The songwriter of “Always on My Mind,” other hits, was 83

Mark James, a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame who wrote or co-wrote “Suspicious Minds,” “Always on My Mind” and “Hooked on a Feeling,” died June 8 at his home in Nashville. The news was reported by his hometown newspaper, the Houston Chronicle.

James was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014. BMI named him one of its Songwriters of the Century in 2000, citing the three aforementioned tracks as appearing on a list of the 100 greatest songs of the 20th century.

James won two Grammys, both in 1983 for “Always on My Mind,” which he shared with co-writers Wayne Carson and Johnny Christopher. It won both Song of the Year and Country Song of the Year after being recorded by Willie Nelson, who took it to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Songs chart country. It was previously recorded by – and is often associated with – Elvis Presley, although his 1972 version was not a major hit at the time in the United States, having been released as Elvis' B-side. A Pet Shop Boys cover was arguably as successful internationally as Nelson's, reaching number one in the UK and number four in the US. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.

James had many of his biggest hits with Presley's recordings. “Suspicious Minds,” which was a solo composition by James, remains one of the King’s signature songs. James was actually the first to record it, when he was trying to launch his own recording career in 1968. But in 1969, Presley had his last No. 1 song with it. It was later remade by Fine Young Cannibals, which was a UK top 10 hit in 1986.

Presley also recorded “Moody Blue,” the title track from his final album, along with “It’s Only Love” and “Raised on Rock.”

“Always on My Mind” and “Suspicious Minds” weren't the only James songs to become hits in different decades. “Hooked on a Feeling” went to No. 5 for BJ Thomas in 1969. Five years later, Blue Swede's version – with its incongruous “ooga-chaka” addition – reached No. 1. Just this year, the Hives did a cover of “Hooked” for Spotify, keeping the Blue Swede vocals.

“Hooked on a Feeling” was often licensed for films, from Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” to “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

“Suspicious Minds” is perhaps the most important song in James' catalog, not only for what it did for his career, but for Presley's as well. The superstar was in crisis after his popularity waned in the wake of the British Invasion, but this anthem of romantic paranoia at least briefly made him seem relevant again to pop record buyers, and sparked a wave of appreciation that led to him becoming the biggest entertainer in Las Vegas until his death eight years later. It wasn't just songwriting that Presley had him to thank; the song's arrangement was closely modeled on one that James himself had recorded.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal in 2012, James recalled the song's origins, appearing during a recording session for his own album with Chips Moman, who later introduced “Suspicious Minds” to Presley. “Late at night, while messing around on my Fender guitar and using my Hammond organ pedals as a bass line, I came up with a catchy melody. I was married to my first wife by then, but I still had feelings for my childhood sweetheart, who was married in Houston. My wife suspected I was having these feelings, so it was a confusing time for me. I felt like all three of us were caught in this trap that we couldn't get out of.

Although James left the Memphis sessions where Elvis was cutting the song, feeling uncomfortable having a stranger there, he later learned of Presley's appreciation. “In the years that followed, every time I saw Elvis, he would walk across the room just to say hello, no matter who was with him. After he died, I heard that he was always asking the guys in the studio, “Has Mark sent me any more songs?” Damn, I wish I knew that. But his run of singles and album tracks with Presley was enviable.

James is also a member of the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame, the New York Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In 2021, Sony/ATV Music Publishing announced that it had renewed its deal with James, renewing a contract that began 50 years earlier when he signed with Screen Gems/EMI.

James is survived by his wife of 53 years, Karen Zambon, his daughters Sammie and Dana Zambon, as well as his grandchildren and extended family. The family said in a statement: “Mark’s legacy and zest for life will live on in the hearts of those who loved him, and through his timeless lyrics and melodies that have been the soundtrack to lovers for generations. “