If you ask a hundred people who wrote Black Magic Woman, ninety-nine of them will tell you it was Carlos Santana. It’s an honest mistake. Santana's 1970 version is a monster of a track, a swirling, Latin-infused masterpiece that defined the "Abraxas" album and basically helped invent the sound of the seventies. It’s got that signature sustain and those congas that make you want to move. But Carlos didn't write it. Not even a little bit.
The song actually belongs to Peter Green.
Green was the founder of Fleetwood Mac. No, not the Stevie Nicks "Rumours" era Fleetwood Mac with the scarves and the relationship drama. We’re talking about the original, gritty, London-based blues-rock outfit from the late sixties. It’s wild how many people forget—or never even knew—that Fleetwood Mac started as a purist blues band. Peter Green was their heart, soul, and lead guitarist. He wrote the track in 1968, and it reached number 37 on the UK charts long before Santana touched it.
The Birth of a Blues Classic in a London Basement
The story of who wrote Black Magic Woman starts in the smoky clubs of the UK blues explosion. Peter Green was often called "The Green God" by fans, a title he hated. He had replaced Eric Clapton in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, which is a bit like replacing Michael Jordan on the Bulls. Everyone expected him to fail, but he was arguably more tasteful than Clapton. He didn't play fast just for the sake of it. He played for the feel.
Green wrote the song while he was living in a flat in London. It wasn't originally intended to be a Latin rock anthem. In its first iteration, it’s a spooky, understated blues number. He recorded it with Fleetwood Mac—specifically Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass—and released it as a single.
Think about the lyrics for a second. "Got a black magic woman... she's tryin' to make a devil out of me." It’s dark. It’s paranoid. Some people claim Green wrote it about an ex-girlfriend, while others think it was a metaphor for his burgeoning struggles with mental health and the pressure of fame. Honestly, it was probably a mix of both.
What most people get wrong about the Fleetwood Mac version
When you listen to the original 1968 version, the first thing you notice is the tempo. It’s slower. It’s got this "shuffled" beat that feels like it’s dragging its feet through the mud in a good way. The guitar tone is different, too. Green used a Gibson Les Paul with a famously "out of phase" middle position, giving it a hollow, nasal, almost vocal-like quality.
Santana’s version is a celebration. Green’s version sounds like a warning.
How Carlos Santana Discovered the Track
So, how did a London blues track end up becoming the signature song of a Mexican-American guitarist in San Francisco?
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It wasn't a coincidence.
Gregg Rolie, the keyboardist and singer for the original Santana band, was the one who brought the song to the group. Rolie was a huge fan of the British blues scene. He had the Fleetwood Mac record and kept pushing the band to jam on it. At first, Santana wasn't entirely convinced. They were busy carving out their own niche at the Fillmore West, blending jazz, salsa, and rock.
Eventually, they tried it. They realized the minor-key progression (mostly Dm7) was the perfect canvas for Santana’s long, lyrical guitar solos. But they did something brilliant: they mashed it up.
The Gypsy Queen Connection
If you listen to the Santana version on the radio, you’ll notice the song changes halfway through. It shifts from the "Black Magic Woman" melody into a high-octane, instrumental jam. That second part isn't part of the song Peter Green wrote.
That’s "Gypsy Queen."
"Gypsy Queen" was written by Hungarian jazz guitarist Gábor Szabó. Santana was a massive Szabó fan. By tacking Szabó’s song onto the end of Green’s song, Santana created a "medley" that bridged the gap between European blues and Latin jazz. It was a stroke of genius that transformed a standard blues-rock track into a psychedelic journey.
Peter Green vs. Carlos Santana: The Stylistic Divide
It is fascinating to compare the two men. Peter Green was a minimalist. He famously said that the notes you don't play are just as important as the ones you do. His version of Black Magic Woman is full of space. You can hear the room. You can hear the silence between the notes.
Carlos Santana, on the other hand, is all about the "infinite sustain." He uses feedback and volume to make his guitar cry.
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- The Tempo: Santana sped it up to about 128 BPM, making it danceable.
- The Percussion: Fleetwood Mac used a standard kit. Santana added timbales and congas, courtesy of Jose "Chepito" Areas and Mike Carabello.
- The Vocals: Gregg Rolie sang the Santana version with a smooth, soulful grit. Peter Green sang the original with a weary, almost ghostly delivery.
Green actually liked Santana's version. He once mentioned in an interview that he appreciated how Santana brought a completely different energy to it. There was no rivalry there, just mutual respect between two masters of the craft.
The Dark Side of the "Magic"
There is a tragic layer to the story of who wrote Black Magic Woman. Not long after the song became a hit, Peter Green’s life began to unravel. During a tour in Germany, he had a traumatic experience with high-dose LSD at a commune. He was never quite the same.
He grew a long beard, started wearing robes, and eventually tried to give all his money away. There’s a famous (though perhaps slightly exaggerated) story that he once threatened his accountant with a shotgun because the man kept sending him royalty checks. He didn't want the money from "Black Magic Woman" or "Albatross" or "Man of the World." He wanted out.
While Santana was playing the song to tens of thousands of screaming fans at Woodstock and beyond, the man who wrote it was drifting in and out of psychiatric hospitals, working odd jobs as a hospital orderly and a grave digger.
It adds a haunting weight to the lyrics. When Green sang about a woman "turning her back on me," he might as well have been talking about his own sanity or the music industry itself.
Is it a "Cover" or a "Reimagining"?
In the world of SEO and music trivia, we call it a cover. But that feels too small for what Santana did. Usually, a cover tries to mimic the original or just updates the production. Santana dismantled the song and rebuilt it using different materials.
Actually, it’s one of the few times in music history where the "cover" is objectively more famous than the original. Think of it like Jimi Hendrix doing Bob Dylan’s "All Along the Watchtower." Dylan himself said he felt the song belonged to Hendrix after he heard it. Peter Green’s legacy is undeniably tied to Santana’s success, even if the general public doesn't always make the connection.
Real Evidence of the Song's Impact
To understand why this song matters, you have to look at the charts.
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- Fleetwood Mac (1968): Peaked at #37 in the UK. Didn't even crack the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
- Santana (1970): Hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It stayed on the charts for 13 weeks.
This disparity is why the question of who wrote Black Magic Woman persists. For an entire generation of Americans, this was the song that introduced them to the concept of "World Music," even before that term existed. It was the gateway drug to the blues.
Why You Should Listen to Both Versions Right Now
If you really want to appreciate the song, you need to do a back-to-back listening session.
Start with the Peter Green version. Put on some headphones. Listen to the way his guitar mimics a human voice. It’s lonely. It’s the sound of a cold night in London. Then, immediately switch to the Santana version. Feel the heat. Feel the San Francisco sun and the smell of the mission district.
It’s the same "bones," but a completely different "soul."
You'll notice things you missed before. Like how the bass line in the Santana version is actually much more melodic, or how the original Fleetwood Mac version doesn't have that iconic "G-A-Bb-C" ascending riff that everyone air-guitars to.
Final Thoughts on the Authorship
At the end of the day, Peter Green wrote Black Magic Woman. He is the architect. Carlos Santana is the decorator who turned the house into a palace.
Green’s contribution to rock history is often overshadowed by the later success of Fleetwood Mac, but he was a visionary. He wasn't just a blues player; he was a songwriter who could capture a specific kind of dread and desire in a three-minute pop song.
If you’re a musician or a songwriter, there’s a lesson here. A great song is a living thing. It can change shapes, cross oceans, and survive through different genres. Peter Green might have struggled with the "magic" he conjured, but the song itself remains immortal.
Next Steps for Music Lovers:
- Check out the "English Rose" album: This is the Fleetwood Mac compilation where the original track lives.
- Listen to "The Supernatural": If you want to hear Peter Green’s best guitar work, this instrumental track (recorded with John Mayall) is where he truly shines.
- Compare the "Live at the Fillmore" versions: Both Santana and the original Fleetwood Mac have legendary live recordings of this song. Comparing the live improvisations shows how much room the song allows for virtuosity.
- Research Gábor Szabó: Don't let the "Gypsy Queen" composer be forgotten either. His jazz-influenced style is the secret sauce in the Santana version.