# Essar (album)

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| 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

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.
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 indicated

### Side 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" (Scott V. Smith, Stephen Tavani) – 4:20

### Side B

* "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

* Smokey Robinson – lead vocals, backing vocals (1-3, 6-9)
* Reginald "Sonny" Burke – keyboards (1-3, 6-8), drums (1-3, 6-8), arrangements (1-3, 6-8)
* 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 (1-3, 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, 6-8)
* Patricia Henley Talbert – backing vocals (1-3, 6-8)
* 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 (1-3, 5-8), mix assistant, cover concept
* Reginald "Sonny" Burke – producer (1-3, 6-8), 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 (1-3, 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 (1-3, 6, 7)
* Fred Law – second engineer (1-3, 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.