"Got My Mind Set on You" is a song written by Rudy Clark and originally recorded by James Ray in 1962.
It is best known for the cover version released by George Harrison in 1987.
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| "Got My Mind Set On You" | |||||||||||||
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| Single by George Harrison | |||||||||||||
| from the album Cloud Nine | |||||||||||||
| B-side | "Lay His Head" | ||||||||||||
| Released | 12 October 1987 | ||||||||||||
| Format | Vinyl | ||||||||||||
| Recorded | Friar Park Studios Oxford 1987 | ||||||||||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||||||||||
| Length | 3:51 (album version) 5:17 (extended version) |
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| Label | Dark Horse Records | ||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Rudy Clark | ||||||||||||
| Producer | Jeff Lynne George Harrison |
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| George Harrison singles chronology | |||||||||||||
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Of Harrison's three number-one singles in the U.S., it was the only song not written by Harrison and the only one without religious overtones. Not only was this the last US number-one hit by Harrison, but from any of the Ex-Beatles in the US. When the song hit #1, it broke a three-way tie among Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr, all of whom had two #1 hit singles as solo artists. Paul McCartney leads in this category, with nine #1 hits in the U.S. The single's B-side is "Lay His Head", written by Harrison. The 12-inch version of the single also adds an extended version of "Got My Mind Set On You". The single was also featured on his October, 1988 album Cloud Nine.
In the UK the single spent four weeks at number two. It was kept off the #1 spot by T'Pau's "China in Your Hand".
The song was also included in the Harrison compilation albums Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989 (1989) and Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison (2009). A live version was recorded for his Live in Japan (1992) album.
In 2010, AOL radio listeners chose "Got My Mind Set on You" as one of the 10 Best George Harrison Songs, appearing at #4 on the list.[1]
Two music videos were released for the cover version.
The first (directed by Gary Weis) starred a young Alexis Denisof vying for the heart of a girl in an amusement arcade.[2]
The second, also directed by Weis, is Harrison sitting and playing in a study.[3] As the song progresses, furniture and knick-knacks (like a stuffed squirrel and mounted warthog) begin to dance along with the song. In the middle of the video, Harrison (through the use of a stunt double) performs a backflip from his chair and follows it with a dance routine before jumping back to his seat.
The second received significant airplay, and was nominated for three MTV VMAs.[3]
Harrison's version of the song was parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic on his 1988 album Even Worse, as "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long".
Shakin' Stevens recorded the song for his 2006 album Now Listen.
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart[4] | 8 |
| French SNEP Top 100 Singles Chart[4] | 19 |
| German Singles Chart | 7 |
| Japanese Oricon Singles Chart[5] | 64 |
| Norway VG-lista Singles Chart[4] | 10 |
| Swedish Singles Chart[4] | 10 |
| Swiss Singles Chart[4] | 11 |
| UK Singles Chart[6] | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[7] | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[8] | 1 |
| Preceded by "You Win Again" by Bee Gees |
Irish IRMA number-one single 14 November 1987 |
Succeeded by "China in Your Hand" by T'Pau |
| Preceded by "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes |
Billboard Adult Contemporary (chart) number-one single December 19, 1987 - January 9, 1988 |
Succeeded by "Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac |
| Preceded by "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single January 16, 1988 |
Succeeded by "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson |
| Preceded by "Faith" by George Michael |
Canadian RPM Singles Chart number-one single January 16, 1988 - January 30, 1988 |
Succeeded by "Could've Been" by Tiffany |
| Australian Music Report Singles Chart number-one single 25 January 1988 |
Succeeded by "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes |
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