Always on My Mind

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"You Were Always on My Mind"
Single by Gwen McCrae
A-side "He's Not You"
Released March 28, 1972
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Steve Alaimo
"Always on My Mind"
Single by Brenda Lee
from the album Brenda
B-side "That Ain't Right"
Released June 1972
Studio American Sound (Memphis, Tennessee)
Genre Country
Length 2:50
Label Decca
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Owen Bradley
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Misty Memories"
(1971)		 "Always on My Mind"
(1972)		 "Nobody Wins"
(1973)

"Always on My Mind" is a ballad written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James, first recorded by Brenda Lee, and first released by Gwen McCrae (as "You Were Always on My Mind") in March 1972. Lee's version was released three months later in June 1972. The song has been a crossover hit, charting in both the country and western and pop categories. Elvis Presley's recording was the first hit version of the song.

AllMusic lists more than 300 recorded releases of the song in versions by dozens of performers.[1] While Lee's version reached no. 45 on the US country chart in 1972, other performers reached the Top 20 on the country and/or pop charts in the United States and elsewhere with their own versions: Elvis Presley (1972, US country; UK pop Top Ten); John Wesley Ryles (1979, US country) and Willie Nelson's Grammy Award-winning version (1982, US/Canada country number one; US/Canada pop Top Ten). Plus the Pet Shop Boys' 1987 hi-NRG/synth-pop interpretation (UK number one; US Top Ten).

Background and composition

"Always on My Mind" did not see completion until late 1971. Songwriter-guitarist Wayne Carson had about two verses done, with the working title "You Were Always on My Mind".[2] He had been occupied in Memphis on a project that required him to stay ten days longer, and he phoned his wife in Springfield, Missouri, to apologize for the delay. She was angry, and he replied: "Well, I know I’ve been gone a lot, but I’ve been thinking about you all the time." This idea struck him as potential song material, and he quickly ended the call so he could capture it on paper. He brought the song back to the recording studio of Chips Moman and worked on it for a few days, but it did not jell. Carson asked for help from his colleague Johnny Christopher (the two had already written the hit song "No Love at All" in 1970) and they composed more of it in Moman's office. Feeling stuck, they appealed for assistance from songwriter Mark James who was walking through the studio. James was exhausted from non-stop music projects but he ran through the song with Carson and Christopher. By the fourth run-through, the song was finished.[3]

Music critic Robert Hilburn said that it was commonly thought in Nashville and Memphis that Elvis Presley's marital troubles were the inspiration of the song, and that it was tailored to fit his musical style. Fueling this conjecture was the fact that James had already written a hit song "Suspicious Minds" for Presley. Carson responded that the song was not written for Presley but for every man. He said that it "was one long apology. It’s sort of like all guys who screw up and would love nothing better than to pick up the phone and call their wives and say, 'Listen, honey, I could have done better, but I want you to know that you were always on my mind.'"[3]

Elvis Presley version

"Always on My Mind"
File:Always on My Mind Separate Ways by Elvis Presley picture sleeve.jpg
Picture sleeve (reverse) for North American single with "Separate Ways" in smaller font, also used for some European and Australian releases
Single by Elvis Presley
A-side "Separate Ways"
Released October 31, 1972
Recorded March 29, 1972
Studio RCA (Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length 3:37
Label RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)
  • Wayne Carson
  • Mark James
  • Johnny Christopher
Producer(s) Felton Jarvis[4]
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Burning Love"
(1972)		 "Always on My Mind"
(1972)		 "Fool" / "Steamroller Blues"
(1973)

Elvis Presley recorded "Always on My Mind" on March 29, 1972, a few weeks after his February separation from his wife, Priscilla.[5] The song was popular and critically appreciated and is considered one of Presley's standout songs of the 1970s. The song was released as the B-side of the "Separate Ways" single, which was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of one million units.[6] It was listed as a double A-side, reaching number 16 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart in November 1972.[7] In the United Kingdom, "Always on My Mind" (as the A-side) reached the Top Ten in January 1973. In 2013 the recording ranked number one in a poll conducted by ITV, "The Nation's Favourite Elvis Songs", just ahead of "Suspicious Minds" and "Can't Help Falling in Love".

Charts

1972–1973 chart performance for "Always on My Mind"
Chart (1972–1973) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[8] 10
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[9] 4
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 9
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[11] 9
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] 16
US Country Singles (Cash Box)[13] 30
1997 chart performance for "Always on My Mind"
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[14] 49
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 15
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 17
1999 chart performance for "Always on My Mind"
Chart (1999) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[17] 56
2007 chart performance for "Always on My Mind"
Chart (2007) Peak
position
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 39

Certifications

Certifications for "Always on My Mind"
Region Certification Sales/shipments
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Gold 400,000

xunspecified figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales/streaming figures based on certification alone

John Wesley Ryles version

"You Are Always on My Mind"
Single by John Wesley Ryles
from the album Let the Night Begin
B-side "My Angel Got Her Wings Today"
Released 1979
Genre Country
Length 3:40
Label MCA
Songwriter(s)
  • Wayne Carson
  • Mark James
  • Johnny Christopher
Producer(s) Bob Montgomery
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Liberated Woman"
(1979)		 "You Are Always on My Mind"
(1979)		 "Perfect Strangers"
(1980)

In 1979, John Wesley Ryles reached number 20 on the US Hot Country Songs chart with his rendition, retitled "You Are Always on My Mind", from the album Let the Night Begin.[20] The rendition was produced by Bob Montgomery.[21]

A review in Billboard praised the "brightly mixed vocals" and "powerful production".[21]

Charts

Chart performance for "Always on My Mind"
Chart (1979) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[22] 24
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[23] 20
US Country Singles (Cash Box)[24] 17

Willie Nelson version

"Always on My Mind"
File:Always on My Mind by Willie Nelson US vinyl.jpg
Side-A label of the US 7-inch vinyl
Single by Willie Nelson
from the album Always on My Mind
B-side "The Party's Over"
Released March 6, 1982
Genre Country
Length 3:33
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
  • Johnny Christopher
  • Wayne Carson Thompson
  • Mark James
Producer(s) Chips Moman
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Heartaches of a Fool"
(1981)		 "Always on My Mind"
(1982)		 "Let It Be Me"
(1982)
Audio sample
"Always on My Mind"

Willie Nelson recorded and released the song in early 1982. It raced to number one on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart that May, spending two weeks on top and a total of 21 weeks on the chart. The song also fared well on Top 40 radio, reaching number five on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and staying on that chart for 23 weeks. It was the best-performing single on the Hot Country Singles year-end chart of 1982. This version also charted in a number of other countries. The single was certified platinum by the RIAA on October 7, 1991.[25]

Nelson's version resulted in three wins at the 25th Grammy Awards in February 1983: songwriters Christopher, James, and Carson won Song of the Year and Best Country Song; in addition, Nelson won for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. This version also won Country Music Association Awards in two consecutive years: 1982 Song of the Year and 1983 Song of the Year for songwriters Christopher, James and Carson; 1982 Single of the Year for Nelson; and contributed to Nelson winning 1982 Album of the Year for the album Always on My Mind.

Nelson performed the song with Johnny Cash on the 1998 release of VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson. The song was also featured in a December 2009 ASPCA commercial. In 2008, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

In 2013, Nelson's version was also featured in its entirety in a season two episode of the HBO series The Newsroom.

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Always on My Mind"
Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[25] Platinum 1,000,000

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Pet Shop Boys version

"Always on My Mind"
AlwaysOnMyMind.jpg
Standard artwork for commercial releases in most territories
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album It Couldn't Happen Here
B-side "Do I Have To?"
Released November 30, 1987[44]
Recorded 1987
Genre
Length 3:56
Label Parlophone
Songwriter(s)
  • Wayne Carson
  • Johnny Christopher
  • Mark James
Producer(s)
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Rent"
(1987)		 "Always on My Mind"
(1987)		 "Heart"
(1988)
"Always on My Mind / In My House"
Song by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Introspective
Released October 10, 1988
Genre
Length 9:05
Label Parlophone
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

In 1987, the Pet Shop Boys performed a synth-pop version of "Always on My Mind" on Love Me Tender, a television special on ITV in the United Kingdom. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of Presley's death, the programme featured various popular acts of the time performing cover versions of his songs. The Pet Shop Boys' performance was so well-received that the duo decided to record the song and release it as a single.[45]

This hi-NRG[46][47] and dance-pop[48] version became the UK's Christmas number-one single that year – edging out "Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues – spending four weeks atop the chart.[49] It also reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their fifth and last top ten hit.[50]

The Pet Shop Boys version introduces a harmonic variation not present in the original version. In the original, the ending phrase "always on my mind" is sung to a IV-V7-I cadence (C-D7-G). The Pet Shop Boys extend this cadence by adding two further chords: C-D7-Gm7/B♭-C-G (i.e. a progression of IV-V7-IIIb-IV-I).

In November 2004, The Daily Telegraph placed the version at number two in a list of the 50 best cover versions of all time.[51] In October 2014, a public poll compiled by the BBC saw the song voted the all-time best cover version.[52]

In the video for Pet Shop Boys' version of "Always on My Mind" (an excerpt from their surreal music film It Couldn't Happen Here), Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are seated in the front of a taxi cab, when an eccentric passenger gets in, played by British actor Joss Ackland. At the end of the song, he gets out of the car, which drives away. Standing alone, he mutters: "You went away. It should make me feel better. But I don't know how I'm going to get through", which is part of the lyrics for another Pet Shop Boys song, "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", released earlier in the year.

In 1988, the duo remixed the song for their third studio album, Introspective, combining it with the acid house[53][54] track "In My House". Two further remixes by longtime Pet Shop Boys remixer, Shep Pettibone, were released on the US promotional triple vinyl version of the album—Shep's Holiday Mix and Shep's House Mix. Neither have appeared on any other format since.

In 2008, the song was used in the video game Dance Dance Revolution X, which was released for both arcades and the PlayStation 2 console. In 2010, the song was re-used for Dance Dance Revolution X2 which was released for arcades.

In 2017, Burberry released its holiday campaign, as directed by Alasdair McLellan, which features Cara Delevingne and actor Matt Smith. It opens with Delevingne singing "Always on My Mind" before segueing into the Pet Shop Boys cover of the song.[55]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Always on My Mind"
Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[88] Gold 5,000
Singapore 20,000[89]
United Kingdom (BPI)[90] Gold 500,000
United States 270,000[91]

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References

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Bibliography

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  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Elvis Presley – Always on My Mind" (in French). Ultratop 50.
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  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Always on My Mind". Irish Singles Chart.
  11. ↑ "Elvis Presley: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  12. ↑ "Elvis Presley – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Elvis Presley.
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  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Elvis Presley – Always on My Mind" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  15. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Elvis Presley search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  16. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Elvis Presley – Always on My Mind" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Elvis Presley – Always on My Mind" (in French). Les classement single.
  18. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Elvis Presley – Always on My Mind". Swiss Singles Chart.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Always on My Mind in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
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  22. ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 6890a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  23. ↑ Illegal name entered John Wesley Ryles/Template:BillboardEncode/J/chart?f=357 "John Wesley Ryles – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for John Wesley Ryles.
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  27. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Willie Nelson – Always on My Mind" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  28. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4361." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  29. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 6537." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  30. ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 6534." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  31. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Willie Nelson search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  32. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Willie Nelson – Always on My Mind" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  33. ↑ "Willie Nelson: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  34. ↑ "Willie Nelson – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Willie Nelson.
  35. ↑ "Willie Nelson – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Willie Nelson.
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  58. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Pet Shop Boys – Always on My Mind" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
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