Elvis Presley‘s “Suspicious Minds” is one of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll‘s most famous songs. Despite that, he did not write the song or record the original version of it. The song’s writer discussed how Elvis got his hands on it.
How ‘Suspicious Minds’ found its way to Elvis Presley
Mark James wrote “Suspicious Minds” and recorded the original version of the track. During a 2017 interview with The Tennessean, James said he expected his version of “Suspicious Minds” to become a hit. That never happened. James blamed the song’s failure on the incompetency of his label, Scepter Records.
Subsequently, James had the opportunity to write a song for the “Love Me Tender” singer. He couldn’t think of anything. Close to the deadline, music publisher Don Crews suggested he try to get the singer to record “Suspicious Minds.”
James discussed how he reacted to this suggestion. “I turned around in the chair and it was like seeing a golden No. 1 and I knew that was the song I’d been looking for,” he recalled. “And of course, I said, ‘That’s the song I’m looking for, that’s the song!’”
What happened when Elvis Presley heard the song
James wanted to talk to the singer himself. “And I felt like — and I knew most of the guys with Elvis, some of them working there, around Memphis — felt like telling George Klein, Marty Lacker, I felt like even shaking Elvis and saying, This is a great one for you, man, to record,’” he said.
James learned what happen when someone played the song for the “Heartbreak Hotel” singer. “‘Sure enough, when Elvis came in, he played it for him and Elvis said, ‘Let’s hear that again,’” he said. “And I wasn’t there. I stayed away. And sure enough, he got it several times, liked it so much Chips made a tape for him. He took it home.”
How ‘Suspicious Minds’ performed on the charts in the United States
“Suspicious Minds” became Elvis’ final No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. The song topped the chart for one week. The track remained on the chart for 15 weeks in total.
“Suspicious Minds” was initially a non-album single. Subsequently, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s estate released the song on the compilation album Elvis: 30 #1 Hits. The compilation reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for three weeks, staying on the chart for 129 weeks altogether.
“Suspicious Minds” became a hit, and James was happy that Elvis recorded it.
