Elvis and Mark James

Mark James or Francis Rodney Zambon a Texas born songwriter, first came to prominence penning "Hooked on a Feeling", a  number five hit for B.J. Thomas. However, his biggest career break occurred when Elvis Presley cut his song "Suspicious Minds", which landed him a monster number one hit around the world and helped resurrect "The King's" career as a recording artist. He also wrote songs for Brenda Lee and she was offered the grammy winning tune, "Always on My Mind". 

Its Only Love

     In 1966 B.J.Thomas had his first hit with a cover of Hank Williams, " I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and soon after he was signed by Sceptor Records. Then he sung a twenty minute set at Elvis 1968 New Years Eve bash supported by Chips Moman and Tommy Cogbill. It is believed this is where Elvis first heard Mark James, "Its Only Love ". He would later go on and record his version at a marathon session at RCA Studios in late May 1971 which produced three albums. It is believed Elvis had just finished cutting "I'm Leavin" and "We Can Make The Morning" at 4am on the 20th of May when he commenced the recording of "It's Only Love" . There is a vulnerability in his voice and although he follows the B.J.Thomas arrangement but he seems to add a new dimension to each line as it flows and builds in stature.

Elvis and Mark Raised on Rock 

 Mark and Elvis Meeting

    In the late 1960s, Mark James was signed as a staff songwriter to Memphis producer Chips Moman’s publishing company.  Moman then produced B.J.Thomas versions of  his songs "The Eyes Of A New York Woman", "Hooked on a Feeling", and "It's Only Love" from 1968 to 1969 as well as James own version of "Suspicious Minds," also produced by Moman, on Scepter Records in 1968, the recording was more-or-less the same arrangement, which became a smash for Elvis in the following year. Suspicious Minds was a song written during Mark's first marriage about a girlfriend called Karen who Mark cared a lot for and actually the song "Its Only Love" was written for Karen as well.

 On a bitter cold morning of January 13th 1969 at Chip Moman's American Sound Studios in Memphis, Elvis and Mark, first met. Mark had been told Elvis was coming in to record songs and if he could possibly pen one, that may suit him. Just two days before, he still had'nt come up with anything, good enough. Chips then suggested his back catalogue of songs and straight away, Mark thought of "Suspicious Minds" but after being told Elvis was coming in with forty songs to record , his hopes sunk. Mark stayed away on the first day, thinking Elvis had enough songs and did'nt go to the studio but after getting a call from Chips, saying Elvis liked the song and was going to record it. Mark became ecstatic and even though, nervous about meeting Elvis, got up the courage the following morning to go down and watch the session, as they took a break, he nervously went down and introduce himself. Mark said, " hey Elvis i heard you might cut Suspicious Minds". Mark on the meeting. "He was such a nice person and he later invited me to Vegas to watch him perform Suspicious Minds . That day I remember him getting straight up from the table with Sammy Davis and Andy Williams and coming over to me, shaking my hand and asking me, how i was doing". Mark and Elvis remained good friends throughout the seventies. Mark saw Elvis in concert numerous times during the 70s, one of these occassions was March 13th 1974 at Greensboro North Carolina. Elvis recorded many of his songs including Raised on Rock/Always on my Mind/ Its Only Love and one of his final recordings Moody Blue.Mark said, "After Elvis died, I heard he'd always asked the guys in the studio, 'Did Mark send me any more songs?' Golly, I wish I had known that." Mark James on Suspicious Minds " when I heard how it was embellished later, I was blown away". Felton Jarvis, Elvis's longtime producer was never happy that Elvis recorded at American Studios. It was a control thing. So when Jarvis took the tape of 'Suspicious Minds', he added this crazy 15 second fade toward the end, like the song was ending, and brought it back by overdubbing to extend it.
 

Mark and Elvis

 Elvis,Mark and Session Musicians

Always On My Mind

       Moman recorded the first demo cut on the song "Always on My Mind" with Wayne Carson who said that he wrote most of the song in ten minutes at his kitchen table in Springfield, Missouri, and completed the song in the studio. When Wayne Carson was in the studio recording, Mark James was working for him as a session musician .The musicians felt the song was complete, but Moman refused to record it unless they came up with a bridge . Carson asked Mark if he could help add a bridge to the song that Moman insisted it needed and a two-line bridge was then added.  B.J.Thomas recorded it in 1970. The song was passed to Elvis via a bodyguard but he did not record his version of "Always on My Mind" until March 29, 1972, a few weeks after his February separation from wife Priscilla. The song received immense fame and critical appreciation and is considered one of the standout songs of the '70s for Elvis. Moman produced Willie Nelson's version years later which would result in three wins at the 25th Grammy Awards in February 1983 for songwriters Christopher, James and Carson. It won Song of the Year and Best Country Song and in addition, Nelson won for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

Moody Blue

 "Moody Blue" was written and recorded by Mark in 1975 and passed on to Elvis for his final recording sessions on October 1976 which took place in the Jungle Room at Graceland. It would be released in January 1977 and be Elvis last number one country song before his death. He performed it live for the first time on February 20th that year. 

 Mark James Moody Blue

Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman --  June 12, 1937 died June 13, 2016 was an American record producer, guitarist, and Grammy Award-winning songwriter. In the 1960s, Moman worked for Stax Records before founding the American Sound Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, and later worked extensively in Nashville. As a record producer, Moman was known for recording Elvis Presley, Bobby Womack, Carla Thomas, and Merrilee Rush, as well as guiding the career of the Box Tops.

Mark's tribute to Elvis after his death. 

Blue Suede Heaven