| Spotlight On....MARK JAMES (Well, it’s hard to be a gambler bettin` on the number that changes ev`ry time). By Kevin of Stevenage |
Mark James is a songwriter, famous for writing hits for singers BJ Thomas, Brenda Lee and Elvis Presley.
Mark James, whose real name is Francis Zambon, was born in 1940 and grew up in Houston, Texas, befriending B J
Thomas while both were still young.
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.
Mark James, whose real name is Francis Zambon, was born in 1940 and grew up in Houston, Texas, befriending B J
Thomas while both were still young.
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.
If you would like to comment on this article please email "Mark James" to us at eer-desk@ntlworld.com
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The songwriter wrote, sang and issued his own version of "Suspicious Minds", also
produced by 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
produced by 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.
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” It is a strange
coincidence but when you hear what a wonderful voice he had, like B J Thomas, you fail to understand that the songs he wrote were not
his own hits. Perhaps he needed a great manager like Elvis’. However it was a great shame that Elvis could not have had a permanent
arrangement with the likes of Mark James, Dennis Linde and Jerry Chesnut to produce new songs for him for one album.
The 70’s albums could have been great. I think it is the Elvis “Today” album where there is not one original song i.e. not already recorded
by another artist. Imagine Billy Swan and the aforementioned writers doing 10-12 new songs for him?
Would that have been worth a listen?
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.
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” It is a strange
coincidence but when you hear what a wonderful voice he had, like B J Thomas, you fail to understand that the songs he wrote were not
his own hits. Perhaps he needed a great manager like Elvis’. However it was a great shame that Elvis could not have had a permanent
arrangement with the likes of Mark James, Dennis Linde and Jerry Chesnut to produce new songs for him for one album.
The 70’s albums could have been great. I think it is the Elvis “Today” album where there is not one original song i.e. not already recorded
by another artist. Imagine Billy Swan and the aforementioned writers doing 10-12 new songs for him?
Would that have been worth a listen?
Incredibly 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.
“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.
Thank you Mr James. For me you provided a song that on reflection was a song that would be forever associated with Elvis, some would
say it was the first grown up song he sang. You also were responsible for a song that tugs at the heartstrings of a man who is aware of his
own shortcomings. You wrote a song that gave my man an average hit but real funky tune. Late in Elvis’ short life you provided the lyrics
to a song that gave signs of hope even when it was hopeless. Finally after his death, the summer hit that was a breath of fresh air and the
sign that a legend could have hits even though the man was no longer with us.
say it was the first grown up song he sang. You also were responsible for a song that tugs at the heartstrings of a man who is aware of his
own shortcomings. You wrote a song that gave my man an average hit but real funky tune. Late in Elvis’ short life you provided the lyrics
to a song that gave signs of hope even when it was hopeless. Finally after his death, the summer hit that was a breath of fresh air and the
sign that a legend could have hits even though the man was no longer with us.
