Suspicious Minds

This article is about the song. For other uses, see Suspicious Minds (disambiguation).

"Suspicious Minds"
"Suspicious Minds" cover
Song by Mark James
Released	1968
Recorded	1968
Length	2:47
Label	Scepter
Writer	Mark James
Producer	Chips Moman

"Suspicious Minds"
Single by Elvis Presley
B-side	You'll Think of Me
Released	August 26, 1969
Format	45 rpm record
Recorded	January 22, 1969
Genre	Soul, pop
Length	4:22 (3:28)
Label	RCA
Writer(s)	Mark James
Producer	Chips Moman and Felton Jarvis
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"Clean Up Your Own Backyard" (1969) "Suspicious Minds" (1969) "Don't Cry Daddy" (1969)

"Suspicious Minds" is a song written by American songwriter Mark James. After James' recording failed commercially, the song was handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chips Moman, becoming a number one song in 1969, and one of the most notable hits of Presley's career. "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that returned Presley's career success, following his '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.

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 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.

The recording

Background

Elvis Presley's recordings in American Sound Studio 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. Marty Lacker, a close friend of Elvis, suggested he record at the studio.

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 that same night. Production of the song was nearly scuttled in a dispute over copyright. The songs "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" were recorded in the same session. On August 7, the song was again overdubbed to stereo and mono in Las Vegas, where the final master was produced. The song is noted for its change of time signature, in the bridge section, from 4/4 to a slower 6/8 and back again to the faster 4/4 rhythm. The instrumental arrangement uses 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. This fade-out lasts for about 15 seconds before fading back in, conveying a message of relationship in the song. The first verse then repeats over and over again, until it completely fades out. Future Grateful Dead vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux sang backing vocals on the track.

Release and performances

Presley first performed the song at the Las Vegas International Hotel (later renamed the Hilton) 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).

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

Fine Young Cannibals version

"Suspicious Minds"
Single by Fine Young Cannibals
from the album Fine Young Cannibals
Released	1986
Format	7" and 12" singles
Recorded	1985 with additional backing vocals by: Jimmy Somerville
Genre	Pop
Label	London, I.R.S.
Writer(s)	Mark James
Producer	Robin Millar
Fine Young Cannibals singles chronology
Blue (1985) Suspicious Minds (1986) Funny How Love Is (1986) Music video "Suspicious Minds" by Fine Young Cannibals on YouTube

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 Fine Young Cannibals' music video for the song was filmed in black & white, and remains so for the majority of the song. However, the video is noted for its innovative use of colorization, following the bridge section of the song. The video pays homage to Elvis, both in its use of the monochrome filming (common during Elvis' early career) and the shiny spangled suits that the band wear in the second half of the video.

Charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
Belgian Singles Chart (Vlanders)	22
Dutch Singles Chart	21
New Zealand Singles Chart	14
U.K. Singles Chart	8

In popular culture

The Fine Young Cannibals cover was used in two cult films directed by Albert Pyun, first in his a 1986 action/thriller film Dangerously Close and then in his 1987 thriller film Down Twisted.

Gareth Gates version

"The Long and Winding Road / Suspicious Minds"
Single by Will Young / Gareth Gates
from the album From Now On / What My Heart Wants to Say
Released	23 September 2002
Format	CD Single
Recorded	2002
Genre	Pop
Length	3:52
Label	BMG
Writer(s)	Mark James
Producer	Stephen Lipson, Steve Mac
Will Young / Gareth Gates singles chronology
"Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)" (2002) "Suspicious Minds" (2002) "What My Heart Wants To Say" (2002) Music video "Suspicious Minds" by Gareth Gates on YouTube

Gareth Gates, a runner up of in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol released a cover version on BMG on 23 September 2002. The single was a double-A side record containing "The Long and Winding Road"/"Suspicious Minds" with the Beatles song performed by Will Young, the winner of the same Pop Idol series with Gates performing the Elvis song.

Charts

The single reached the top of the UK Singles Chart where it stayed for 2 consecutive weeks (charts of 29 September 2002 and 6 October 2002), following two other #1s of Gareth Gates, also covers ("Unchained Melody" #1 for 4 consecutive weeks in March and April 2002 and "Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)" for another 3 weeks in July 2002).

Chart (2002)	Peak position
U.K. Singles Chart	1

Other cover versions

Dee Dee Warwick, 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.

B.J. Thomas recorded the song for his 1969 album "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head."

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.

Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal trio The Heptones released a version of the song in 1971.

Singer Judy Cheeks recorded a version for her 1978 album 'Mellow Lovin'.

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 1992, 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 1997–98, U2 frequently performed the song as a kareoke version sung by The Edge during the Popmart Tour.

On 23 September 2002, Gareth Gates, the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol released it as a single on BMG. It was produced by Stephen Lipson and Steve Mac. It can also be found on his album What My Heart Wants to Say

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 2007, Greek singer Sakis Rouvas recorded "Suspicious Minds" on his live album "This is My Live", however having previously also recording it for the Greek movie Alter Ego.

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.

The Bourbon Cowboys, a Blizzard Entertainment in house band, recorded a cover of the song for inclusion in Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. The song is one of the few licensed songs that can be heard on the jukebox that appears between missions. Blizzard has since released the song for purchase on iTunes

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.

Language versions

"Suspicious Minds" has also been translated in a number of languages. It was performed in Dutch as "Door achterdocht verdoofd" by Guido Belcanto on the album Elvis Belgisch released in August 1992. In 1997, an Italian language version was done by Luciano Ligabue with the title "Ultimo tango a Memphis" and is found on the album Su e giù da un palco.

References

Preceded by "I Can't Get Next to You" by The Temptations	Billboard Hot 100 number-one single November 1, 1969 (one week)	Succeeded by "Wedding Bell Blues" by The 5th Dimension
Preceded by "Everybody's Talkin'" by Nilsson	Canada RPM number-one single October 18, 1969 (two weeks)	Succeeded by "Wedding Bell Blues" by The 5th Dimension
Preceded by "Just Like a Pill" by Pink	UK number-one single (Will Young/Gareth Gates version) September 29, 2002 (two weeks)	Succeeded by "The Ketchup Song" by Las Ketchup