Roots, Toots n' Hoots Blog

Tim McGraw, Curb Records: why can't they be friends?

Jeffrey Remz  |  May 18, 2011

Do you get the impression that Tim McGraw and Curb Records don't like each other very much?

That's nothing too new as McGraw has been carping about the label for a few years. The country singer, sometime actor, seemingly good guy with a heart and conscience, has not been happy about the amount of material the label keeps putting out. Three greatest hits package with the last one done on the ultra cheap. I can't say that I blame him all that much. McGraw went very public about the last greatest hits effort.

Well, it's gotten worse because the label sued McGraw last week in Tennessee, charging Mr. Faith Hill with breach of contract.

It gets all involved in terms of delivering product - supposedly - in an untimely manner along with both sides needing to approve the material (hey Tim - that's a bad idea. You've earned the right pretty much to put out what you think is quality material after all these years. Do you really think the suits know music better than you do? Don't do that again!)

McGraw delivered the "Emotional Traffic" CD to the label in October 2010. Heck, McGraw and Curb even scored a number one hit from the disc from the lone song released from the album, Felt Good on My Lips.

Let me get this straight. Curb complains about not getting material that was recorded in the allegedly contractually agreed upon time frame, but they feel justified in putting out a song anyway, and it goes to number one? Is something wrong with this picture?

Maybe McGraw should sue the label for breach of contract for putting out a song that they said didn't meet the contract. And since it didn't meet the contract, it must not have been all that commercially viable anyway.

McGraw indicates that he thinks Curb is trying to legally force him to extend their contract to get one more CD out of them. McGraw said he's done with Curb.

I'm not totally clear what's in it for Curb. Not only have they peeved off their main act, but I have a funny feeling that Rodney Atkins and others on the label are following this ultra-closely wondering if they are next. It seems to me that Jo Dee Messina, for example, has not been entirely happy with Curb's slowness in putting out her material.

The label has had a long longstanding policy of not putting out CDs unless there's a song on the CD that took off big time.

Too bad, of course, that in this day and age, Curb and McGraw can't be friends. It ain't easy needless to say trying to make a go of it. McGraw has done well with Curb and vice versa. But for some strange reason, they just don't like each other.