Got My Mind Set on You explained

I've Got My Mind Set on You
Cover:File:Got My Mind Set on You.png
Caption:B-side label of US single
A-Side:Always
Type:song
Artist:James Ray with Hutch Davie Orchestra & Chorus
Released:December 8, 1962
Recorded:1962
Length:3:26
Label:Dynamic Sound
Producer:Hutch Davie

"Got My Mind Set on You" (also written as "(Got My Mind) Set on You") is a song written and composed by Rudy Clark and originally recorded by James Ray in 1962, under the title "I've Got My Mind Set on You". An edited version of the song was released later in the year as a single on Dynamic Sound Records credited to Ray with Hutch Davie Orchestra & Chorus. The song features a variety of instruments, including a Chinese Lute, but it is unsure whether Ray or the orchestra played the lute.

In 1987, George Harrison released a cover version of the song on his album Cloud Nine, which he had recorded on his Dark Horse Records label.

George Harrison version

Got My Mind Set on You
Cover:Got My Mind Set on You.jpg
Border:yes
Caption:Standard artwork
Type:single
Artist:George Harrison
Album:Cloud Nine
B-Side:Lay His Head
Released:October 12, 1987[1]
Recorded:January–August 1987
Studio:Friar Park Studios, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
Length:3:50
Label:Dark Horse
Prev Title:Shanghai Surprise
Prev Year:1986
Next Title:When We Was Fab
Next Year:1988

The first time Harrison heard the song was during a visit to his sister in the United States in 1963—five months before the Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. His sister lived in the countryside of Illinois. While there, Harrison visited record shops and bought a variety of albums. One was Ray's 1962 album that contained the song "I've Got My Mind Set on You". In January 1987, Harrison began recording the song at his Friar Park home studio, with Jeff Lynne producing and playing bass and keyboards, Jim Keltner on drums, Jim Horn on sax, and Ray Cooper on percussion.[2]

It was released on October 12, 1987 in the US. Of Harrison's three number-one singles in the US, it was the only song not written or composed by Harrison himself. Not only was it the last US No. 1 hit by Harrison, but,, the last time a former Beatle hit No. 1 in either the US or UK as a solo artist. When the song hit No. 1, it broke a three-way tie between Harrison, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr, all of whom had two No. 1 hit singles as solo artists (Paul McCartney had 3 solo No. 1 singles and an additional 6 with Wings[3]). It also happened to be the No. 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 US record charts at the time of induction. Billboard ranked the song as No. 3 for 1988.[4]

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, it was released on October 16,[5] and spent four weeks at number two. It was kept off the number-1 spot by T'Pau's "China in Your Hand" becoming the 5th best selling single of 1987.

The song was included in the Harrison compilation albums Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989 (1989) and (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.[6]

Music videos

Two music videos were released for the single, both directed by Gary Weis. The first features a young man (played by Alexis Denisof) trying to win the heart of a girl in an amusement arcade. While the girl watches Harrison and his band (including Jeff Lynne on bass) in a kinetoscope movie viewer, the young man tries to win a toy ballerina for the girl. He succeeds, but the ballerina somehow drops into Harrison's performance, to the girl's amusement.[7]

The second video, inspired by the then-recently released comedy horror film Evil Dead II, depicts Harrison playing a blonde-colored Fender Telecaster guitar while seated in a study.[8] [9] [10] As the song progresses, furniture and knick-knacks (including a stuffed squirrel, sentient chainsaw, a suit of armor, and mounted stag and warthog) begin to sing or 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. It was choreographed by Vincent Paterson.[11] [12]

The second video received significant airplay and was nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards.

Personnel

Credits sourced from Andrew Jackson and Mix[13] [14]

Track listings

7-inch

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

12-inch

  1. "Got My Mind Set on You" (Extended Version) – 5:17
  2. "Got My Mind Set on You" – 3:51
  3. "Lay His Head" – 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. Irish-Australian singer–songwriter Damien Leith recorded the song in 2012 for his album Now & Then. Irish singer Lee Matthews covered it in his 2015 album It's a Great Day to Be Alive. British entertainer and musician Warren James performed the song following his 2003 live performance for the show business charity the Grand Order of Water Rats—an organisation that Harrison was an active member of. Brandon Flowers recorded the song in 2014 for his 2016 album George Fest.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1987–1988)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[15] 1
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[16] 1
Canada RPM Top Singles[17] 1
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[18] 2
Denmark (IFPI)[19] 2
Japan (Oricon)[20] 64
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[21] 5
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[22] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[23] 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[24] 1
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[25] 4
US Cash Box Singles[26] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1987)Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[27] 95
Canadian Top Singles (RPM)[28] 61
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[29] 84
UK Singles (OCC)[30] 15
Chart (1988)Position
Australia (ARIA)[31] 17
Brazil (ABPD)[32] 44
Canadian Top Singles (RPM)[33] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[34] 3
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[35] 3
West Germany (Official German Charts)[36] 60

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Smith . Robin . October 17, 1987 . Index: Releases . . 8 . 0144-5804.
  2. Womack, Kenneth. "How George Harrison made his last number 1 hit, 'Got My Mind Set On You'". Salon. February 24, 2020.
  3. Paul McCartney | Biography, Music & News . .
  4. [Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1988]
  5. Book: Badman, Keith . The Beatles After the Breakup 1970-2000: A day-by-day diary . 2001 . Omnibus Press . London . 0-7119-7520-5 .
  6. Web site: 10 Best George Harrison Songs . Scott Shetler . AOL Radio Blog . .
  7. Web site: George Harrison – "Got My Mind Set on You [version 1: nickelodeon]" |publisher=mvdbase.com |access-date=April 23, 2009 |archive-date=October 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007235854/http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=12647 |url-status=dead ].
  8. Web site: George Harrison – "Got my mind set on you [version 2: chair]" |publisher=mvdbase.com |access-date=April 23, 2009 |archive-date=October 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007235859/http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=12648 |url-status=dead ].
  9. GeorgeHarrison . 1375114904152154112 . March 25, 2021 . The music video for George's "Got My Mind Set on You" was a spoof of the 1987 horror comedy film, 'Evil Dead II' and was his third #1 single in the US... . https://twitter.com/georgeharrison/status/1375114904152154112 . January 5, 2022.
  10. Web site: The Number Ones: George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set On You" . Breihan . Tom . April 7, 2021 . . January 5, 2022.
  11. Web site: Got My Mind Set On You. September 14, 2023 . The Beatles Bible.
  12. https://msaagency.com/wp-content/themes/msa_twentytwo/profile_pdf/vincent-paterson-3159.pdf{{bare URL PDF|date=March 2024}}
  13. Book: Jackson, Andrew . Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of The Beatles' Solo Careers . Scarecrow Press . 2012 . 978-0-8108-8222-5 . 199.
  14. Web site: Classic Tracks: George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set on You" . 2023-05-18 . mixonline.com . December 2011 .
  15. Book: Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 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).
  16. Web site: Radio2 Top 30: George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You | Radio2. Radio2. VRT Top 30. September 26, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150927120805/http://www.radio2.be/top-30/song/3091. September 27, 2015.
  17. Web site: RPM 100 Singles (January 16, 1988). July 17, 2013 . Library and Archives Canada. August 24, 2018.
  18. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . December 26, 1987 . April 1, 2019.
  19. Danish Singles Chart December 18, 1987
  20. Web site: George Harrison – Chart Archives on the Japanese Oricon Top 100. Homepage1.nifty.com. September 26, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201239/http://homepage1.nifty.com/tuty/after_beatles_george_singlechartaction_japan.htm. March 3, 2016. dead.
  21. Web site: South African Rock Lists Website – SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (H). rock.co.za. Springbok Radio. September 26, 2015.
  22. Web site: George Harrison – Chart Archives in the UK. Homepage1.nifty.com. September 26, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20120211105028/http://homepage1.nifty.com/tuty/after_beatles_george_singlechartaction_uk.htm. February 11, 2012. dead.
  23. Web site: George Harrison – Chart Archives on the Billboard Hot 100. Homepage1.nifty.com. September 26, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20120923035507/http://homepage1.nifty.com/tuty/after_beatles_george_singlechartaction_usa.htm. September 23, 2012. dead.
  24. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Joel Whitburn. 2002. Record Research. 112.
  25. Web site: Cloud Nine – George Harrison | Awards | AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. AllMusic. September 26, 2015.
  26. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 Singles – 1987 . Cash Box Magazine . Cash Box Charts . September 26, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120814105041/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1988.html . August 14, 2012 .
  27. Web site: Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987. Australian Music Report. Imgur. December 11, 2019.
  28. Web site: Top Singles – Volume 47, No. 12, December 26 1987. Library and Archives Canada. RPM Magazine. September 26, 2015.
  29. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1987. Dutch Top 40. February 28, 2022.
  30. Gallup Year End Charts 1987: Singles . . Spotlight Publications . London, England . 36 . January 23, 1988.
  31. Web site: ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Singles 1988. ARIA Charts. Kent Music Report. September 26, 2015.
  32. Web site: George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You. Steve Hawtin. Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. September 26, 2015.
  33. Web site: Barry's Hits of All Decades Pop rock n roll Music Chart Hits. Hits of All Time. RPM Magazine. September 26, 2015.
  34. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1988/Top 100 Songs of 1988. Music Outfitters, Inc.. Billboard Magazine. September 26, 2015.
  35. Web site: Billboard.BIZ . Billboard.BIZ . December 31, 1988 . January 8, 2012.
  36. Web site: Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts. German. GfK Entertainment. offiziellecharts.de. February 28, 2022.