On The Charts ... When "Suspicious Minds" Was Born!

Ever wondered what was on the radio, what singles were topping the charts when Elvis' best American Sound recording, and one of his all-time greatest tracks, was officially released by RCA?

690906_RCA 9764_Presley.JPG

Elvis Presley, "Suspicious Minds" (RCA 9764, September 6, 1969)
This classic would hit Billboard U.S. Pop #1 in November. Image courtesy of the fantastic website, elvisrecords.us:
http://www.elvisrecords.us/suspicious-minds-youll-think-of-me/


Well, wonder no more. Below are the Billboard Pop, Soul and Country charts the week it was released. Keen eyes will note that Elvis would soon incorporate some of these hits into his live show.

And notice Presley's single was THE Top Twenty Pop Spotlight pick!

Billboard Sep 6 1969 p82.JPG

Billboard- September 6, 1969 (Hot Country Singles)
Dig Dolly Parton's cover of "In The Ghetto" at #50, Carl Smith's version of "I Love You Because" rising at #23 (Elvis taped a version in 1954 at Sun), and Johnny Cash alone at the top with his novelty hit, "A Boy Named Sue."

Billboard Sep 6 1969 p46.JPG

Billboard- September 6, 1969 (Best Selling Soul Singles)
Aretha is #1 with the beautiful "Share Your Love With Me"!

Billboard Sep 6 1969 p109.JPG

Billboard- September 6, 1969 (Hot 100)
You gotta love Tony Joe White's "Polk Salad Annie" and the Plastic Ono Band's "Give Peace A Chance" nestled together at #13 and #14!

Billboard Sep 6 1969 p110.JPG

Billboard- September 6, 1969 (Spotlight Singles)
Whatever happened to "Dyke & the Blazers"? Someone must know!


Good times never seemed so good!!

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Last edited by drjohncarpenter on Fri Jun 01, 2012 8:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

(deleted -repeated below:)

Last edited by Gregory Nolan Jr. on Fri Jun 01, 2012 5:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

Nice, Doc: those were the days when radio was a delight.

Also there's lot of material he tackled, even Sun-era "I Love You Because" to
and even later Jungle Room Gold.

P.S. In the spirit of of the late (?) and lamented FECC vet "Spelly,"
you're missing an "i" in "Suspicious" in your title.

Last edited by Gregory Nolan Jr. on Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Nice information Doc.

Elvis was up against a lot of great competition in '69.
Hitting #1 again in the US, on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time since April 1962 with "Good Luck Charm", must have gave him some great confidence in his live performances throughout 1970.

And a song that still holds up well today.

Cool stuff Doc. Did you see on the Pop chart that Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" was at #9 and #10 was Tom Jones' "I'll Never Fall in Love Again". Both were later covered by Elvis.

And notice on the Soul chart that Little Anthony and the Impearials were charting with the old Five Keys' 1956 single - and Elvis favorite - "Out of Sight, Out of Mind."

Nice, Doc: those were the days when radio was a delight.

Also there's lot of material he tackled, even Sun-era "I Love You Because" to and even later Jungle Room Gold.

Yes!

Nice information Doc.

Elvis was up against a lot of great competition in '69.
Hitting #1 again in the US, on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time since April 1962 with "Good Luck Charm", must have gave him some great confidence in his live performances throughout 1970.

And a song that still holds up well today.

It's one of his ten very greatest recordings. All the American Sound singles, and the critical and commercial success they brought, must have made him feel fantastic.

Cool stuff Doc. Did you see on the Pop chart that Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" was at #9 and #10 was Tom Jones' "I'll Never Fall in Love Again". Both were later covered by Elvis.

And notice on the Soul chart that Little Anthony and the Impearials were charting with the old Five Keys' 1956 single - and Elvis favorite - "Out of Sight, Out of Mind."

Little Anthony's single is also at #53 on the Pop charts.

There are several Presley-related cuts in that Hot 100:

#09 - "Sweet Caroline" (added to live show in 1970)
#10 - "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" (taped at Graceland in 1976)
#13 - "Polk Salad Annie" (added to live show in 1970)
#18 - "Soul Deep" (Box Top tune taped at American Sound, produced by Tommy Cogbill & Chips Moman)
#53 - "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" (one-liner at Sun in 1956)
#79 - "Don't It Make You Want To Go Home" (one-liners at rehearsal in 1970)
#91 - "Moonlight Sonata" (home demo in 1966)
#93 - "MacArthur Park" (one-liners in 1968)

I never knew Dolly Parton recorded In The Ghetto , who recorded it first Elvis or Dolly ? . I couldn't find information on this .

I thought Tennessee Hound Dog by the Osborne Brothers(no 50) was a tribute to Elvis until i saw the lyrics ! it's about a dog funnily enough

Thanks Doc .

I never knew Dolly Parton recorded In The Ghetto , who recorded it first Elvis or Dolly ? . I couldn't find information on this .

I thought Tennessee Hound Dog by the Osborne Brothers(no 50) was a tribute to Elvis until i saw the lyrics ! it's about a dog funnily enough

Thanks Doc .

Right on!

FWIW, Elvis' 1969 RCA single was the first release of "In The Ghetto."

Dolly's recording is good, although her arrangement is less subtle.

Dolly Parton, "In The Ghetto" (RCA 0192, July 1969)

The Osborne Brothers tune is a hoot, written by a classic songwriting team! It would top out at #28.

Osborne Brothers, "Tennessee Hound Dog" (Decca 32516, July 1969)

Tennessee Hound Dog
Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
© 1969 House of Bryant Publishing, BMI

He's a dynamite, uptight, outta sight, backyard Romeo!

He looks like skin on a bone-pile
A cat wouldn't give him a chance
But when he stretches his long legs out
A fox ain't got a chance
Tennessee hound dog, Tennessee hound dog

Sad-faced, mooneyed creature
His ears hang down to his knees
The hounds call him a has-been
An old-aged home for fleas
Tennessee hound dog, Tennessee hound dog

When he gets a certain kind of look on his face
She-hounds run for a hiding place
When he takes a notion, all the girl dogs know
He's a dynamite, uptight, outta sight, backyard Romeo

He looks like ugly, warmed-over
Some dog lovers have said that
But he's got more sense in the end of his nose
That they've got in their head
Tennessee hound dog, Tennessee hound dog

When he gets a certain kind of look on his face
She-hounds run for a hiding place
When he takes a notion, all the girl dogs know
He's a dynamite, uptight, outta sight, backyard Romeo

He looks like ugly, warmed-over
Some dog lovers have said that
But he's got more sense in the end of his nose
That they've got in their head
Tennessee hound dog, Tennessee hound dog

Great topic, Doc. There was some classy music in the charts at the time of the release of "Suspicious Minds" and this American sound classic would eventually top them all and hitting the No.1 spot. The sad thing is, this would be his last number 1 record in the USA. Everything he recorded for the great Chips Moman was pure top-quality, fantastic music...Elvis was truely back with a bang, where he should be, on top of the world again. Again, sadly, it was short-lived.

It's also been said, that Elvis was quite unhappy with what Felton did to "Suspicious Minds"...with the fade in/out bit. Apparently, Elvis first heard it on the radio in his car and went nuts when he heard the fade in/out. And phoned Felton and said, something like, "what the f**k......"

Fantastic topic. Thank you, Doc. Regarding Felton, he mad a big mistake altering Suspicious Minds.

Nice post, but I have all these charts filed in my personal book of Elvis' charted hits in Billboard and Cashbox.

Elvis' success on the POP, Country and R&B charts was phenomenol, to say the least, the Ultimate crossover artist and certainly, like many other things in music, film and entertainment, the "First" !

Great topic, Doc. There was some classy music in the charts at the time of the release of "Suspicious Minds" and this American sound classic would eventually top them all and hitting the No.1 spot. The sad thing is, this would be his last number 1 record in the USA. Everything he recorded for the great Chips Moman was pure top-quality, fantastic music...Elvis was truely back with a bang, where he should be, on top of the world again. Again, sadly, it was short-lived.

It's also been said, that Elvis was quite unhappy with what Felton did to "Suspicious Minds"...with the fade in/out bit. Apparently, Elvis first heard it on the radio in his car and went nuts when he heard the fade in/out. And phoned Felton and said, something like, "what the f**k......"

I think your confused about this story.

I'm positive, as per many books and first time revelations by Jerry Schilling and Priscilla Presley, Elvis first heard, "Suspicious Minds", in his car and became angry about the "mix", and "mastering" of his #1 single, not the fade out.

Throughout Elvis' career, he made this complaint many times over to the Col. and RCA, but to no avail, only when Elvis made it abundantly clear, did they actually do something about it.

Great topic, Doc. There was some classy music in the charts at the time of the release of "Suspicious Minds" and this American sound classic would eventually top them all and hitting the No.1 spot. The sad thing is, this would be his last number 1 record in the USA. Everything he recorded for the great Chips Moman was pure top-quality, fantastic music...Elvis was truely back with a bang, where he should be, on top of the world again. Again, sadly, it was short-lived.

It's also been said, that Elvis was quite unhappy with what Felton did to "Suspicious Minds"...with the fade in/out bit. Apparently, Elvis first heard it on the radio in his car and went nuts when he heard the fade in/out. And phoned Felton and said, something like, "what the f**k......"

I think your confused about this story.

I'm positive, as per many books and first time revelations by Jerry Schilling and Priscilla Presley, Elvis first heard, "Suspicious Minds", in his car and became angry about the "mix", and "mastering" of his #1 single, not the fade out.

Throughout Elvis' career, he made this complaint many times over to the Col. and RCA, but to no avail, only when Elvis made it abundantly clear, did they actually do something about it.

I think it was both, the mix and the fade in/out...Chips Moman also voiced his disapproval of it, as well.

What did Elvis not like about the mix?

Maybe it sounded MUCH better to him BEFORE the overdubbs were made, it sure does to me. In fact Felton is the worst thing to ever happen to Elvis, even worse than the damned movies. Remember he did not like the backing vocals on In The Ghetto either, but changed his mind (as if either would have mattered to Felton and RCA) I dislike Felton even more than Hal Wallis or the Colonel. Joan Dreary was right in trying to get rid of him.

Hard to believe that Suspicious Minds only made number 2 in the UK. Good old Rolf Harris with Two Little Boys stopped it reaching the top. As much as I like Rolf and the novelty song of TLB I think Suspicious Minds is the better and more enduring song.

Sugar Sugar was the biggest selling song of the year. For the most part, for as long as there has been charts, pop crap tops the sales. Justin Beiber over The Black Keys for example.

Sugar Sugar is a bubblegum pop classic, played on the way to the Moon by the crew of Apollo 12 in late '69.

Funny to see Cliff Richard and Des O' Connor getting a mention in Billboard.

Love these chart topics, Doc.

I have heard the story of Elvis being angry about the mix as well and I would like to know which version of the song did he want to release? If anyone knows what version it is and where it is available please do tell. I ordered the "Back in Memphis" FTD which will be shipping in a couple weeks so maybe it will be on that album but not sure which take he liked the most.

I have heard the story of Elvis being angry about the mix as well and I would like to know which version of the song did he want to release? If anyone knows what version it is and where it is available please do tell. I ordered the "Back in Memphis" FTD which will be shipping in a couple weeks so maybe it will be on that album but not sure which take he liked the most.

It is not the take he objected to. It was how it was overdubbed, mixed and mastered. If you listen to the alternate take 6 on the 60s box set, you wil get an idea of this song's true potential. It and other undubbed takes are also on FTD's Back In Memphis, including the unadulterated unfinished master. I have no idea exactly what Elvis heard on the acetate made for him. It was probably somewhere in between the unfinished master and the released version. The version Elvis heard on his acetate may not exist on tape anymore.

I have heard the story of Elvis being angry about the mix as well and I would like to know which version of the song did he want to release? If anyone knows what version it is and where it is available please do tell. I ordered the "Back in Memphis" FTD which will be shipping in a couple weeks so maybe it will be on that album but not sure which take he liked the most.

It is not the take he objected to. It was how it was overdubbed, mixed and mastered. If you listen to the alternate take 6 on the 60s box set, you wil get an idea of this song's true potential. It and other undubbed takes are also on FTD's Back In Memphis, including the unadulterated unfinished master. I have no idea exactly what Elvis heard on the acetate made for him. It was probably somewhere in between the unfinished master and the released version. The version Elvis heard on his acetate may not exist on tape anymore.

Thanks, more than likely what Elvis heard could have been a very subtle difference that I would not notice anyway. Just wanted to compare for the sake of history.

Great topic, Doc. There was some classy music in the charts at the time of the release of "Suspicious Minds" and this American sound classic would eventually top them all and hitting the No.1 spot. The sad thing is, this would be his last number 1 record in the USA. Everything he recorded for the great Chips Moman was pure top-quality, fantastic music...Elvis was truely back with a bang, where he should be, on top of the world again. Again, sadly, it was short-lived.

It's also been said, that Elvis was quite unhappy with what Felton did to "Suspicious Minds"...with the fade in/out bit. Apparently, Elvis first heard it on the radio in his car and went nuts when he heard the fade in/out. And phoned Felton and said, something like, "what the f**k......"

Thanks for the nice thoughts. "Suspicious Minds" was not Elvis' last USA chart-topper -- on November 11, 1972 "Burning Love" made #1 on the Cash Box Top 100.

CASH BOX Top 100 Singles
http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19721111.html

See also -->
Cash Box - November 11, 1972
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=36337

Also, you are mistaken about issues over the release of "Suspicious Minds" -- it was friend Marty Lacker who blew up over what Felton Jarvis did to the finished master of the Mark James song, adding brass at Bill Porter's Las Vegas studio in August, along with a "false fade" ending which he quite rightly surmised might kill the song at radio because it would confuse DJs.

Overdub Session for RCA, August 7-8, 1969 (brass)
http://www.elvisrecordings.com/s690807.htm

Marty, a confidante of Chips Moman, saw the move as part of an ongoing power struggle between Moman and RCA/Jarvis.