Mark James is a songwriter, famous for writing hits for singers B.J. Thomas, Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee

Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...

, and Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....

, most notably Elvis' last US number one hit single

Hit single

A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...

, "Suspicious Minds

Suspicious Minds

"Suspicious Minds" is a song written by American songwriter Mark James that, after the failure of his own recording, was handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chips Moman becoming one of his most notable hits and a number one in 1969, "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that returned...

."

History

Mark James was born in Houston, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, befriending Thomas while both were still young. By the late 1960s, James was signed as a staff songwriter to Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

 producer Chips Moman’s

Chips Moman

Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman is an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. As a record producer, Moman is known for recording Elvis Presley, Bobby Womack, Carla Thomas, and Merrilee Rush, as well as guiding the career of the Box Tops in Memphis, Tennessee during the 1960s...

 publishing company, Moman producing Thomas’ versions of "The Eyes Of A New York Woman", "Hooked on a Feeling

Hooked on a Feeling

"Hooked on a Feeling" is a 1968 pop song written by Mark James and originally performed by B. J. Thomas. Featuring the sound of the electric sitar, the song reached number five in 1969 on the Billboard Hot 100.-History:...

", and "It's Only Love" from 1968 to 1969 (all of which achieved success). The songwriter issued his own version of "Suspicious Minds," also produced by Moman, on Scepter Records

Scepter Records

Scepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...

 in 1968, but in the same arrangement the song became a smash for Presley the following year. Brenda Lee had a hit with "Sunday Sunrise", and Presley continued to record James' songs, "Raised On Rock", "It's Only Love", and "Moody Blue

Moody Blue (Elvis song)

"Moody Blue" is a song made famous by Elvis Presley.Written by Mark James , the song became Presley's last No. 1 hit in his lifetime, topping the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart in February 1977 . "Moody Blue" also peaked at number thirty-one on the Hot 100...

" (the title track to Presley's last studio album). But James' greatest success came with "Always On My Mind

Always on My Mind

"Always on My Mind" is an American country music song by Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson, originally recorded by Brenda Lee in 1972.Allmusic lists over 300 recorded releases of the song in versions by dozens of performers...

," a collaboration with Johnny Christopher and Wayne Carson

Wayne Carson

Wayne Carson Thompson is an American country musician. He is a songwriter, producer and plays percussion, piano, guitar, and bass. His most famous songs include "Neon Rainbow", "The Letter", "Always on My Mind" , and "Soul Deep".-Biography:Born in Denver, Colorado, his parents, Odie and Olivia...

 and issued as a b-side by Presley in 1972, but becoming a huge hit for Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...

 a decade later. James won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year

Grammy Award for Song of the Year

The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...

 for Nelson's version. The United Kingdom's Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....

released a successfully charting version of "Always On My Mind" in 1987 which reached #1 in the U.K. and #4 in the United States.