Essra Mohawk's "I Have Been Here Before" from PRIMORDIAL LOVERS

[EarlofSuave308]

David Crosby, you just STOLE this song. Ms. Mohawk truly soars on this song, and the horn arrangement really adds a knockout punch. Thanks for posting.

[fecinny]

@EarlofSuave308 Yes, we too agree Essra did a fabulous job & further, was in no doubt, the impetus for 2 great songs. So sad...

[jeffschack1]

this is a singer who was a secret prize for those who knew her

[fecinny]

@jeffschack1 Well said Jeff- and we are all the luckier for it!

[Bflatblues55]

My gosh, her voice .... in this song ... is sooo reminiscent of Esther Satterfield's in Chase the Clouds Away.... fabulous... simply crisp/clean/cool fabulous. Thanks for having this up here.

[fecinny]

@Bflatblues55 Hi Carol, Thnx for commenting & glad you appreciate good talent as well since you are one to know! Frank

[Bob6stringer]

fecinny, wow. As a music freak (& guitar hack) and a teenager of 51 years, I'm truly embarrassed I never heard her or even of her until you and youtube. I'm having a great time with her now, though. This is an amazing tune. More than psychedelic meanderings, Essra's got a sort of tone math in the way she modulates her voice. I can understand what FZ saw in her.

[fecinny]

@Bob6stringer I know, I know, I know. Thank you & I'm trying to spread the Essra Mohawk word. Much appreciated!

[catalinaumbert]

very good.sounds a bit like julie driscoll on season of the witch

[Finallybenunderstood]

wow... tweet style !!!!

[MRSmamaCASSELLIOT]

Reminds me of Laura Nyro...

[fecinny]

Actually, Laura was also managed by David Geffen at that time too. Some do say they hear similarities which is a compliment to each of these fabulous ladies! Thanks for listening.

[MRSmamaCASSELLIOT]

It was my pleasure :) Of course that it's a compliment, Laura was genius and as I see Essra also composed very complex music and it's sad how both are greatly underrated... Did Essra known Laura?

Greetings from Nyro fan!

[gherkamum]

Great vocals

great vid

5********

terry

[jcdelpaggio]

You can totally hear the influence. What a great song! Thanks for posting!

[darrylgoblue]

Frank, thanks for posting yet another Essra musical gem. I really appreciate the lyrics, because I lost my lyrics booklet a long time ago. Keep up the good work!

[bayridgegrooved]

Essra'a vocal range,timber and especially her modulation are nothing short of awesome.Can't help thinking about the quirky nature of the business though and how lesser competent artists received promotion and more notoriety.But in the long run this served to make Essra even stronger!

Very nice vid production on your end and thanks for sharing!

[bayridgegrooved]

correction: her vocal timbre

[fecinny]

Thank you Jim for your good ears and great words.  Vid-wise, it was easy as it "wrote" itself. Appreciated.

[DangerousBastard]

I always liked CSN myself, but Crosby was out of line. Why does an already successful guy with his talent have to steal? He could have at least helped Essra out, even mentioning her in an interview or two would have been nice (and maybe NOT stealing her stuff!).

I listened to "Deja Vu" recently and this time all I heard was like a watered-down Essra vibe!

[fecinny]

Thank you DangerousBastard for having the balls to say what perhaps not many have been able to in 40 years. It's just common respect and courtesy from one artist to another. Shame on him indeed.

[UnboundAngel]

Wow, a great addition to your Essra-sharings here; thanks Frank! When I first heard this song it completely blew me away, but then so did the rest of PL. A highly recommended album for those with open minds and sensitive souls. Essra is one of a kind; we're lucky to have her :-)

Too bad that her record companies never supported or promoted her. It's never too late to discover this talented artist for yourselves though! Along with PL, check out her debut album, "Sandy's Album Is Here At Last!"

[fecinny]

From your mouth to God's ears... could not have said it better.

[Mariekesone]

Somehow her singing sounds like a very contemporary jazz style....

Excellent and an eccentric voice...

What a great influence she has been on Joni Mitchell..you can hear that clearly in the way she sings:-)

[fecinny]

Thank you & I agree...

[imaginarythings]

Great Video!!!~5*****'s

[fecinny]

Thanks, I think these far out yet relavant lyric speaks for itself... BTW, Essra was on the train in California when she passed by a "green tree with orange middles" - so there you go!

[no2hate]

great! peace2u! eric

[art2liv4]

Never heard it before, thanks for sharing. The David Crosby connection is interesting. She still sounds stylistically like Laura Nyro to me!

[fecinny]

Thanks for checking it out and I think you're being kind with "interesting" as this is quite blatant to me. Crosby was around 27 and had enjoyed success with the Byrds already while Essra was just 20 and still an unknown newbie, so geez...

[BylliCrayone]

Sounds cool, quite different from what I am used to listening to.

[fecinny]

That's the beauty of music and the depth of artistry in Essra Mohawk. Thank you for stopping by....

P.S. YTers...Bylli did a damn good dance cover of Essra's "Change of Heart" you should check out!

[Lavxtee]

I wrote so many term papers in college listening to this album...they were out there...

[rosesredvioletsblue]

Beautiful and haunting....almost

a chant. This is on a completely

different level than CSNY's song.

Essra adds depth to her music with her amazing vocal range and the way in which she presents the song to listeners. Excellent video!

10************ I hope Essra knows that she is appreciated!

Thank you for sharing this beautiful music with me. ~ Roses

ps. Essra, if you ever read this,

we know how talented you are, and we so appreciate and respect you. many thanks.

[Thiskittenneveralone]

thank you, meow, Frank!!! seeya, meow~

[CarterKhan]

Very nice, sounds like a A grade movie's sound track. Thanks for sharing fecinny.

[fecinny]

We like "Grade A" - thanks for stopping by...

[beefnik]

Lovely song....so jazzy. It's got the stride of C.S.N.&Y's song, but is alot more atmospheric.

[Bflatblues55]

It's like pulling a muscle. You can barely move but for many, seeing is believing and with a pulled muscle (the art of music) there isn't much to see unless it's note for note or word for word blatant.

In any case, this was a great vid to present and thanks for sharing the tune ... her voice here is SO reminiscent of Esther Satterfield; wow. Really pulls me in.

Thanks for sharing this, Frank.

[fecinny]

I especially hear the similarities in the chorus and was told by Essra that Crosby only wanted to hear her play this song from her then upcoming PRIMORDIAL LOVERS. So, yea Carol, this was certainly personal, deliberate & calculated, to say the least. In any event, I love the song & am glad you were "pulled in!" I'll have to check out your Esther lady... Thnx.

[GumatzPotrzebie]

Esther has a beautiful voice as evidenced most popularly on Chuck Mangione's "Land Of Make Believe".

[fecinny]

Ahhh, both you and my friend Carol a/k/a Bflat hear Esther Satterfield in Essra. Very cool. I am gonna ask Essra if she's ever been told that before as it is nearly unanimous now...lol Thanks for listening.

[JeffTheNebraskaDJ]

That is eerie, and very similar to Deja Vu.

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young just put a pop twist on it. This is way to" hippieish" , which doesn't bother me at all. But i'm sure the average joe wouldn't get it.

Good stuff, the dj

[RaiderEleven]

An AMAZING performance of a fantastic song. Essra Mohawk is one of the most marvelous singers I have ever heard. The album "Primordial Lovers" charted high on Rolling Stones polls of the best ever recordings. If you can find it, GET IT!!

[fecinny]

How kind of you & I couldn't have said it any better.

[Farkelu]

Whoa, a throbbing 8-track tape - flashback! Thanks for posting!

[2old2Rock]

I'm sure Crosby got ideas from this song, but that's not the same as ripping her off. George Harrison wrote "Something" after hearing James Taylor sing "Something In The Way She Moves" and no one accuses him off anything nasty. In any case, nice song and video!

[hazor777]

NOPE. There's no "case" here. Its a known fact that there are many instances similar to this one where chodal progressions can sound very similar to each other ( THERE ARE ONLY 12 NOTES IN MUSIC!) it would only be logical that many popular songs will sound similar, but that is not infringement. David Crosby isnt the most respectable person on the planet, but I doubt he tried to rip Essra off on this one.Inspired maybe,but not stolen...

[fecinny]

I agree with your "12 notes" statement but he'd specifically request her to play her yet-to-be recorded song for him. For what purpoose?

[Lavxtee]

maybe he liked it.

[MrBruceBarham]

When I was 17 I wrote a tune called "We have all been here before", and my band did it as one of our originals...it was a BS theme from just my lost youthfulness searching writing arena, that arena often finds many of us in our expressions and searchings, we often have that "common threads' with which we relate. I doubt that Crosby ripped Essra. When I wrote the above tune, it had same theme and lyrical similarities, and that was in 1966 in Memphis. You think harrison stole My Sweet Lord ?

[jimmymac30]

there is a similarity, its undeniable

[TFCTalent]

Very interesting, thanks for the headsup!

[essenciallove]

Does seem like David "borrowed" from Essra. "Leave me free to play in the sea". Very original, fantasic! Thanks for posting.

[carol4allcatz]

This was such an important and brilliant album and had such an impact on my (young) life! It's great to hear these tunes again. Thank you for posting it.

[fecinny]

That's quite a testimonial! You are welcome.

[fecinny]

A top album for me as well.  Glad you like it.

[deadhead1065]

her vocal lines are fabulous and musically unpredictable, im sure it has inspired crosby .............

"if you look up endlessly , you will see magic things in me"

[fecinny]

Sez the blue sky...

Thanks Omar! Yes, she is fab, no doubt.

[baldyholly79]

Great job bud.

[fecinny]

Thanks very much for stopping by!

[caretakerless]

very nice... very cool

[YellowTexasRose90]

This is A Rockin' Song ... Love It ....

[JP5466]

Essra should've been much more famous than she was. Kinda sad really.