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.
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 became a House Music classic in the late 2000s.
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 responsible. 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".
Track listing
All tracks composed by William "Smokey" Robinson; except where indicatedSide A
- "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" – 4:20
Side B
- "Gone Forever – 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" – 3:32
Personnel
- Smokey Robinson – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Reginald "Sonny" Burke – keyboards, drums, arrangements
- Clark Spangler – Yamaha DX7 programming
- Michael Ruff – keyboards
- Rhett Lawrence – synthesizer programming
- Mark Davis – keyboards, synthesizers
- John Hobbs – keyboards
- Charles Fearing – guitars
- David T. Walker – guitars
- James Harrah – guitars
- Wah Wah Watson – guitars
- Dann Huff – guitars
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars
- Lequeint "Duke" Jobe – bass
- Freddie Washington – bass
- Joe Chemay – bass
- Lynn Coulter – LinnDrum programming
- Scott V. Smith – LinnDrum programming
- John Robinson – drums
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Michael Jacobsen – cello
- Harry Bluestone – concertmaster
- Bill Green – oboe
- Dick Hyde – trombone
- Dick Noel – trombone
- Gary Grant – trumpet
- Warren Luening – trumpet
- Jerry Hey – lead trumpet
- Larry Herbstritt – horn arrangements
- Steve Dorff – rhythm arrangements
- Ivory Davis – backing vocals
- Patricia Henley Talbert – backing vocals
- Howard McCrary – backing vocals
- Howard Smith – backing vocals
- Carmen Grillio – backing vocals
- Allan Rich – backing vocals
- Mindy Sterling – backing vocals
- Julia Tillman Waters – backing vocals
- Maxine Willard Waters – backing vocals
- Oren Waters – backing vocals
Production
- William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. – producer, mix assistant, cover concept
- Reginald "Sonny" Burke – producer, mix assistant
- Scott V. Smith – producer
- Stephen Tavani – producer
- Mark Davis – producer
- Charlee King – associate producer
- Steve Dorff – producer
- Randy Dunlap – producer
- Mitchel Delevie – recording, vocal engineer, rhythm engineer
- Chris Banninger – engineer
- Win Kutz – engineer
- Frank Wolf – engineer
- Karen Siegel – rhythm engineer
- Paul Ring – rhythm engineer
- Ed Barton – engineer
- Marv Clamme – engineer
- Gary Singleman – engineer
- Jeff DeMorris – second engineer
- Fred Law – second engineer
- Steve Ford – second engineer
- Todd Van Etten – second engineer
- Michael Dotson – assistant engineer
- Barney Perkins – mixing and editing at Kendun Recorders
- Bob Robitaille – editing assistant
- Phillip Walters – editing assistant
- Bernie Grundman – mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering
- Dave Pell – session coordinator
- George Annis – music contractor
- Andres Victorin – music copyist
- Aaron Rapoport – photography
- Johnny Lee – art direction