The recording marks the historic reunion of Green and Mitchell, bringing them together for the first time since 1985, when they recorded the gospel album He Is the Light, and only the second time since 1976's Have a Good Time. That album came at the end of an eight-year partnership that created some of soul music's most treasured recordings, released on Mitchell's Hi Records, including Green Is Blues (1970), Al Green Gets Next to You (1972), Call Me and Livin' for You (1973), Al Green Explores Your Mind (1974), Al Green Is Love (1975) and Full of Fire and Have a Good Time (1976).

On I Can't Stop, Green and Mitchell again capture the unique sound they created three decades ago – a perfect blend of Memphis soul, gospel, blues, and early rock & roll. To do so, Green returned to Mitchell's Royal studios to sing in the same vocal booth, on the same microphone (No. 9, an RCA ribbon mic reserved for Green's use only) and with many of the same stellar musicians who played on the original Hi Records sessions. 

"It was magic," Green says of the collaboration. "We got together because Willie said he wanted to finish an aural painting. He said we've got to finish it and sign it."

As Mitchell recalls, "I told Al, 'You're getting a little older, so you should cut some music,'" he says with a laugh. "So he said, 'Let's go to work then,' and we started writing songs." The two worked for three weeks, co-writing eight songs in the studio (with Al penning four more on his own), then recorded several sessions during March and April 2003 to get the 12 tracks that make up I Can't Stop.