The Producer of Elvis Presley’s ‘Suspicious Minds’ Got a Rolls Royce For His Efforts
Elvis Presley‘s “Suspicious Minds” was a cover of an obscure song. The record label behind the original version of “Suspicious Minds” was certain the tune would become a hit. A legendary country music producer felt the same way. However, the track only became big once the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll recorded it.
Elvis Presley’s ‘Suspicious Minds’ was 1st sung by the writer of ‘Always on My Mind’
Elvis tunes such as “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Blue Christmas, and “Blue Hawaii” were all covers. “Suspicious Minds” was no different. The track was originally recorded by its writer, Mark James, who also penned the Elvis classic “Always on My Mind.”
During a 2017 interview with Elvis Australia, James discussed his version of “Suspicious Minds.” “I recorded for Scepter Records,” he recalled. “Worked with [producer] Chips [Moman]. They loved it, up at Scepter Records. They said, ‘Smash!’
“Chips and I went up there and we had a big party, a big promotional thing, 25 promotional people were there,” he added. “They all said ‘Smash, smash, smash’ and they even gave Chips a Rolls Royce for producing that. It was a small label and maybe they didn’t know how to market it like Atlantic [Records] or other people. Anyway, it never happened.” If Elvis didn’t record “Suspicious Minds,” it’s dubious the song ever would’ve been a success.
Chips Moman liked the original song and later produced Elvis Presley’s version of it
James remembered how he wrote the song and what Moman thought of the track. “The title came to me one night,” he said. “I was playing organ bass pedals at an apartment I was living in and I was getting kind of a riff thing, same riff, and I was getting the groove of it, playing bass pedals.
“And then when I got a certain portion, I went to the studio and finished it up on grand piano,” he said. “And when Chips heard it, he said, ‘Man, I want to cut that on you,’ and he was real excited.” Moman went on to produce Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds” alongside country legend Felton Jarvis.
How ‘Suspicious Minds’ and its parent album performed on the charts in the United States
Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds” was a huge hit in the United States. The track topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a week, staying on the chart for 15 weeks. It was the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s final No. 1 single, though he came close to topping the chart again when “Burning Love” reached No. 2.
“Suspicious Minds” appeared on some editions of the album From Elvis in Memphis. That record reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200. It lasted on the chart for 34 weeks altogether. From Elvis in Memphis also includes classic tracks such as “In the Ghetto,” “Don’t Cry Daddy,” and “Kentucky Rain.” The record captures the soulful, Southern style of the singer’s later career more than any of his other albums.
James’ “Suspicious Minds” wasn’t a hit but Elvis’ cover was so popular that Moman definitely earned that Rolls Royce.
