Always on My Mind
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| "Always on My Mind" | |
| Written by | Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson Thompson |
|---|---|
| Published | 1972 |
| Original artist | Brenda Lee |
| Recorded by | Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Pet Shop Boys, B.B. King, Michael Bublé, among others |
| Performed by | Shakira at the 2002 VH1 Divas: Las Vegas |
"Always on My Mind" is a song originally recorded by Brenda Lee and released on June 12, 1972[1], with music and lyrics by Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson Thompson.
Allmusic list over 300 recorded releases of the song in versions by dozens of performers.[2] At the 25th Grammy Awards held in 1983, the songwriters won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Country Song; in addition, Willie Nelson's recording won for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
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[edit] Elvis Presley version
Elvis Presley's version reached number 16 on Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles chart in 1972[3]. Brenda Lee's version had stalled at #45 on the country charts in 1972.
Over thirty years later, Presley's version was played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and included on that year's promotional compilation album Voices from the FIFA World Cup.
[edit] Willie Nelson version
The song was also recorded by Willie Nelson. Released in the spring of 1982, the song raced to number one on Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles chart that May, spending two weeks atop the chart. The song also did very well on Top 40 radio, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was Billboard's number one country song for 1982.
Apart from its three Grammys (including Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the songwriters), "Always on My Mind" earned numerous other awards for Nelson and its songwriters, including the 1982 and 1983 Country Music Association's "Song of the Year" honors and the 1982 CMA Single of the Year.
| “Always on My Mind” | |||||
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| Single by Pet Shop Boys from the album Introspective |
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| B-side | "Do I Have To?" | ||||
| Released | November 30, 1987 | ||||
| Format | 7", 12", cassette, CD | ||||
| Genre | Synthpop | ||||
| Length | 3:56 | ||||
| Label | Parlophone - 6171 | ||||
| Producer | Julian Mendelsohn, Pet Shop Boys | ||||
| Pet Shop Boys singles chronology | |||||
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| Alternate cover | |||||
Cover for the US release
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[edit] Pet Shop Boys version
In 1987, Pet Shop Boys performed a version of "Always on My Mind" on Love Me Tender, an ITV network television special commemorating the tenth anniversary of Presley's death, in which various popular contemporary acts performed cover versions of his hits. Their performance was so well-received that the group decided to record the song and release it as a single. This version became the U.K.'s Christmas number one single that year, beating "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, and topping the charts for four weeks in total. It also reached number one in Germany in 1988, and peaked at number four in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year, becoming the duo's fifth and last Top 10 hit there.
In November 2004, The Daily Telegraph newspaper placed the version at number two in a list of the fifty greatest cover versions of all time.[4]
[edit] Track listing
[edit] 7": Parlophone / R 6171 (UK)
- "Always on My Mind" (3:59)
- "Do I Have To?" (5:14)
[edit] 12": Parlophone / 12 R 6171 (UK)
- "Always on My Mind" (Extended Dance Version) (8:10)
- "Do I Have To?" (5:14)
- "Always on My Mind" (3:59)
- also released on MC (TCR 6171) and CD (CDR 6171)
[edit] 12": Parlophone / 20 2321 6 (UK)
- "Always on My Mind" (Remix) (5:55)
- "Do I Have To?" (5:14)
- "Always on My Mind" (Dub Version) (2:04)
[edit] Other covers
Other cover versions include:[1]
- In 2000, fringe New York electronic band kHz covered the song on their debut album Emotronic
- In 2002, Jade Villalon of Sweetbox added her own version of the song as a bonus track on her album Jade
- Willie Nelson recorded a version with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora for his 2002 album Willie Nelson & Friends - Stars & Guitars
- DJ Quicksilver produced a vocal-trance remake of the song, with vocals by singer Diana Maria
- A punk rock version of the song was performed by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their live album Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah
- Norweigan act Erlend Øye recorded part of the song in a medley, as part of the DJ-Kicks series
- In 2003, B.B. King covered the song on his album Reflections
- In 2004, Fantasia Barrino covered the song on her album Free Yourself
- In 2005, the cover by Ryan Adams and The Cardinals was a bonus track for the vinyl edition and U.K. CD version of Jacksonville City Nights
- In 2006, Danish jazz singer Inger Marie Gundersen covered the song on the album Make this moment
- In 2006, The Pinker Tones covered the song, sung in catalan, on the album of the benefical TV3 telethon against chronic pain (El disc de la marató 2006)
- In 2007, Michael Bublé covered the song on his album Call Me Irresponsible
- Barbara Jones - Reggae Love Songs 2 (Sanctuary Music Group) 2005
[edit] Notable performances
- Shakira at the 2002 VH1 Divas: Las Vegas, as part of a tribute to Elvis Presley that also featured Celine Dion, Cher, The Dixie Chicks, Whitney Houston and Anastacia
[edit] References
- ^ a b List of cover versions from Second Hand Songs
- ^ Recordings of ""Always on My Mind" from Allmusic
- ^ Top 20 Country Billboard Singles. The Official Elvis Presley Website. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/11/20/bmcovercont20.xml&sSheet=/arts/2004/11/20/ixtop.html
| Preceded by "Mountain Music" by Alabama |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number one single May 8 - May 15, 1982 by Willie Nelson |
Succeeded by "Just to Satisfy You" by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson |
| Preceded by "Fire & Smoke" by Earl Thomas Conley |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number one single of the year 1982 |
Succeeded by "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton |
| Preceded by "China In Your Hand" by T'Pau |
UK number one single December 13, 1987 |
Succeeded by "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle |
| Preceded by "Reet Petite" by Jackie Wilson |
UK Singles Chart Christmas number-one single 1987 |
Succeeded by "Mistletoe and Wine" by Cliff Richard |
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