Mark James (songwriter)

Mark James
Birth name	Francis Rodney Zambon
Also known as	Francis Zambon
Born	1940 (age 76–77) Houston, Texas, United States
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1968 - present
Labels	Bell, Scepter, Liberty, Masterfonics
Associated acts	Elvis Presley
Notable instruments
Vocals

Mark James (born Francis Rodney Zambon, 1940) is an American songwriter who wrote hits for singers B.J. Thomas, Brenda Lee, and Elvis Presley, most notably Presley's last U.S. number one hit single, "Suspicious Minds."

Mark James was born in Houston, Texas, in 1940. James befriended B.J. Thomas while both were still young.

By the late 1960s, James was signed as a staff songwriter to Memphis producer Chips Moman’s publishing company, 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).

James released his own version of "Suspicious Minds," also produced by Moman, on Scepter Records in 1968, which recording, with more-or-less the same arrangement, eventually became a smash for Elvis Presley in the following year. The song was later listed on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at 91.

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.

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