Curb sues McGraw

McGraw and Curb have not enjoyed a smooth relationship for several years with McGraw making it clear he wanted to leave the label.

The label is claiming in a lawsuit filed Friday in Davidson County Court that the superstar owes it at least one more album.

McGraw indicated to Associated Press on April 20 that he, in fact, had fulfilled his end of the deal. AP quoted McGraw as saying that "McGraw said his upcoming 'Emotional Traffic' album would be his 'absolute last album' with Curb if it kills him." The story said he completed the disc in October 2010.

"All the songs have been done for a long time, and the label has had it," McGraw told the AP. "It's the last album that they have of mine, so they're trying to hold on to it as long as they can."

The age of the songs may be at the crux of the issue. Curb claimed the recordings were the same as rough mixes it received four months earlier.

A 1997 recording contract with Curb said that McGraw pledged "that all Masters embodied upon each Option Period Album would be recorded 'no earlier than twelve (12) months nor later than eighteen (18) months following Delivery to Curb of the immediately preceding album,'" the lawsuit said.

Billboard said Curb claimed McGraw recorded the disc too early "in a transparent tactic to attempt to fulfill his contractual recording commitment to Curb prematurely in breach of the recording agreement."

The contract also said both parties would approve songs for the album, but Curb claimed it had no say over songs on "Emotional Rescue." Curb accused McGraw of sending masters of songs he had already recorded.

Curb said that it is now owed a sixth album as well because of his failure to deliver.

McGraw released his first disc on Curb in 1993. His last disc, "Southern Voice," came out in October 2009. One song from "Emotional Rescue" was released as a single by Curb, and Felt Good on My Lips went to number one.