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.).
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
"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
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]