Mark James, a Songwriters Corridor of Fame member who wrote or co-wrote “Suspicious Minds,” “All the time on My Thoughts” and “Hooked on a Feeling,” died June 8 at his residence in Nashville. The information was reported by his hometown newspaper, the Houston Chronicle.
James was inducted into the Songwriters Corridor of Fame in 2014. BMI named him certainly one of its Songwriters of the Century in 2000, citing all three of the aforementioned tunes as being on an inventory of the 100 biggest songs of the twentieth century.
James received two Grammys, each in 1983 for “All the time on My Thoughts,” which he shared with co-writers Wayne Carson and Johnny Christopher. It received each music of the 12 months and nation music of the 12 months after being recorded by Willie Nelson, who took it to No. 5 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 and No. 1 on the nation songs chart. It was beforehand recorded by — and is commonly related to — Elvis Presley, though his 1972 model was not a significant hit on the time within the U.S., having been issued as an Elvis B-side. A canopy model by the Pet Store Boys was arguably as massive internationally as Nelson’s, reaching No. 1 within the U.Okay. and No. 4 within the U.S. The music was inducted into the Grammy Corridor of Fame in 2008.
James had a number of of his greatest successes include Presley recordings. “Suspicious Minds,” which was a solo James composition, stays one of many King’s signature songs. James was truly the primary to file it, when he was making an attempt to get his personal recording profession stepping into 1968. However in 1969, Presley had his remaining No. 1 music with it. It was later remade by Wonderful Younger Cannibals, who had a high 10 U.Okay. hit with it in 1986.
Presley additionally recorded “Moody Blue,” the title monitor to his remaining album, together with “It’s Solely Love” and “Raised on Rock.”
“All the time on My Thoughts” and “Suspicious Minds” weren’t the one songs of James’ to grow to be hits in numerous many years. “Hooked on a Feeling” went to No. 5 for B.J. Thomas in 1969. 5 years later, Blue Swede’s model — with its notorious, incongruous “ooga-chaka” addition — hit No. 1. As lately as this 12 months, the Hives did a canopy of “Hooked,” for Spotify, maintaining the Blue Swede chant.
“Hooked on a Feeling” was usually licensed for movies, from Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Canines” to “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
“Suspicious Minds” will be the most vital music in James’ catalog, not only for what it did for his profession, however for Presley’s. The famous person had been in a hunch after his recognition waned within the wake of the British Invasion, however this anthem of romantic paranoia at the very least briefly made him appear related once more to pop file consumers, and kick-started a wave of appreciation that led to him turning into the largest entertainer in Las Vegas via his dying eight years later. It wasn’t simply the songwriting Presley needed to thank him for; the association of the music was intently modeled on the one James himself had recorded.
Speaking with the Wall Road Journal in 2012, James recalled the origins of the music, which took place throughout a recording session for his personal album with Chips Moman, who went on to introduce “Suspicious Minds” to Presley. “Late one evening, playing around on my Fender guitar and utilizing my Hammond organ pedals for a bass line, I got here up with a catchy melody. I used to be married to my first spouse then however nonetheless had emotions for my childhood sweetheart, who was married again in Houston. My spouse suspected I had these emotions, so it was a complicated time for me. I felt as if all three of us have been all caught on this entice that we couldn’t stroll out of.”
Though James left the Memphis classes the place Elvis was reducing the music, feeling there was discomfort at having a stranger there, he discovered of Presley’s appreciation later. “Within the years that adopted, at any time when I noticed Elvis, he’d cross the room simply to say whats up to me—regardless of who was with him. After he died, I heard he’d all the time requested the blokes within the studio, ‘Did Mark ship me any extra songs?’ Golly, I want I had recognized that.” However his run of each singles and album tracks with Presley was enviable.
James can also be a member of the Texas Songwriters Corridor of Fame, the New York Songwriters Corridor of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Corridor of Fame.
In 2021, Sony/ATV Music Publishing introduced that it had reupped its take care of James, renewing a contract that started 50 years earlier when he signed with Display Gems/EMI.
James is survived by his spouse of 53 years, Karen Zambon,his daughters Sammie and Dana Zambon, and grandchildren and prolonged household. The household mentioned in a press release: “Mark’s legacy and zest for all times will stay on within the hearts of those that beloved him, and thru his timeless lyrics and melodies which have been the soundtrack of lovers for generations.”
