Everyday Creation
Everyday Creation is about purpose, awe and good vibrations. The show's title refers to three types of creation: The ways we express ourselves (for example, with art, music and so many other pursuits fueled by purpose and passion); the parts of life that fill us with awe (birth, death, love, the big picture); and our personal power to create our best possible lives while also making the world a better place. Here, you’ll encounter interviews, essays and some episodes created simply for information and fun. I'm your host Kate Jones, welcoming you to Everyday Creation.
Everyday Creation
Hall of Fame Songwriter Mark James was Hooked on Creating Hits for Other Performers
After serving in the Vietnam War, Mark James moved to Memphis and soon his songwriting career took off. In just two years — 1968 and '69 — he wrote "Eyes of a New York Woman," "Hooked on a Feeling" and "It's Only Love" for B.J. Thomas.
Next, he wrote "Suspicious Minds." He recorded his own version to little acclaim, but the song became a major hit for Elvis Presley, revitalizing Presley's career. James also co-wrote "Always on My Mind," which won two Grammys and became a number one hit for Willie Nelson in 1982.
BMI, the music performing rights organization, recognized him as one of the songwriters of the 20th century for the hits "Hooked on a Feeling," "Suspicious Minds" and "Always on My Mind."
The picture of James in this episode's thumbnail is from his profile in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in which he was inducted in 2014. The photo is credited to Randy Anderson.
James and Thomas were friends since childhood. You can watch Thomas perform "Hooked on a Feeling" in 2009 in this video and listen to him sing "It's Only Love" here. Or listen to the 1974 version performed by the Swedish rock band Blue Suede.
You can go here to listen to James' version of "Suspicious Minds."
This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.
Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.
Sheldon:
00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:01.940
Francis Rodney Zambone
00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:04.480
didn't need to change his name to Mark
00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:07.300
James to become a Hall of Fame songwriter.
00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:10.480
He could have used any nom de plume
00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:11.060
he wanted,
00:00:11.440 --> 00:00:12.720
and he would have been one of the
00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:15.700
most successful songwriters of the 20th century.
00:00:16.825 --> 00:00:19.545
James died June 8 at his home in
00:00:19.545 --> 00:00:20.525
Nashville, Tennessee.
00:00:21.385 --> 00:00:22.605
He was 83.
00:00:23.705 --> 00:00:25.465
Song of the Day is paying tribute to
00:00:25.465 --> 00:00:28.745
the singers, songwriters and musicians who died in
00:00:28.745 --> 00:00:30.045
2024.
00:00:31.100 --> 00:00:33.260
James' goal was to write and sing his
00:00:33.260 --> 00:00:34.000
own songs.
00:00:34.540 --> 00:00:37.420
He changed his name after club owners said
00:00:37.420 --> 00:00:39.920
he would go nowhere with the name Francis
00:00:40.300 --> 00:00:40.800
Zambone.
00:00:41.740 --> 00:00:44.460
He started recording his songs with little success
00:00:44.460 --> 00:00:45.680
when he was 19.
00:00:46.305 --> 00:00:49.105
The draft and the Vietnam War interrupted his
00:00:49.105 --> 00:00:49.605
career.
00:00:50.385 --> 00:00:53.205
He moved to Memphis after leaving the military
00:00:53.345 --> 00:00:54.945
in 1968
00:00:54.945 --> 00:00:57.985
and started writing songs for the American Sound
00:00:57.985 --> 00:00:58.485
Studio.
00:00:59.480 --> 00:01:01.100
He wrote three hits
00:01:01.400 --> 00:01:03.000
between 1968
00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:04.140
and '69,
00:01:04.520 --> 00:01:06.840
"Eyes of a New York Woman," "Hooked on
00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:09.100
a Feeling" and "It's Only Love"
00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:12.380
for his childhood friend B.J. Thomas.
00:01:13.165 --> 00:01:15.565
"Hooked on a Feeling," a story about his
00:01:15.565 --> 00:01:18.445
high school sweetheart, reached number five on the
00:01:18.445 --> 00:01:19.985
Billboard Hot 100
00:01:20.365 --> 00:01:23.085
and number one five years later for the
00:01:23.085 --> 00:01:23.905
Blue Suede.
00:01:24.445 --> 00:01:26.705
"Suspicious Minds" came next.
00:01:27.520 --> 00:01:28.960
His 1968
00:01:28.960 --> 00:01:30.340
recording went nowhere,
00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:33.920
but Elvis Presley's version a year later went
00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:34.980
to number one.
00:01:35.600 --> 00:01:38.240
James wrote the song after his wife accused
00:01:38.240 --> 00:01:40.480
him of having feelings for his high school
00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:40.980
sweetheart.
00:01:42.425 --> 00:01:45.485
The song gave CPR to Presley's career.
00:01:45.865 --> 00:01:48.125
It would be his last number one hit.
00:01:49.065 --> 00:01:52.265
James wasn't done. He co-wrote "Always on My
00:01:52.265 --> 00:01:52.765
Mind,"
00:01:53.225 --> 00:01:55.385
which became a number one hit for Willie
00:01:55.385 --> 00:01:57.405
Nelson in 1982.
00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:00.180
The song won James two Grammys.
00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:04.740
BMI, which collects music licensing fees,
00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:07.300
named James one of the songwriters
00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:08.580
of the century
00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:09.940
in February.
00:02:12.170 --> 00:02:14.810
That was Song of the Day creator Sheldon
00:02:14.810 --> 00:02:17.870
Zoldan, and I'm Kate Jones, host of Everyday
00:02:17.930 --> 00:02:18.430
Creation.
00:02:19.290 --> 00:02:21.470
Thank you for joining us today.
