Curb Records Sues Tim McGraw Over Contract
On the same day Curb Records released Hank III’s Hillbilly Joker, marketed as a “new” album on displays at Hastings and other outlets even though the album is 8-years-old, they filed suit against cash cow and perfume magnate Tim McGraw for breach of contract. McGraw has been trying to get Curb to release his Emotional Traffic album that he turned into Curb last Fall.
At issue is what’s referred to as the 12 masters for the “Emotional Traffic” album that McGraw delivered to Curb in October of last year. Curb alleges in the complaint that McGraw recorded the album too early prior to its delivery “in a transparent tactic to attempt to fulfill his contractual recording commitment to Curb prematurely in breach of the recording agreement.”
Curb’s position in the suit is that McGraw’s recordings must be “topical and new” and that the artist had agreed that each new album would be recorded “no earlier than 12 months and no later than 18 months” following the delivery of the previous album. The suit alleges McGraw began recording “Emotional Traffic” tracks “in 2008 or before,”
And what does Curb want in this lawsuit? Yet another album of course, so that they can release Emotional Traffic and squeeze another original album out of Tim before he leaves, just like they did when they disallowed Hank III’s Hillbilly Joker to count toward his contract, but then released it after his contract was fulfilled. Curb is also seeking “damages”, and to block Tim from releasing music with another label. Tim’s camp fired back with…
Sadly, after a 20-year relationship which has provided unprecedented success for both parties, Curb Records has chosen to end its accord with Tim McGraw by filing suit against him. Tim McGraw delivered his new album, ‘Emotional Traffic,’ to Curb in the fall of 2010. The label is holding the album hostage from country music fans in an attempt to force Tim McGraw to serve perpetually under a contract that he has already fully and faithfully completed.
Even though the album has yet to be released, Tim is currently on the “Emotional Traffic” tour and playing songs from the album live. Tim has previously come out against Curb Records after the label released numerous greatest hits albums instead of new material, likely one of the reasons the material for Emotional Traffic was recorded so long ago.
When Hank III sued Curb Records in the mid-2000’s to release his album Straight to Hell, Hank III won. Now Curb is on the offensive in the courtroom.
Tim McGraw, his fans, and his legal team and management, have the full support of Saving Country Music on this issue. I encourage Tim McGraw fans to start grass roots campaigns, petitions, protests, whatever, to insist Curb release the album Emotional Traffic and release Tim McGraw from his contract.
Curb Records must be stopped.
May 18, 2011 @ 12:52 am
Awesome article trigg. I think what were watching here is the self destruction of the major label industry. They are trying to make a big scene right before they die to save themselves. And also what’s your thoughts on Zac Browns new label?
May 18, 2011 @ 9:03 am
I don’t know that they’re trying to make a big scene, I think they’re trying to make big money. This can’t look good for them from a PR standpoint.
As for Zac Brown’s, label, I don’t know too many of the specifics, but artist-owned labels has to be a step in the right direction. As we see Curb, Capitol, Warner Music and others crumble, newer labels like Big Machine, and artist owned labels like Toby Keith’s Show Dog and maybe Zac’s might rise. We may even see all the huge celebrity names with their own label. Cut out the middle man.
May 18, 2011 @ 6:57 am
We have started a petition, stating that we will never again purchase another Curb Record product, including Tim’s Emotional Traffic! You can sign it here….
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/boycottcurbrecords/
Show Mike Curb that you will NOT put up with his bullying!!!!!
May 18, 2011 @ 9:04 am
Excellent Dayna! My only concern with people having to pay on that particular site, it may discourage people from signing.
May 18, 2011 @ 11:25 am
I signed it and you DON’T have to pay anything.
May 18, 2011 @ 1:01 pm
Figured it out! You can sign and just ignore the paypal stuff. Thanks!
May 18, 2011 @ 3:47 pm
Funny stuff.
Little bummed that one pic isn’t posted here though of him on the red carpet from his cologne launch or whatever it was.
May 18, 2011 @ 4:16 pm
I was thinking the same thing Nick! So we’re sympathetic to McGraw’s plight here, but we can still laugh at the perfume photo, right Trig?
May 18, 2011 @ 3:58 pm
I wonder if this Mike Curb guy is a jerk all the time, maybe he thinks this is ok because it’s “just business”.
May 18, 2011 @ 5:02 pm
I got a topical and new song for Mike Curb.
May 18, 2011 @ 6:28 pm
I’m not a McGraw fan at all. I hate everything about his music and I hate what his music symbolizes to me (the bastardization of the name country music).
That being said, Fuck Curb records. I’m not sure if what they are doing to their roster is legal, the terms of the contract would indicate that, But it sure as hell is immoral.
People just imagine if you at your job had a no new job until the original job was done clause, but when you showed up for youre last day of work they told you they had no work for you, and kept doing it for years. That is what is happening here.
Curb is also fully aware that the longer McGraw is off of the radio cycle the less relevant he is. They are trying to kill his career. They are trying to get a free album that was not contracted. They are scum. I will never buy any new cd, vinyl or digital from Curb, I will buy used or download P2P as Curb doesnt profit. Fuck Curb records!
Put out the fucking cd and let the man move on!
May 19, 2011 @ 4:09 pm
Just when I almost start to think there is an injustice being done here I remember….it’s Tim McGraw…..somewhere on the cosmic plane he earned this…
May 19, 2011 @ 7:28 pm
I think you’re wrong here because as an artist, he doesn’t deserve that. It is the desire or lust for control of the industry that has shot itself in the foot. Curb Records is the gut of pop country but just hasnt picked artists that will stand by and let them stab them in the back. Is Curb records for their artists or against them? Kinda hard to tell.
May 20, 2011 @ 8:08 am
While it is unfair what Curb is doing to Tim, it is a provision of his contract to have new material. That being said, if he was half the songwriter that some of the legends were, he would come up with a back-handed insult to the label/ industry in a song. Waylon, Johnny Paycheck, and others did it then for creative freedom; now Tim needs to do it for freedom from the industry.
“Take it home!”
May 20, 2011 @ 2:09 pm
Tim McGraw should just leak this Emotional Traffic to the internet. Screw Curb, let’em have it for free. Then suck another dozen or so songs out of his thumb, give Curb a very average Tin McGraw-album, and get out of his contract.I don’t care at all for his music, but that’s not the issue. No artist should be treated the way Curb treats its artists. No artist should stay at Curb.
May 21, 2011 @ 9:41 am
I find it’s intresting the Curb is saying the songs are too old, but they released It Felt Good On My Lips as a single. Which was a number one single. It’s just their way of trying it get another album out to Tim
May 24, 2011 @ 12:19 pm
http://www.billboard.com/news/tim-mcgraw-files-countersuit-against-record-1005199312.story#/news/tim-mcgraw-files-countersuit-against-record-1005199312.story
Tim McGraw Countersues, Boycott of Curb Records Called « Saving Country Music
May 24, 2011 @ 2:18 pm
[…] has just reported that Tim McGraw has filed a countersuit against Curb Records who filed suit against McGraw last week over his Emotional Traffic album. Tim has been trying to get the album released so he can […]