However, Uh-Huh saw him engage in one-time collaborations with two distinctly different songwriters: the well-known John Prine on "Jackie O", and the unknown Will Cary on "Lovin' Mother fo Ya".

Of "Jackie O", Mellencamp said on The Bob & Tom Show in November 2004: "I can't take credit – John Prine wrote most of that song."

Mellencamp had written "Lovin' Mother fo Ya" and was playing it live on his 1982 American Fool Tour before it was even recorded (and before Cary had anything to do with the song).

According to a 2003 article on LouisvilleMusic.com, Cary sent Mellencamp's guitarist Mike Wanchic a copy of Out of My Dreams, an album he had recorded with his band the Nightcrawlers.

In addition, Mellencamp turned a song his hairdresser Dan Ross (also lead singer in a local Indiana band) had started into "Play Guitar".