George Harrison's spirited 1980s comeback was perfectly encapsulated by this catchy tune and its iconic, whimsical video.
The Song
Originally titled "I've Got My Mind Set on You," the song was written by Rudy Clark and first recorded by R&B singer James Ray in 1962. George Harrison discovered Ray's album during a visit to his sister in Illinois in 1963, years before The Beatles' Ed Sullivan appearance, and the tune stayed with him.
Harrison's cover, simply titled "Got My Mind Set On You," was recorded in early 1987 at his Friar Park home studio. He updated the song, changing some chords and transforming it from Ray's more jazz/swing-era sound into a polished, upbeat pop-rock track with the help of co-producer Jeff Lynne of ELO. The track features Harrison on vocals and guitar, Lynne on guitar, bass, and keyboards, Jim Keltner on drums, Jim Horn on saxophone, and Ray Cooper on percussion.
The Artist
George Harrison released "Got My Mind Set On You" in October 1987 as the lead single from his eleventh studio album, Cloud Nine. The album marked a significant comeback for Harrison after a five-year hiatus from recording, following his less commercially successful 1982 album Gone Troppo. Cloud Nine proved to be a critical and commercial success, largely driven by the infectious popularity of this single.
Chart Performance
"Got My Mind Set On You" was a massive international hit, peaking at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1988, marking Harrison's third solo US chart-topper. It remained the last time a former Beatle hit number one in either the US or UK as a solo artist. The song also reached number two in the UK and topped the charts in Canada. Billboard ranked it as the number three song for 1988. Its success helped propel the Cloud Nine album to number eight on the Billboard 200 and to sales of over a million copies.
Cultural Impact
The music video for "Got My Mind Set On You" played a pivotal role in its immense popularity, receiving heavy rotation on MTV and VH1. It introduced George Harrison to a new generation of music fans who might not have been familiar with his previous work, showcasing a lighter, more whimsical side of the usually "Quiet Beatle." The video's quirky humor and surreal visuals captured widespread attention and contributed to the song's widespread appeal. The song's success also came just a week before The Beatles' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making Harrison one of the few inductees to have an active number-one single at the time.
Fun Facts
- There were actually two distinct music videos made for "Got My Mind Set On You," both directed by Gary Weis.
- The more famous "dancing furniture" video, which depicts Harrison in a study as inanimate objects come to life, was reportedly inspired by the comedy horror film Evil Dead II.
- The iconic scene where Harrison performs a backflip from his chair was done by a stunt double, which was intentionally made obvious in the re-cut video at Harrison's request so people wouldn't think he could actually do it.
- The special effects in the "dancing furniture" video were achieved manually, with crew members pulling wires to make objects move.
- The first video, directed by Willy Smax, features a young man (played by Alexis Denisof) trying to win a toy ballerina for a girl in an amusement arcade, who is distracted by watching Harrison's performance in a kinetoscope.
- "Got My Mind Set On You" was nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year.