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Mark James, Grammy-Winning Songwriter of ‘Always on My Mind,’ Dead at 83
Mark James, Grammy-winning songwriter of "Always on My Mind," is dead at 83. James' other songs included "Suspicious Minds" and 'Hooked on a Feeling."
(Pet Shop Boys’ 1988 EDM version of this classic ballad served as a reminder that a great song can be interpreted any number of ways.) 1 on the Hot 100 when Blue Swede, a Swedish group, recorded “Hooked on a Feeling.” The song was propelled by a punchy performance and, especially, an “ooga chaka” introduction (borrowed from a 1971 cover by Jonathan King) that was at once grating and fiendishly clever. Mark James attends Songwriters Hall of Fame 45th Annual Induction And Awards at Marriott Marquis Theater on June 12, 2014 in New York City.
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