Got My Mind Set on You

"(I've) Got My Mind Set on You" is a song written and composed by Rudy Clark and originally recorded by James Ray in 1962. An edited version of the song was released later in the year as a single on the Dynamic Sound label. In 1987, George Harrison released a cover version of the song as a single, and released it on his album, Cloud Nine, which he had recorded on his own Dark Horse Records label.

George Harrison version

"Got My Mind Set on You"
UK picture sleeve
Single by George Harrison
from the album Cloud Nine
B-side	"Lay His Head"
Released	October 12, 1987
Format	Vinyl
Recorded	Friar Park Studios Oxford 1987
Genre	Rock, pop rock
Length	3:51 (original version) 5:17 (extended version)
Label	Dark Horse Records
Writer(s)	Rudy Clark
Producer(s)	Jeff Lynne, George Harrison
George Harrison singles chronology
"Shanghai Surprise" (1986) "Got My Mind Set on You" (1987) "When We Was Fab" (1988)
Cloud Nine track listing "Breath Away from Heaven" (10) "Got My Mind Set on You" (11)

Of Harrison's three number-one singles in the US, it was both the only song not written or composed by Harrison himself and the only one without religious overtones. It also was not only the last US #1 hit by Harrison, but also 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 (discounting Paul McCartney's work with Wings). It also happened to be the #1 single in the US the week immediately preceding the induction of The Beatles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making Harrison one of the few inductees to have an active single on the U.S. record charts at the time of induction. Billboard ranked it as the No. 3 song for 1988.^[1]

The single's B-side is "Lay His Head," a remixed version of the unreleased song from Harrison's originally intended Somewhere in England album. The 12-inch version of the single also adds an extended version of "Got My Mind Set On You."

In the UK the single spent four weeks at number two. It was kept off the number 1 spot by T'Pau's "China in Your Hand."

The song was 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 number 4 on the list.^[2]

Music videos

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. It featured Harrison and the band inside of a movie viewer, while the young man tries to win a toy ballerina for the girl.^[3]

The second, which Weis also directed, depicts Harrison sitting and playing in a study.^[4] As the song progresses, furniture and knick-knacks (like a stuffed squirrel, sentient chainsaw, and mounted stag and 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.^[4]

Track listing

7"

1. "Got My Mind Set on You" – 3:51
2. "Lay His Head" – 3:51

12"

1. "Got My Mind Set on You" (Extended Version) – 5:17
2. "Lay His Head" – 3:51
3. "Got My Mind Set on You" – 3:51

Other covers and parodies

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" poking fun at the repetitive nature of the lyrics.

Shakin' Stevens recorded the song for his 2006 album Now Listen.

Chart positions

Weekly charts Chart (1987–1988) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 1 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 8 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 3 Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[8] 1 France (SNEP)[9] 19 Germany (Official German Charts)[10] 7 Ireland (IRMA)[11] 1 Japan (Oricon)[12] 64 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 4 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 9 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 4 Norway (VG-lista)[16] 10 Poland (LP3)[17] 10 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[18] 5 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 10 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 11 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[21] 2 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[22] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[23] 1 US Cash Box Singles[24] 1 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[25] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1987) Position Canadian Top Singles (RPM)[26] 61 Chart (1988) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[27] 17 Brazil (ABPD)[28] 44 Canadian Top Singles (RPM)[29] 6 US Billboard Hot 100[30] 3

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Sweden (GLF)[31]	Gold	25,000^x
United Kingdom (BPI)[32]	Silver	250,000^^
United States (RIAA)[33]	Gold	1,000,000^^
^^shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone

See also

• Hot 100 number-one hits of 1988 (United States)

References

1. Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1988
2. AOL, 2010.
3. "George Harrison - "Got My Mind Set on You [version 1: nickelodeon]"". mvdbase.com. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
4. "George Harrison - "Got my mind set on you [version 2: chair]"". mvdbase.com. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Note: This reference gives Australian albums and singles information. It is used for chart peak positions as early materials were released before ARIA regulated the Australian charts itself (1989).
6. "Austriancharts.at – George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
7. "Ultratop.be – George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
8. "Radio2 Top 30: George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You | Radio2". VRT Top 30. Radio2. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
9. "Lescharts.com – George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
10. "Musicline.de – George Harrison Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Got My Mind Set On You". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
12. "George Harrison – Chart Archives on the Japanese Oricon Top 100". Homepage1.nifty.com. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
13. "Nederlandse Top 40 – George Harrison search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
14. "Dutchcharts.nl – George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
15. "Charts.org.nz – George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
16. "Norwegiancharts.com – George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You". VG-lista. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
17. "Got My Mind Set On You – George Harrison" (in Polish). LP3. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
18. "South African Rock Lists Website – SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (H)". Springbok Radio. rock.co.za. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
19. "Swedishcharts.com – George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You". Singles Top 100. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
20. "Swisscharts.com – George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
21. "George Harrison – Chart Archives in the UK". Homepage1.nifty.com. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
22. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 112.
23. "George Harrison – Chart Archives on the Billboard Hot 100". Homepage1.nifty.com. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
24. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – 1987". Cash Box Charts. Cash Box Magazine. Archived from the original on August 14, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
25. "Cloud Nine – George Harrison | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
26. "Top Singles – Volume 47, No. 12, December 26 1987". RPM Magazine. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
27. "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Singles 1988". Kent Music Report. ARIA Charts. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
28. "George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You". Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. Steve Hawtin. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
29. "Barry's Hits of All Decades Pop rock n roll Music Chart Hits". RPM Magazine. Hits of All Time. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
30. "Top 100 Hits of 1988/Top 100 Songs of 1988". Billboard Magazine. Music Outfitters, Inc. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
31. "Swedish single certifications – George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You". IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
32. "British single certifications – George Harrison". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 26, 2015. Enter George Harrison in the field Search. Select Artist in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
33. Womack, Kenneth (June 30, 2014). Beatles Encyclopedia, The: Everything Fab Four. ABC-CLIO.

External links

• Got My Mind Set On You by George Harrison - Songfacts
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics