Elvis Presley with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Always On My Mind

“Always on My Mind” – Single by Elvis Presley from the album Separate Ways.
A-side: “Separate Ways”
Released: October 31, 1972
Songwriters: Wayne Carson, Mark James, Johnny Christopher.

“Always on My Mind” is a timeless classic that was originally written by songwriters Johnny Christopher, Mark James, and Wayne Carson. However, it was the legendary Elvis Presley who truly brought the song to life with his heartfelt rendition. Released in 1972, this beautiful ballad quickly became one of Presley’s signature songs, touching millions of hearts around the world.

Some sources claim B.J. Thomas was the first to record this song, but his version wasn’t released until it appeared on a compilation in 1996. Elvis Presley recorded it on March 29, 1972, but his version wasn’t released until that November. By then, versions by Brenda Lee and Gwen McCrae (titled “You Were Always On My Mind”) were already on the market; Lee’s rendition went to #45 on the Country chart September 2, 1972.

Elvis Presley recorded “Always on My Mind” in March of 1972, just a few weeks after his official separation from his wife Priscilla. But it was released as a single with a song that seemed more fitting: “Separate Ways,” about a divorced dad. “Always On My Mind” later became a key song in his canon, but it reached just #16 on the Country chart, as “Separate Ways” got most of the airplay.

Elvis Presley with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
(‘The Wonder of You’ album 2016)

‘Always On My Mind’
(writer: Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, Mark James)

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