Suspicious Minds
Encyclopedia
"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 Presley's career success, following '68 Comeback Special
. It was his seventeenth and last number-one single in the United States
. Rolling Stone
later ranked it #91 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
in 1968, who was also co-writer of "Always On My Mind
" (which Presley would later record), the song first was recorded and released by James on Scepter Records in 1968. Even though James' recording initially was not commercially successful, Elvis decided he could turn it into a hit on reviewing the song as presented to him by Memphis Soul producer Chips Moman
, owner of American Sound Studio
, in 1969.
were a direct consequence to '68 Comeback Special
, that interested Chips Moman
in produce recordings to the new style of Presley, making his comeback to the Memphis
musical scene, by recording rock
, gospel
, country
, rhythm & blues and soul
.
and mono
in Las Vegas
, where the final master was produced.
The song is noted for its change of Rhythm, in the Bridge section, from 4/4 to a slower 6/8 and back again to the faster 4/4 rhythm. The first verse repeats over and over again, until it completely fades out, it features a bass guitar, organ, strings, trumpets, trombones, and drums. Session producer Felton Jarvis made the unusual decision to add a premature fade-out to the song starting at 3:36, mirroring the way Presley used to perform it in his live Las Vegas stage act. The fadeout lasts for about 15 seconds before fading back in, conveying a message of relationship in the song. Future Grateful Dead
vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux sang backing vocals on the track.
on July 31, 1969, and the 45 rpm single
was released in the fall. It reached number one in the United States in the week of November 1 and stayed there for that week. It would be Presley's final number-one single in the U.S. before his death ("The Wonder of You
" in 1970, "Way Down
" in 1977 and a posthumous remixed release of "A Little Less Conversation
" in 2002 all hit number one on the British charts, followed by re-issues of several previous chart toppers in 2005). Mark James' version of the song appears as the last song on the 1970 record entitled Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head by B. J. Thomas
.
, Dionne's sister, covered "Suspicious Minds" while Elvis Presley's version was still on the charts. Warwick's version was a minor U.S. hit, peaking at #80 in 1970.
Waylon Jennings
and Jessi Colter
recorded the song for RCA in 1970. Their version reached No. 25 on the Billboard country chart in November of that year. The Jennings-Colter version was re-released by RCA in 1976, topping out at No. 2, and was included on the ground-breaking album Wanted! The Outlaws
that same year.
Singer Ronnie McDowell
sang the song for the 1979 film of the soundtrack ELVIS (with actor Kurt Russell
, portraying Elvis, appearing to perform the song in the film).
Candi Staton
had a No. 31 UK hit with her revival in 1982.
In 1986, the band Fine Young Cannibals
' cover version of the song, which featured backing vocals by Jimmy Somerville
, reached No. 8 on the UK Singles chart. The cover was heard in the cult films, Dangerously Close
and Down Twisted
.
Six years later, country singer Dwight Yoakam
recorded his version of the song for the soundtrack to the film Honeymoon in Vegas
, as well as a video. It was later released on his compilation album The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam
.
In 1996, Bowling for Soup
included a cover version on their album Cell Mates.
In 2004, Pete Yorn
released a live recording of the song on his two-disc album Live from New Jersey
.
In 2006, pop-punk group Avail
added a cover version of this song on their re-released 1998 CD Over the James
.
In March 2009, Miss Kittin
and The Hacker
covered "Suspicious Minds" for their album Two
, for which they filmed a promotional music video directed by Régis Brochier of 7th floor Productions. Their cover of "Suspicious Minds" was later featured on the downloadable for free mixtape
Skull of Dreams by Little Boots
.
In 2009, Rusted Root
covered this on their studio album Stereo Rodeo
.
Rock band Glasvegas
featured Florence (from Florence and the Machine) in a live cover at NME Music awards in 2009.
Clay Aiken
recorded the song on his 2010 album Tried and True
.
runner-up Gareth Gates
from his debut album, What My Heart Wants to Say
. The song charted as a double A-side release, featuring a duet between Gates and Will Young
on the classic Beatles song, "The Long and Winding Road
". The single charted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart
, making it the third consecutive number one for Gates.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Mark James
Mark James (songwriter)
Mark James is a songwriter, famous for writing hits for singers B.J. Thomas, Brenda Lee, and Elvis Presley, most notably Elvis' last US number one hit single, "Suspicious Minds."-History:...
that, after the failure of his own recording, was handed to 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"....
by producer Chips Moman
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...
becoming one of his most notable hits and a number one in 1969, "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that returned Presley's career success, following '68 Comeback Special
Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special
Elvis, starring Elvis Presley, was the title of a 1968 United States television special. Sponsored by The Singer Sewing Machine Company, it aired on December 2, 1968 on the NBC television network...
. It was his seventeenth and last number-one single in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
later ranked it #91 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The song
The song is about a mistrusting and dysfunctional relationship, and the need of the characters to overcome their issues in order to maintain it. Written by Mark James aka Francis ZambonMark James (songwriter)
Mark James is a songwriter, famous for writing hits for singers B.J. Thomas, Brenda Lee, and Elvis Presley, most notably Elvis' last US number one hit single, "Suspicious Minds."-History:...
in 1968, who was also co-writer of "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...
" (which Presley would later record), the song first was recorded and released by James on Scepter Records in 1968. Even though James' recording initially was not commercially successful, Elvis decided he could turn it into a hit on reviewing the song as presented to him by Memphis Soul producer Chips Moman
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...
, owner of American Sound Studio
American Sound Studio
American Sound Studio was a recording studio located at 827 Thomas Street in Memphis, Tennessee. More than one hundred hit songs were recorded there between its founding 1967 and its closing in 1972, The music for these hits was played by the house band "The Memphis Boys", also known as the "827...
, in 1969.
Background
Elvis Presley's recordings in American Sound StudioAmerican Sound Studio
American Sound Studio was a recording studio located at 827 Thomas Street in Memphis, Tennessee. More than one hundred hit songs were recorded there between its founding 1967 and its closing in 1972, The music for these hits was played by the house band "The Memphis Boys", also known as the "827...
were a direct consequence to '68 Comeback Special
Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special
Elvis, starring Elvis Presley, was the title of a 1968 United States television special. Sponsored by The Singer Sewing Machine Company, it aired on December 2, 1968 on the NBC television network...
, that interested Chips Moman
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...
in produce recordings to the new style of Presley, making his comeback to the 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....
musical scene, by recording rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, rhythm & blues and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
.
American Sound Studio session
"Suspicious Minds" was a product of January 23, 1969 session, that took place between 4 am and 7 am. It took eight takes to produce the final song that was later overdubbed by Presley the same night. Also in the same were recorded "I'll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms)", "Without Love (There Is Nothing)", and "I'll Be There". on August 7, was again overdubbed to stereoSTEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
and mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, where the final master was produced.
The song is noted for its change of Rhythm, in the Bridge section, from 4/4 to a slower 6/8 and back again to the faster 4/4 rhythm. The first verse repeats over and over again, until it completely fades out, it features a bass guitar, organ, strings, trumpets, trombones, and drums. Session producer Felton Jarvis made the unusual decision to add a premature fade-out to the song starting at 3:36, mirroring the way Presley used to perform it in his live Las Vegas stage act. The fadeout lasts for about 15 seconds before fading back in, conveying a message of relationship in the song. Future Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux sang backing vocals on the track.
Release and performances
He first performed the song at the Las Vegas HiltonLas Vegas Hilton
The Las Vegas Hilton is a hotel, casino, and convention center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a joint venture between Colony Capital, which owns 60 percent, and New York City-based REIT Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds, which owns the remaining 40 percent...
on July 31, 1969, and the 45 rpm single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was released in the fall. It reached number one in the United States in the week of November 1 and stayed there for that week. It would be Presley's final number-one single in the U.S. before his death ("The Wonder of You
The Wonder of You
"The Wonder of You" is a song written by Baker Knight. In 1959, Ray Peterson released it as a single. The song became a Top 40 hit for him on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #25. That same year it was recorded by Ronnie Hilton in the United Kingdom, his version reaching #22 on the UK Singles...
" in 1970, "Way Down
Way Down
"Way Down" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley. Recorded in October 1976, it was the last single released before his death on August 16, 1977. The song was written by Layng Martine, Jr. and was later covered by Status Quo and Cliffhanger....
" in 1977 and a posthumous remixed release of "A Little Less Conversation
A Little Less Conversation
"A Little Less Conversation" is a song written by Mac Davis and Billy Strange that was originally performed and written for American rock and roll icon Elvis Presley for the 1968 film Live a Little, Love a Little. When the song was released as a single with "Almost in Love" as the b-side, it became...
" in 2002 all hit number one on the British charts, followed by re-issues of several previous chart toppers in 2005). Mark James' version of the song appears as the last song on the 1970 record entitled Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head by B. J. Thomas
B. J. Thomas
Billy Joe "B. J." Thomas is an American popular singer known for his chart-topping hits in the 1960s and 1970s—appearing on the pop, adult contemporary, country and Hot 100 charts.-Career:...
.
Chart performance
| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Tracks | 4 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 3 |
| U.K. Singles Chart | 2 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 4 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 10 |
| Austria Top 40 | 13 |
Cover versions
Dee Dee WarwickDee Dee Warwick
Dee Dee Warwick was an American soul singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey as Delia Mae Warrick, she was the sister of Dionne Warwick, niece of Cissy Houston and cousin of Whitney Houston....
, Dionne's sister, covered "Suspicious Minds" while Elvis Presley's version was still on the charts. Warwick's version was a minor U.S. hit, peaking at #80 in 1970.
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
and Jessi Colter
Jessi Colter
Jessi Colter is an American country music artist who is best known for her collaboration with her husband, country singer and songwriter Waylon Jennings and for her 1975 country-pop crossover hit "I'm Not Lisa"....
recorded the song for RCA in 1970. Their version reached No. 25 on the Billboard country chart in November of that year. The Jennings-Colter version was re-released by RCA in 1976, topping out at No. 2, and was included on the ground-breaking album Wanted! The Outlaws
Wanted! The Outlaws
Wanted! The Outlaws is an album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, released in RCA Victor in 1976, and consisting of previously released material. Released to capitalize on the new outlaw country movement, Wanted! The Outlaws earned its place in music history by...
that same year.
Singer Ronnie McDowell
Ronnie McDowell
Ronald Dean "Ronnie" McDowell is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1977 with the song "The King Is Gone", a tribute to Elvis Presley, who had died not long before the single's release. From that single onward, McDowell has charted more than thirty Top 40 hits on the Billboard...
sang the song for the 1979 film of the soundtrack ELVIS (with actor Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
, portraying Elvis, appearing to perform the song in the film).
Candi Staton
Candi Staton
Candi Staton is an American soul and gospel singer, best known for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" and her 1976 disco hit "Young Hearts Run Free". In 2007, Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
had a No. 31 UK hit with her revival in 1982.
In 1986, the band Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals were a British band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984, by bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox , and singer Roland Gift...
' cover version of the song, which featured backing vocals by Jimmy Somerville
Jimmy Somerville
James William Somerville is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter. He had considerable success in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a successful solo career. He is known in particular for his falsetto singing voice...
, reached No. 8 on the UK Singles chart. The cover was heard in the cult films, Dangerously Close
Dangerously Close
-Plot:At an elite school, a group of student who call themselves "The Sentinels" begin terrorizing their socially undesirable classmates. Soon, one of their targets ends up brutally murdered....
and Down Twisted
Down Twisted
Down Twisted is a 1987 thriller film, directed by Albert Pyun, Starring Carey Lowell, Charles Rocket, Courteney Cox, and Nicholas Guest.-Plot summary:A naive, good-hearted Los Angeles waitress does not think twice about helping her troubled roommate...
.
Six years later, country singer Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
recorded his version of the song for the soundtrack to the film Honeymoon in Vegas
Honeymoon in Vegas
Honeymoon in Vegas is a 1992 comedy film directed by Andrew Bergman and starring Nicolas Cage, James Caan and Sarah Jessica Parker.-Plot:...
, as well as a video. It was later released on his compilation album The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam
The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam
The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam is a compilation album of songs recorded by country music artist Dwight Yoakam. Certified gold by the RIAA, the album comprises twenty hit singles from his career.-Track listing:...
.
In 1996, Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup is an American pop-punk band which originally formed in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1994...
included a cover version on their album Cell Mates.
In 2004, Pete Yorn
Pete Yorn
Peter Joseph Yorn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who first gained international recognition after his debut record, Musicforthemorningafter, was released to critical acclaim in 2001.-Early history:Yorn's father is a dentist and his mother is a former concert pianist who worked as a...
released a live recording of the song on his two-disc album Live from New Jersey
Live from New Jersey
Live from New Jersey is a live album released by Pete Yorn in 2004.It was recorded in Fall 2003 and actually had been available through Yorn's website since January of that year, but now has an "official" release. This release gives a full concert performance of Yorn, who mixes up tracks from both...
.
In 2006, pop-punk group Avail
Avail
Avail is a punk band from Richmond, Virginia. Originally from Northern Virginia, the band formed in 1987, its members including Joe Banks, Doug Crosby, Brian Stewart, and Mikey Warstler. The only original remaining member, guitar player Joe Banks, teamed up with rival band LDK's Tim Barry...
added a cover version of this song on their re-released 1998 CD Over the James
Over the James
Over the James is the fourth studio album by Avail. It was released in 1998 on Lookout! Records. It was re-released in 2006 by Jade Tree Records...
.
In March 2009, Miss Kittin
Miss Kittin
Miss Kittin is an electronic music DJ, vocalist, and songwriter. Since rising to prominence in 1998 for her singles "1982" and "Frank Sinatra" with The Hacker, she has worked with other musicians such as Chicks on Speed, Felix da Housecat and Golden Boy...
and The Hacker
The Hacker
Michel Amato, better known by the stage name The Hacker, is a French electroclash and techno producer who has worked extensively with Miss Kittin. His work has been influenced by Electro artists like Kraftwerk, New Wave artists such as The Cure and Depeche Mode, as well as the French rave scene of...
covered "Suspicious Minds" for their album Two
Two (Miss Kittin & The Hacker album)
Two is the second album by the reunited duo Miss Kittin & The Hacker released in 2009 by Miss Kittin's label Nobody's Bizzness.-Background and development:...
, for which they filmed a promotional music video directed by Régis Brochier of 7th floor Productions. Their cover of "Suspicious Minds" was later featured on the downloadable for free mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
Skull of Dreams by Little Boots
Little Boots
Victoria Christina Hesketh, also known by her stage name/pseudonym Little Boots, is an English electropop singer-songwriter. Her stage name comes from a nickname given to her by a friend, a reference to her unusually small feet...
.
In 2009, Rusted Root
Rusted Root
Rusted Root is a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania known for their unique fusion of acoustic, rock, world and other styles of music, with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, Native American, and Indian influences...
covered this on their studio album Stereo Rodeo
Stereo Rodeo
Stereo Rodeo is the sixth studio album by the American bluegrass rock band Rusted Root.-Track listing:All songs written by Michael Glabicki except where noted.# "Dance In The Middle" – 4:51# "Suspicious Minds" – 5:06# "Weary Bones" – 3:37...
.
Rock band Glasvegas
Glasvegas
Glasvegas are a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of James Allan , Rab Allan , Paul Donoghue and Jonna Löfgren . The band received critical acclaim for their debut album Glasvegas which was released in September 2008, reaching No...
featured Florence (from Florence and the Machine) in a live cover at NME Music awards in 2009.
Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken
Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
recorded the song on his 2010 album Tried and True
Tried and True
Tried and True is the fifth full length studio album released by Clay Aiken on June 1, 2010. This album is Aiken's first release on the Decca label. The deluxe edition includes two additional tracks plus a second disk with behind the scenes video and a live performance.-Background:The songs on...
.
Gareth Gates version
"Suspicious Minds" served as the third single for Pop IdolPop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
runner-up Gareth Gates
Gareth Gates
Gareth Paul Gates , is an English singer-songwriter. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. Gates has sold over 3.5 million records in the UK alone. He is also known for having a stutter, and has talked about his speech impediment publicly...
from his debut album, What My Heart Wants to Say
What My Heart Wants to Say
What My Heart Wants to Say is the debut album from Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates. The album was released on 26 October 2002, almost a year after his success in the show. The album was produced by Mike Peden, and featured a range of Gates' own songs, as well as covers...
. The song charted as a double A-side release, featuring a duet between Gates and Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
on the classic Beatles song, "The Long and Winding Road
The Long and Winding Road
"The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' album Let It Be. It became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet...
". The single charted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, making it the third consecutive number one for Gates.
Track listing
- "The Long and Winding Road" - 3:30
- "Suspicious Minds" - 3:52
- "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" - 3:29