It was in the early 1970s that Green carved his place in music history with a run of celebrated hits that made him not just an R&B star but a pop icon. Since 1976, however, Green has concentrated on gospel music (recording numerous albums, but only two pop offerings), and since 1979 has led his Baptist congregation, the Full Gospel Tabernacle, in Memphis, Tenn. For Everything’s OK, Green embraces both worlds by releasing a "secular" album under the name the Reverend Al Green—a symbolic gesture, perhaps, but a significant one nonetheless.

"I wanted to put on this album who I am—to 'fess up to it," Green says, laughing. "I'm the Reverend Al Green, and everybody calls me that, from Argentina all the way to the Catskills. So that's who I am."

Everything’s OK is not a gospel album, however—musically, it draws on classic R&B and pop, and the lyrics speak of love relationships and life lessons. But for Green, 58, it has come time to spread his message beyond the pulpit.

"I've got people in the church saying, 'That's a secular song,' and I'm saying, Yeah, but you've got Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday to be anything other than spiritual. You've got to live those days, too!" says Green, clearly revitalized by his latest recording. "Everybody still needs love, needs happiness in the family, needs to keep the kids on track."

For Everything’s OK, Green once again teamed up with producer and arranger Willie Mitchell at Mitchell's Royal Recording Studios, the same studio where the two recorded those early hits—classics including "Tired of Being Alone," "Let's Stay Together," "I Can't Get Next to You," "I'm Still in Love With You," "Call Me," "Here I Am," "Let's Get Married" and "Love and Happiness." Green also reunited with Mitchell for his 2002 Blue Note debut, I Can’t Stop. (That recording was their first collaboration since 1985, when they recorded the gospel album He Is The Light.)

To explain what brought the two back together, Green says, "Willie has that twinkle in his eye, he has a talent. He's the founder of the Al Green sound, that personal sound. It's finishing the aural painting that we started with 'Tired of Being Alone,' 'Let's Stay Together,' 'For the Good Times' and all those things. It's a beautiful painting and we should finish it, so that's what we're doing." 

In fact, their renewed partnership inspired the album's title. "We've been recording now for 32 years, and we went through some hills and valleys, some low points and high points, some great spots and not-so-great spots. But we looked around and we said 'Hey! Everything's OK!' Regardless of how we thought it would turn out, everything has turned out OK."