Stax Records and Craft Recordings are thrilled to announce the release of four seminal albums from the country icon O.B. McClinton, for the first time on both hi-res and standard digital. Available to stream/download today, these newly remastered digital offerings encompass McClinton’s releases through Stax’s Enterprise imprint: O.B. McClinton Country (1971), Obie From Senatobie (1973), Live at Randy’s Rodeo (1973) and If You Loved Her That Way (1974).
Obie Burnett McClinton grew up on a farm in Gravel Springs, Georgia. His father was a Baptist minister, but a young McClinton preferred listening to Grand Ole Opry on the radio. According to lore, McClinton was such a huge fan of the original Hank Williams that he ran away to Memphis as a teen, causing his parents to have him psychologically evaluated—because even dreaming of being a Black country artist at that time suggested a disconnect from reality. McClinton ultimately joined the Air Force, where he immersed himself in music with like-minded soldiers, allowing him to hone his style. This led to him becoming a writer at Stax Records and then later releasing his own music via Stax’s buzzy Enterprise Records. (The year McClinton made his Enterprise debut—1971—was the same year the imprint released both Shaft and Black Moses from Isaac Hayes.) The famously well-humored McClinton would go on to refer to himself as the “Chocolate Cowboy,” which turned out to be an apt moniker.
These digital releases arrive just over 35 years after McClinton’s passing at age 47. In this era of emergent Black country talent, the legacy of McClinton, one of the first successful country artists of color, is as relevant as ever. While he is by no means the first Black country singer-songwriter, McClinton (a contemporary of other Black country artists such as Stoney Edwards, Big Al Downing and Charlie Pride) certainly made his mark as a hitmaker. Blessed with an instinct for melody paired with his buoyant baritone voice, McClinton released eight albums and 15 singles that climbed up Billboard’s Country Songs chart over the course of his career. Prior to breaking out on his own, he even penned successful tracks for soul artists such as Otis Redding (“Keep Your Arms Around Me”) and James Carr (“You Got My Mind Messed Up,” “A Man Needs a Woman”), among others. Read more on each title below.
O.B. McClinton Country
McClinton’s first release in 1971 presaged even greater things to come. It featured producer Jim Malloy, the GRAMMY® winner who also worked with Elvis Presley, Duke Ellington and Johnny Cash. In fact, McClinton here is surrounded by stellar local talent, many of whom continued playing with him over the years. Some of the brag-worthy personnel: backing vocals from Buzz Cason (who a handful of years earlier wrote the much-covered hit “Everlasting Love”), Muscle Shoals’ Jerry Carrigan on drums, Country Music Hall of Fame guitarist Pete Wade and Steel Guitar Hall of Famer Curly Chalker. A pair of standout songs include the unforgettable statement track “Country Music That’s My Thing” and a take on idol Merle Haggard’s Vietnam War commentary, “Okie From Muskogee.”
Obie From Senatobie
McClinton’s folky, down-home interpretation of Wilson Pickett’s “Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You,” which appears here on his 1972 sophomore album, is possibly his most famous song. The cover, a dismissive look at a lover who’s strayed, went on to be his very first country single to chart, making its way into the Billboard Top 40. Other gems include his soul-twang version of “My Whole World Is Falling Down” (first made famous by Brenda Lee) and the timeless missive on a troublesome woman “Six Pack of Trouble” (written by Jerry Glenn Ward).
Live at Randy’s Rodeo
McClinton, now an emerging country star, self-produced his third album, a live outing, in 1973. Randy’s Rodeo was a go-to San Antonio country bar, which would live in infamy after the Sex Pistols played a disastrous and violent gig there in 1978. McClinton, in contrast, handily charmed this country crowd, winning them over with his amiable stage presence, charming banter and pristine, silky vocals. Highlights come in the form of the cheeky Honky Tonk of “Hollywood Star 1973” and an essential revisiting of his most popular tune, “Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You.”
If You Loved Her That Way
The country artist’s final album with Enterprise produced two more charting singles: the title track, “If You Loved Her That Way,” and the jukebox-ready “Something Better.” The latter—due to his sliding guitars, harmonicas and campfire choruses—is a gold-star affirmation of McClinton’s love for the genre, emphasized by tracks such as “I Still Go to Memphis in My Mind.” In the end, the album is a snapshot of the singer in his joyful element.
Click here to stream/download the new digital release of these O.B. McClinton titles.
Tracklists:
O.B. McClinton Country
1. Deep In The Heart Of Me
2. Sleep Away
3. The Feeling Is Right And The Time Is Right Now
4. Okie From Muskogee
5. Yours Love
6. The Ballad Of A Stamp Licker
7. San Bernardino
8. Country Music That’s My Thing
9. You Only Want Me for My Body
10. Bad Guys Don’t Always Wear Black Hats
Obie From Senatobie
1. I Want You In The Morning
2. Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You
3. She’s That Kind
4. My Whole World Is Falling Down
5. Sometimes I Like To Be Alone
6. I Wish It Would Rain
7. Today I Started Loving You Again
8. Walking on New Grass
9. (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right
10. Obie From Senatobie
11. Six Pack of Trouble
12. The Unluckiest Songwriter in Nashville
Live At Randy’s Rodeo
1. Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You
2. The Lord Knows I’m Drinking
3. Today I Started Loving You Again
4. Hollywood Star
5. All I Have To Offer You Is Me / Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone / I Can’t Believe That You Stopped Loving Me / (I’m So) Afraid Of Losing You Again / Kiss An Angel Good Morning
6. Heartbreak Hotel
7. Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You (Reprise)
If You Loved Her That Way
1. If You Loved Her That Way
2. Clean Your Own Tables
3. Goodbye
4. I Still Go To Memphis In My Mind
5. It Gets Lonesome
6. Slippin’ Away
7. Something Better
8. Hallelujah
9. Lean On Me
10. Dixie (She Was Mama To Me)
11. Mr. Miller’s Granddaughter
