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Mark James - Songwriter
By the late 1960s, James was signed as a staff songwriter to Memphis producer Chips Moman's publishing company, Moman produced Thomas's versions of The Eyes Of A New York Woman, Hooked On A Feeling and It's Only Love in 1968-69, and all achieved success.
The songwriter wrote, sang and issued his own version of Suspicious Minds, also produced by Chips Moman, on Scepter Records in 1968 but without success and in the same arrangement the song became a worldwide smash hit for Elvis Presley in 1969.
Brenda Lee had a hit with Sunday Sunrise. Elvis recorded other songs written by Mark James namely:- Its Only Love, Raised On Rock and Moody Blue.
Incredibly James' greatest personal success came with Always on My Mind, a writing collaboration with Johnny Christopher and Wayne Carson Thompson and issued as a b-side to Separate Ways by Elvis Presley in 1972 in the USA. It was a hit for Elvis but it was a huge hit for Willie Nelson in 1982. Mark
James won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year for Willie Nelson's version. UK duo The Pet Shop Boys had a UK #1 and US #4 with their 1987 revival of the song.
Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and Brenda Lee
James also wrote the song Moody Blue, which is also the name of Elvis' last album. In 1979 Mark James wrote a beautiful song about Elvis called Blue Suede Heaven It was featured in the documentary 'The Echo Will Never Die' with Kasey Casem'
All the songs Elvis recorded of Mark James were hit singles peaking at:
'Suspicious Minds' # 2 [1969]
'Always on my mind' # 9 [1972]
'Raised on Rock' # 36 [1973]
'Moody Blue' # 6. [1977]
Posthumous Hits:
'Its Only Love' # 3 [1980]
'The Elvis Medley', containing 'Suspicious Minds', #51.
'Always on my mind' reissues #59 [1985] and #13 [1997].
'Suspicious minds' 'live' #15 [2001].
'Suspicious Minds' #11 [2007] whilst on the same run
'Always on my mind' #17 [2007].
'Raised on Rock' and 'Moody Blue' were chosen as the titles of the albums on which they first appeared. In the states 'Suspicious Minds' and 'Moody Blue' were numbers one's. 'Its only love' was lifted from the Elvis Aron Presley box set in 1980.
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Recommended Shop items : CDs, DVDs and Books
Special Delivery : The Ultimate Elvis Presley Collectors Box
48 Hours To Memphis FTD CD : 7" Packaging [FTD Stereo Concert CDs*]
Elvis : The King Of Las Vegas : Deluxe Hardcover Book : 1300 + pictures [Photo Books]
The Elvis Files : Elvis from 1953-1977 [Photo Books]
King Creole : Frame By Frame : Deluxe Hardcover Book : 400 pages
Elvis My Best Man by George Klein [Information Books]
The Elvis I Knew by Charlie Hodge DVD [Elvis Presley Documenetary and Concerts on DVD]
Tickle Me DVD [Elvis Presley movies on DVD]
Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD [Elvis Presley Documenetary and Concerts on DVD] [Below]
Review : Elvis Country FTD Special Edition 2 CD Set
* 48 Hours To Memphis is actually not stereo but it has been mixed from a two track tape and very high quality 'hi-fi' and not only is it not a soundboard it compares perfectly with normal stereo releases.
Video Preview: Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD
Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD. Digipack with a 16 page booklet. Never before have we seen an Elvis concert from the 50's with sound. Until Now! The DVD Contains recently discovered Unreleased Film of Elvis performing 6 songs, including Heartbreak Hotel and Don’t Be Cruel, live in Tupelo Mississippi 1956. Included we see a live performance of the elusive Long Tall Sally seen here for the first time ever. This is an excellent release no fan should be without it. The 'parade' footage is good to see as it puts you in the right context with color and b&w footage. The interviews of Elvis' Parents are well worth hearing too. The afternoon show footage is wonderful and electrifying : Here is Elvis in his prime rocking and rolling in front of 11.000 people.
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