Essar (album)

Essar is a 1984 album by American singer Smokey Robinson. It was produced and arranged by Robinson with Reginald "Sonny" Burke. The album was released on the Motown sub-label Tamla. The album's title is a pun on the initials of Robinson's name.

Essar
Studio album by
Smokey Robinson
Released1984
Recorded1984
Studio
  • Golden Sound Studios (Hollywood, California)
  • Mama Jo's Studios (North Hollywood, California)
GenreR&B, soul
Length41:44
LabelMotown
Producer
Smokey Robinson chronology
Touch the Sky
(1983)		 Essar
(1984)		 Smoke Signals
(1986)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link

Reception

The album only peaked at #141 on Billboard pop charts, and at #35 on R&B charts. "And I Don't Love You" peaked at #106 Billboard and #33 R&B charts, and "I Can't Find" at #109 Billboard and #41 R&B charts.

Although the 12" B-side of "And I Don't Love You" Larry Levan's Instrumental (Dub) became a House Music classic in the late 2000s.[1]

William Ruhlmann gave 2 out of 5 stars on AllMusic, addressing it as "the low point" in Robinson's career and holding Sonny Burke's dominating synthesiser play responsible.[2] Where Robert Christgau rated it as B+, acknowledging that there are "fillers", but concluding with "one thing you can say about Smokey's filler that you can't say about anybody else's--Smokey's singing it".[3]

Track listing

All tracks composed by William "Smokey" Robinson; except where indicated

Side A
  1. "And I Don't Love You" – 5:20
  2. "Train of Thought" – 4:55
  3. "I Can't Find" – 6:15
  4. "Why Are You Running From My Love" (Scott V. Smith, Stephen Tavani) – 4:20

Side B
  1. "Gone Forever (Theme from the motion picture Cry of the City" (Mark Kevin Davis) – 3:10
  2. "Close Encounters of the First Kind" – 4:35
  3. "Little Girl Little Girl" – 5:12
  4. "Girl I'm Standing There" – 4:25
  5. "Driving Thru Life in the Fast Lane" (Milton Brown, Snuff Garrett, Steve Dorff) – 3:32

Personnel
  • Smokey Robinson – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 2, 3, 6-9)
  • Reginald "Sonny" Burke – keyboards (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8), drums (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8), arrangements (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8)
  • Clark Spangler – Yamaha DX7 programming (1)
  • Michael Ruff – keyboards (4)
  • Rhett Lawrence – synthesizer programming (4)
  • Mark Davis – keyboards (5), synthesizers (5)
  • John Hobbs – keyboards (9)
  • Charles Fearing – guitars (1, 2, 3, 6)
  • David T. Walker – guitars (2, 3, 7)
  • James Harrah – guitars (4)
  • Wah Wah Watson – guitars (6)
  • Dann Huff – guitars (9)
  • Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (9)
  • Lequeint "Duke" Jobe – bass (5)
  • Freddie Washington – bass (8)
  • Joe Chemay – bass (9)
  • Lynn Coulter – LinnDrum programming (4)
  • Scott V. Smith – LinnDrum programming (4)
  • John Robinson – drums (9)
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion (9)
  • Michael Jacobsen – cello (3, 8)
  • Harry Bluestone – concertmaster (3, 8)
  • Bill Green – oboe (5)
  • Dick Hyde – trombone (9)
  • Dick Noel – trombone (9)
  • Gary Grant – trumpet (9)
  • Warren Luening – trumpet (9)
  • Jerry Hey – lead trumpet (9)
  • Larry Herbstritt – horn arrangements (9)
  • Steve Dorff – rhythm arrangements (9)
  • Ivory Davis – backing vocals (1-4, 6, 7, 8)
  • Patricia Henley Talbert – backing vocals (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8)
  • Howard McCrary – backing vocals (4)
  • Howard Smith – backing vocals (4)
  • Carmen Grillio – backing vocals (5)
  • Allan Rich – backing vocals (5)
  • Mindy Sterling – backing vocals (5)
  • Julia Tillman Waters – backing vocals (9)
  • Maxine Willard Waters – backing vocals (9)
  • Oren Waters – backing vocals (9)

Production
  • William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. – producer (1, 2, 3, 5-8), mix assistant, cover concept
  • Reginald "Sonny" Burke – producer (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8), mix assistant
  • Scott V. Smith – producer (4)
  • Stephen Tavani – producer (4)
  • Mark Davis – producer (5)
  • Charlee King – associate producer (5)
  • Steve Dorff – producer (9)
  • Randy Dunlap – producer (9)
  • Mitchel Delevie – recording (1, 2, 3, 6, 7), vocal engineer (5), rhythm engineer (8)
  • Chris Banninger – engineer (4)
  • Win Kutz – engineer (4)
  • Frank Wolf – engineer (4)
  • Karen Siegel – rhythm engineer (5)
  • Paul Ring – rhythm engineer (8)
  • Ed Barton – engineer (9)
  • Marv Clamme – engineer (9)
  • Gary Singleman – engineer (9)
  • Jeff DeMorris – second engineer (1, 2, 3, 6, 7)
  • Fred Law – second engineer (1, 2, 3, 6, 7)
  • Steve Ford – second engineer (4)
  • Todd Van Etten – second engineer (4)
  • Michael Dotson – assistant engineer (5)
  • Barney Perkins – mixing and editing at Kendun Recorders (Burbank, California)
  • Bob Robitaille – editing assistant (1)
  • Phillip Walters – editing assistant (2-9)
  • Bernie Grundman – mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California)
  • Dave Pell – session coordinator (9)
  • George Annis – music contractor
  • Andres Victorin – music copyist
  • Aaron Rapoport – photography
  • Johnny Lee – art direction

Essar to Emgee

The cover backside contains a handwritten message: "A note to Emgee: We're really gonna miss you, Essar" – obviously from Smokey Robinson (S.R.) to his colleague Marvin Gaye (M.G.) who was murdered on April 1, 1984.[4]

References
  1. "also included on "Horse Meat Disco" compilation, 2009". Discogs.
  2. "William Ruhlmann, AllMusic on Essar". AllMusic.
  3. "Robert Christgau on Essar".
  4. "Cover backside scan". Discogs. on Discogs
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