Essar (album)

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Essar
Essar (Smokey Robinson).jpg
Studio album by
Smokey Robinson
Released1984
Recorded1984
GenreR&B, soul
Length41:44
LabelMotown
ProducerSmokey Robinson and Reginald "Sonny" Burke
Smokey Robinson chronology
Touch the Sky
(1983) 		Essar
(1984) 		Smoke Signals
(1986)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic2/5 stars link

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.

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[]

  • Lead vocals – William "Smokey" Robinson
  • Backing vocals – Ivory Davis, Patricia Henley Talbert and Smokey Robinson
  • Guitars – Charles Fearing, Wah Wah Watson and David T. Walker
  • Bass – "Ready" Freddie Washington
  • Drums, keyboards, arrangements – Reginald "Sonny" Burke

Production[]

  • Producers – William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. and Reginald "Sonny" Burke
  • Assistant Mixing Engineers – William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. and Reginald "Sonny" Burke
  • Recording Engineer – Mitchel Delevie
  • Mixing and Editing Engineer – Barney Perkins at Kendun Recorders, Burbank, California.
  • Editing Assistant – Phillip Walters
  • Second Engineers – Fred Law and Jeff DeMorris
  • Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, California.
  • Contractor – George Annis
  • Copyist – Andres Victorin, Music Suite
  • Cover Concept – William "Smokey" Robinson
  • Photography – Aaron Rapoport
  • Art Direction – Johnny Lee

Additional credits:

"And I Don't Love You"

  • Yamaha DX7 programming – Clark Spangler
  • Assistant Editor – Bob Robitaille

"I Can't Find"

"Why Are You Running From My Love" – Recorded at Mama Jo's, North Hollywood, with:

  • Backing vocals – Howard McCrary, Howard Smith and Ivory Davis
  • Guitar – James Harrah
  • Keyboards – Michael Ruff
  • Synthesizer programming – Rhett Lawrence
  • LinnDrum Programming – Davis Lynn Coulter and Scott V. Smith
  • Engineers – Chris Banninger, Frank Wolf and Win Kutz.
  • Second Engineers – Steve Ford and Todd Van Etten
  • Producers – Scott V. Smith and Stephen Tavani

"Gone Forever" – Recorded at Golden Sound Studios, Inc., Hollywood with:

  • Backing vocals – Allan Rich, Carmen Grillio and Mindy Sterling
  • Bass – Lequeint "Duke" Jobe
  • Keyboards, synthesizer – Mark Davis
  • Oboe – William Green
  • Vocal Engineer – Mitchel Delevie
  • Rhythm Engineer – Karen Siegel
  • Assistant Engineer– Michael Dotson
  • Producers – Mark Davis and William "Smokey" Robinson

"Girl I'm Standing There"

  • Cello – Michael "Jake" Jacobsen
  • Concertmaster – Harry Bluestone
  • Rhythm Engineers – Mitchel Delevie and Paul Ring

"Driving Thru Life In The Fast Lane"

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".
  2. ^ "William Ruhlmann, AllMusic on Essar".
  3. ^ "Robert Christgau on Essar".
  4. ^ "Cover backside scan". on Discogs

External links[]

Retrieved from ""