Tim McGraw Countersues, Boycott of Curb Records Called
Billboard 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 fulfill his contract with Curb, while Curb claims the material is too old and is attempting to extend McGraw’s contract indefinitely. McGraw’s countersuit claims:
“Traffic” was recorded and mastered in early 2009-2010 and Curb is holding the album “hostage from country music fans for the purpose of compelling Tim McGraw to serve perpetually under a contract that he has already fully and faithfully completed.” The suit adds that Curb’s “repeated serial releases of what it characterizes as greatest hits albums is obviously a naked attempt to create a perpetual recording contract, forcing Tim McGraw into a repressive environment of indefinite duration.”
The countersuit asks that Emotional Traffic be deemed McGraw’s last album on the contract, and that McGraw be “free to begin recording for himself or any other party as of July 23, 2011.” It also asks for advance payment and recording-fund reimbursement, a jury trial, and unspecified damages.
In the aftermath of Curb Records filing a lawsuit against Tim McGraw, fans are now calling for a boycott of the record label. In a petition filed online, fans are pledging “unless Mike Curb drops his lawsuit against Tim, you will never again buy another album from a Curb Artist, including Tim’s FINAL Curb album, Emotional Traffic.”
As soon as the petition was launched, signatures began flooding in, as well as comments:
As much money as Tim has brought to Curb Records, it seems that Curb keeps trying to tell him what to release not the artist himself. I am sorry but when Tim wanted to release a new studio album YOU released a greatest hits album…..that was the beginning of the end of the relationship! Sorry Curb but why support a company that doesn’t support their own!
Time to let go Curb!! You’ve extended his contract by re-releasing multiple greatest hits albums and delaying new material, for your own benefit. The fans wait too long for new music, all the while other artists blast by with new albums. It is deplorable to conduct business in this way and to end a wonderful business relationship in such a manner speaks of your lack of gratitude and character.
A few days ago I received an email telling me I needed to stop talking about this “Tim McGraw crap” and “get back to my roots”. The roots of Saving Country Music are called Free Hank III, an organization started to help Hank III get his music released from Curb in an extremely similar situation to what Tim is going through. In many ways, the Tim McGraw situation is even worse. Reading through the comments of the petition to boycott Curb Records, one is blown away at how eerily similar they were to when Hank III was going through this, with many people saying “free Tim McGraw”. Free Hank III won that battle, but Curb continues on the warpath against their stable of artists.
Fans of Hank III, Leann Rimes, Clay Walker, Hank Williams Jr., and all the other artists Curb has manipulated over the years, as well as all country music fans, music fans in general, and general fans of art in any form should unite behind this cause. This matter isn’t about opinion or taste, this is about principle. Maybe war makes strange bedfellows, but regardless of how I feel about Tim McGraw or his music, right now he is my brother, and I will stand united beside him, and fight for him, just as everyone else who is incensed how companies, corporations, or higher institutions are impinging on the freedoms of individuals should, whether it has to do with music, food, or freedoms.
May 24, 2011 @ 2:44 pm
hell yeah man. i’m with ya 100% on this one. it doesn’t matter if his music sucks, and he spends too much time promoting perfume. he still has the right to be treated fairly as an artist. though this is nothing new from curb, i still can’t quite believe they’ve pulled this stunt with tim mcgraw. you’d think if they were gunna take care of anyone, it would be him. how much money has he made these assholes? somebody should light mike curb on fire and toss him off a tall building.
May 24, 2011 @ 3:12 pm
Curb has time & time again shown complete lack of regard for their artists. mcgraw is yet another victim of a label that seems to constantly forget that without artists, you have no label. as stated, I may not be a fan of the man’s music, but I am a fan of proper ettiquete in business and they have again demonstrated that they have none. fuck curb records.
May 24, 2011 @ 3:13 pm
“… this is about principle.” Yes! We may not agree about the music, but right is right and wrong is wrong. I hope that Tim is able to win and win big. And I hope it helps set the stage to free the rest of the artists on the Curb label!
The following was part of the suit that Curb brought against Tim:
“Morever, Curb Records and the recording industry will suffer broader harm if the Defendant and others can ignore the provisions of recording agreements, selecting which provisions they may choose to follow and refusing to acknowedge others. If permitted, this would create chaos and vitiate the reliance on the contracts upon which relationships with revording artists area based.”
http://www.radaronline.com/sites/radaronline.com/files/Timmcgraw%20bugged.pdf
I hope that is exactly what happens!
May 24, 2011 @ 4:53 pm
Maybe McGraw will be able to bring more attention to this issue than Hank III was, hopefully. No artist deserves to be dicked around by a label like these guys have.
May 24, 2011 @ 5:13 pm
Totally support the right’s Tim McGraw, as well as the other artists of Curb, should have been getting from a label that was supposed to be promoting them. Somehow, Curb Records became twisted and thinks the artist’s owe them something unattainable. Uh. Mike Curb. Business 101. Treat your employees right, fair and just, i.e, your artists, and they should do a good job for you.
Triggerman, is there a photo of this infamous Mike Curb? I’d like to know what a record executive who thinks they’re all that looks like.
May 24, 2011 @ 7:28 pm
May 25, 2011 @ 2:27 pm
nice…
May 24, 2011 @ 6:19 pm
I wonder if Indians should sue Tim McGraw for “Indian Outlaw”
May 29, 2011 @ 11:41 pm
the indians aked him to not play it anymore
May 24, 2011 @ 8:48 pm
Well said, Trig. When you’re a label that mistreats your biggest artists, you shouldn’t be surprised to see them walk out with their middle finger behind their backs (a-la Tommy Chong in Up In Smoke).
If Tim’s really smart, he’ll have his lawyer force Curb to hand over his masters so he can take them to a more friendly label. I’m sure Warner Bros. Nashville wouldn’t mind having Tim be labelmates with his wife Faith Hill.
May 31, 2011 @ 3:49 pm
I Agree He would have no problem getting another label I believe he is going to start his own label though! Tim McGraw Is an Awsome Person awsome artist and Real Good Man! He Deserves Better than these loosers! his Fans will back him No Matter what and All this Law Suit is going to do is Get Tim Even More Attention and Possibly Gain Him Even more fans if thats possible! One thing I know from being a fan of Tims for over 17yrs now is that Tim McGraw Will Not back down and reguardless of the outcome he will Carry On and we will all still be her for him!
FREE TIM MCGRAW!!!!!!!!
May 31, 2011 @ 11:50 am
Thank you for writing this! Curb needs to Let Tim Go! Tim has lived up to all his obligation to Curb and they need to move on. I feel sorry for any artist who is signed with that label. Tim has made them a fortune and has not gotten the respect he deserves. Kick Mike to the curb!
May 31, 2011 @ 11:52 am
Go on over to youtube and see the video I put together showing our support! Free Tim!!!
http://youtu.be/2czc7WVBflU
May 31, 2011 @ 3:52 pm
Yes Kathy This Sais It all FREE TIM MCGRAW!!!!!!! Realease HIIIIM!!!
May 31, 2011 @ 7:39 pm
If Curb records would have shown 1/10 the attention to Mr. McGraw’s last record they would have been a lot richer today! THEY missed the boat, not TIM! Let him go with the respect he deserves! CURB doesn’t promote their artists, yet they expect so much from them. Doesn’t take a jury to see the injustice!!!!
June 1, 2011 @ 9:11 am
I back Tim 100%……….
He is a great artist, entertainer, actor and humanitarian!
His fans deserve to hear his new music.
Curb needs to release him so he can go on with his music career.
I will NEVER buy anything Curb puts out ever again!
August 24, 2011 @ 11:31 am
I am astounded by Curb Records.They seriously think their working relationship with Tim will recover after a law suit? Really?! They don’t have enough business sense to keep their biggest cash cow happy so he doesn’t speak against them? Really?! Regardless of which side is right here, are they really naive enough to think the public would side with “big bad corporation” rather than their favorite Country Singer? Really?!
As Kenny Rogers should have said, “You gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, and know when to kiss their asses.”
Prior to Rodney Atkins’ “Going Through Hell” hitting number one, Curb had all but given up on him. The radio promotion that went into making that song hit the top was all on his dime. Curb didn’t see potential in the song and refused to push it.
The suits at this label better wise up and come into this century soon or they’re going to lose it all.
Maybe someone is jealous he was never as popular or successful artistically as Tim is.
Well, he sure bought himself some publicity with this lawsuit. Enjoy the spotlight until it’s snuffed out by Tim’s indignant fans.
Kick Curb to the Curb.
August 24, 2011 @ 1:09 pm
Why do you think Hank 3 fought tooth and nail against them? Never in my life have I seen a record label work so hard AGAINST their own artists. They sure are quick to shoot themselves in the foot. And it sure is interesting how Curb Records is splashed all across sprint car racing teams and advertised at Eldora. The one billboard was the biggest joke of advertising I’ve seen. Makes no sense to me, from the business stance, to subject their artists to this kind of treatment.
September 2, 2011 @ 5:57 pm
Mike Curb just needs to leave the music business until he can accept the fact that nobody will go in the direction he wants to go if he just forces them to. Tim, III, Jr, Leann . . . a lotta folks are gettin’ screwed by the Curb dynasty. Needless to say I think his days are numbered.