Essar (album)
| Essar | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | R&B, soul | |||
| Length | 41:44 | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Producer |
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| Smokey Robinson chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   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 (S.R.).
Reception[edit]
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[edit]
All tracks composed by William "Smokey" Robinson; except where indicated
Side A[edit]
- "And I Don't Love You" – 5:20
- "Train of Thought" – 4:55
- "I Can't Find" – 6:15
- "Why Are You Running From My Love" (Scott V. Smith, Stephen Tavani) – 4:20
Side B[edit]
- "Gone Forever (Theme from the motion picture Cry of the City" (Mark Kevin Davis) – 3:10
- "Close Encounters of the First Kind" – 4:35
- "Little Girl Little Girl" – 5:12
- "Girl I'm Standing There" – 4:25
- "Driving Thru Life in the Fast Lane" (Milton Brown, Snuff Garrett, Steve Dorff) – 3:32
Personnel[edit]
- 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[edit]
- 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[edit]
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]
