Tim McGraw Takes Midland Back to the Bar Gigs in This ’80s Country Classic

Tim McGraw may be second only to Willie Nelson when it comes to unexpected country collaborations. His newest duet is a cover of the Bellamy Brothers’ 1982 hit, “Redneck Girl,” with his pals (and labelmates) Midland. The track appears as a bonus track on McGraw’s just-released compilation, McGraw Machine Hits: 2013-2019.

“This has been a long hard year for everyone and we thought a nice reminder of some old songs would bring a smile. Here they are, just like you remembered them,” McGraw wrote in an email to fans. “We also added something new! We recorded a new version of the Bellamy Brothers hit, ’Redneck Girl’ with my buddies Midland. I always loved this song and used to play it in bars when I was first starting out. I hope you like it!”

The cover version quickly attracted the ear of David Bellamy, who wrote the song. “I was drinking my coffee this morning when I stumbled across this new track by Tim and Midland. It sounded familiar!” he said in a statement coinciding with the release of the digital track earlier this month.

“We’ve known Tim for years and we’re big fans of him and Midland,” Bellamy added. Tim and those guys are real stylists and they infused the song with a shot of energy and refreshing production. Great job guys.”

“Redneck Girl” is just one of five collaborations on McGraw Machine Hits: 2013-2019. Other guests include Catherine Dunn (“Diamond Rings and Old Barstools”), Florida Georgia Line (“May We All”), Faith Hill (“Meanwhile Back at Mama’s”), and Taylor Swift and Keith Urban (“Highway Don’t Care). Other hits on the set include “Humble and Kind,” “Shotgun Rider,” and a bonus cover of The Cars’ “Drive.”

McGraw added, “These 14 songs bring back some great memories of those first years on Big Machine Records. It was a special chapter in my life and I’m glad to share it with you.”