they be included.[4]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the German maxi-CD single liner notes and the Supernatural album booklet.[8][9]

Studios

Personnel

  • Everlast – writing (as Erik Schrody), lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Carlos Santana – lead guitar, congas, percussion
  • Benny Rietveld – bass
  • Chester Thompson – keyboards
  • Dante Ross – production, programming
  • John Gamble – production, programming, engineering
  • Tom Lord-Alge – mixing
  • Femio Hernandez – mixing assistance
  • Steve Fontano – engineering
  • Steve Farrone – engineering
  • Mike Anderson – engineering assistance

Charts

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
United States August 24, 1999
Arista [1]
May 23, 2000 Contemporary hit radio [30]
Sweden October 30, 2000 CD [31]
United Kingdom November 6, 2000 [32]
Germany November 27, 2000 [15]

References

  1. ^ a b "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1313. August 20, 1999. pp. 100, 169.
  2. ^ "Winners: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". Grammy.com. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  3. ^ "Everlast Talks About 'Put Your Lights On'". July 12, 2008. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ 2001 Everlast interview with the Association for New German Muslims
  5. ^ Put Your Lights On (Australian CD single liner notes). Santana. Arista Records. 2000. 74321743812.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ Put Your Lights On (UK CD single liner notes). Santana. Arista Records. 2000. 74321 808582.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ Put Your Lights On (European CD single liner notes). Santana. Arista Records. 2000. 74321 76925 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ a b Put Your Lights On (German maxi-CD single liner notes). Santana. Arista Records. 2000. 74321-76924-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ Supernatural (US CD album booklet). Santana. Arista Records. 1999. 07822-19080-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ "Santana feat. Everlast – Put Your Lights On". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  11. ^ "Santana feat. Everlast – Put Your Lights On" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 10000." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9705." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  14. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 9689." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  15. ^ a b "Santana feat. Everlast – Put Your Lights On" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  16. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 48. November 25, 2000. p. 17. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  17. ^ "Major Market Airplay – Week 46/2000" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 46. November 11, 2000. p. 33. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  18. ^ "Polish Airplay Charts – Lista krajowa 44/2000" (in Polish). PiF PaF Production. Archived from the original on March 5, 2001. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  19. ^ "Santana feat. Everlast – Put Your Lights On". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  20. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  21. ^ "Santana Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  22. ^ "Santana Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  23. ^ "Santana Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  24. ^ "Santana Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  25. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Rock Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 35.
  26. ^ "Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 36.
  27. ^ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-87.
  28. ^ "Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 2000". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 38.
  29. ^ "The Best of 2000: Most Played Triple-A Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 44.
  30. ^ "CHR/Pop: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1351. May 18, 2000. p. 48.
  31. ^ "Santana: Put Your Lights On". click2music.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on January 11, 2001. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  32. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting November 6, 2000: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 4, 2000. p. 29. Retrieved August 7, 2021.