Mark James | |
---|---|
Birth name | Francis Rodney Zambon |
Also known as | Francis Zambon |
Born | Houston, Texas, U.S. | November 29, 1940
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, producer |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Years active | 1968–present |
Labels | Bell, Scepter, Liberty, Masterfonics |
Mark James (born Francis Rodney Zambon; November 29, 1940) [1] is an American songwriter who wrote hits for singers B.J. Thomas, Brenda Lee, and Elvis Presley, including Presley's US number one hit single, " Suspicious Minds." [2]
Mark James was born an Italian-American in Houston, Texas on November 29, 1940, [2] and he was raised there. James befriended B.J. Thomas while both were still young. [3]
By the late 1960s, James was signed as a staff songwriter to Memphis producer Chips Moman's publishing company, [3] Moman producing Thomas’ versions of "The Eyes of a New York Woman", " Hooked on a Feeling", and "It's Only Love" from 1968 to 1969 (all of which achieved success). [4]
James released his own version of "Suspicious Minds," also produced by Moman, on Scepter Records in 1968. Using much the same arrangement, Elvis Presley recorded a version in 1969 that became a smash hit and [5] was later listed on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at 91.
In 1972, James signed a long-term contract with Screen Gems-Columbia Music. [6] In 1973, James' song " Sunday Sunrise" was recorded by American Country singer Brenda Lee. Brenda Lee's version was a huge hit becoming a top ten single on multiple charts in the U.S. In 1975, Canadian musician Anne Murray covered "Sunday Sunrise". Elvis Presley continued to record James' songs, " Raised on Rock", " It's Only Love", and " Moody Blue" (the title track to Presley's last studio album). But James' greatest success came with " Always on My Mind," a collaboration with Johnny Christopher and Wayne Carson and issued as a b-side by Presley in 1972.
Mark James Trio released the album "She's Gone Away" in 1978 on Crazy Cajun Records with fellow band members Joey Longoria and Bobby Winder.
A decade after "Always on My Mind" was released, Willie Nelson covered it and it became a huge hit for him. James won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Grammy Award for Best Country Song for Nelson's version. [7] The United Kingdom's Pet Shop Boys released a successfully charting version of "Always on My Mind" in 1987 which reached No. 1 in the UK and No. 4 in the US. On October 11, 2015, James entered the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | " Always on My Mind" | Grammy Award for Song of the Year | Won |
1983 | " Always on My Mind" | Grammy Award for Best Country Song | Won |
Mark James | |
---|---|
Birth name | Francis Rodney Zambon |
Also known as | Francis Zambon |
Born | Houston, Texas, U.S. | November 29, 1940
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, producer |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Years active | 1968–present |
Labels | Bell, Scepter, Liberty, Masterfonics |
Mark James (born Francis Rodney Zambon; November 29, 1940) [1] is an American songwriter who wrote hits for singers B.J. Thomas, Brenda Lee, and Elvis Presley, including Presley's US number one hit single, " Suspicious Minds." [2]
Mark James was born an Italian-American in Houston, Texas on November 29, 1940, [2] and he was raised there. James befriended B.J. Thomas while both were still young. [3]
By the late 1960s, James was signed as a staff songwriter to Memphis producer Chips Moman's publishing company, [3] Moman producing Thomas’ versions of "The Eyes of a New York Woman", " Hooked on a Feeling", and "It's Only Love" from 1968 to 1969 (all of which achieved success). [4]
James released his own version of "Suspicious Minds," also produced by Moman, on Scepter Records in 1968. Using much the same arrangement, Elvis Presley recorded a version in 1969 that became a smash hit and [5] was later listed on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at 91.
In 1972, James signed a long-term contract with Screen Gems-Columbia Music. [6] In 1973, James' song " Sunday Sunrise" was recorded by American Country singer Brenda Lee. Brenda Lee's version was a huge hit becoming a top ten single on multiple charts in the U.S. In 1975, Canadian musician Anne Murray covered "Sunday Sunrise". Elvis Presley continued to record James' songs, " Raised on Rock", " It's Only Love", and " Moody Blue" (the title track to Presley's last studio album). But James' greatest success came with " Always on My Mind," a collaboration with Johnny Christopher and Wayne Carson and issued as a b-side by Presley in 1972.
Mark James Trio released the album "She's Gone Away" in 1978 on Crazy Cajun Records with fellow band members Joey Longoria and Bobby Winder.
A decade after "Always on My Mind" was released, Willie Nelson covered it and it became a huge hit for him. James won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Grammy Award for Best Country Song for Nelson's version. [7] The United Kingdom's Pet Shop Boys released a successfully charting version of "Always on My Mind" in 1987 which reached No. 1 in the UK and No. 4 in the US. On October 11, 2015, James entered the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | " Always on My Mind" | Grammy Award for Song of the Year | Won |
1983 | " Always on My Mind" | Grammy Award for Best Country Song | Won |