In his wake were hits like “Let’s Stay Together” and “I’m Still In Love With You” and a catalog of late-night velvety groove.

But Green has heard the cry – most recently in Baltimore, where a passerby reportedly yelled at him: “Why don’t you come with the damn music, man? You know we all waiting on the damn music.”

The 57-year-old was also being hounded year after year by Mitchell. The reverend finally told the producer that he was not only ready for a return to the old sound, but he could do it anytime.

Mitchell took Green back to the old studio where Green had recorded all of his Motown hits. The result was last year’s I Can’t Stop – a critically acclaimed throwback to the ’70s, finding Green’s R&B songwriting abilities and, for the most part, his vocals still intact. The studio still had the same burlap on the walls (for acoustics), and the disc was taped using the same equipment and used most of Green’s musicians from the old days.

He has concert dates coming up, but it was stressed to POLLSTAR that he is not “touring” the new album. He does what he has always done – he plays live, man, showing off his gospel tunes and hits. This year, however, he will add to his secular repertoire for the first time in 30 years.

Stops include a two-date stay in Washington, D.C., February 13-14. Green also plays Dallas, Chicago, Minneapolis, Little Rock, Aspen, Los Angeles, and other cities through July.