‘Not Just Another Pretty Foot:’ Blowing the lid off Jim Stafford’s mid-’70s MGM tenure

Jim Stafford details the three golden years of his staggering 50-year career in a behind the scenes interview. Signed to MGM Records in 1972 on the advice of soft rock purveyor Lobo, the country songwriter became a crossover pop phenomenon with six consecutive Top 40 pop hits — “Swamp Witch”, “Spiders & Snakes,” “My Girl, Bill,” “Wildwood Weed,” “Your Bulldog Drinks Champagne,” and “I Got Stoned and I Missed It.” The accompanying still displays the vinyl rear jacket of Stafford’s self-titled debut album, which first appeared March 16, 1974 in Billboard magazine and charted at No. 55 POP and No. 6 C&W during its 33-week chart run. The natural entertainer looks downright trendy in blue jeans, a rhinestone-encrusted belt, and black floral shirt. Image Credit: Luigi’s ’50s ’60s Vinyl Corner [blog] / Universal Music Group

Recruited in 1972 to the since nonexistent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Records, before long country songwriter Jim Stafford found himself a crossover phenomenon with six consecutive Top 40 pop hits under his rhinestone-encrusted belt — “Swamp Witch”, “Spiders & Snakes,” “My Girl, Bill,” “Wildwood Weed,” “Your Bulldog Drinks Champagne,” “I Got Stoned and I Missed It” — nearly all cleverly poking fun at life’s little ups and downs. “Ode to Billie Joe” enigmatic storyteller Bobbie Gentry’s former husband exclusively holds court below on the pivotal three-year period of his still-active six-decade career.

Nearly 11 excruciating years after graduating from high school, Stafford had drifted all over the South and wound up in a pretty crummy residency at Clearwater, Florida’s Shack on the Beach. He landed his big break when he pitched “Swamp Witch” to former high school Legends bandmate Kent LaVoie, aka Lobo. The “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo” balladeer politely demurred during his visit to the dive bar but insisted that his pal had the chops and should hang onto his composition. Within two years the good-looking, charming Southern boy was ranked fourth in trade magazine Record World’s Top Male Vocalist checklist behind Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and John Denver.