You’ve heard it at every wedding for the last thirty years. That driving, bouncy rhythm, the bright horns, and George Harrison’s unmistakable voice singing about money and time. It’s one of those tracks that feels like it’s just always existed. But the story behind I've Got My Mind Set on You is actually a weird piece of music history. Most people assume it’s a Harrison original. It isn't. It’s a cover. And the original sounds almost nothing like the version that hit Number 1 in 1987.
George was in a strange place in the late eighties. He hadn't released an album in five years. The press was busy calling him the "Quiet Beatle" or the "Forgotten Beatle," and frankly, he seemed fine with that. He was busy gardening and producing movies through his company, Handmade Films. Then, he teamed up with Jeff Lynne from ELO. That partnership changed everything.
The 1962 Origins You Probably Missed
The song was written by Rudy Clark. If that name doesn't ring a bell, Clark also wrote "It’s in His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)." It was originally recorded by James Ray in 1962. Ray was an R&B singer with a voice that could cut through steel, but his life was tragic and short. He died of a drug overdose shortly after his initial success.
Harrison actually bought the James Ray album in 1963. He was visiting his sister Louise in Benton, Illinois. This was right before the Beatles exploded in America. He spent his time hanging out in record shops, picking up obscure soul and R&B 45s that weren't available in the UK. He loved the melody. He loved the sentiment. But it took him nearly a quarter of a century to actually record his own take on it.
The James Ray version is fascinating because it’s much more of a traditional big-band R&B shuffle. It has this gritty, swing-era soul feel. When you listen to it today, you can hear the bones of the hit, but it’s missing that polished, driving propulsion that Jeff Lynne eventually brought to the table. It’s shorter, too. George basically took a forgotten R&B gem and turned it into a synth-pop powerhouse.
Why the 1987 Production Polarized Fans
Jeff Lynne has a very specific "sound." You know it when you hear it. The drums are dry and punchy. The acoustic guitars are layered until they sound like one giant, shimmering instrument. Some purists hated what he did to George. They thought it was too glossy. Too "eighties."
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But look at the charts. It worked.
The song was the lead single for the album Cloud Nine. It didn't just do well; it became Harrison's third and final solo Number 1 hit in the US. There’s something deeply ironic about the fact that a man who helped define the 1960s reached the top of the charts in 1987 by looking back to 1962. It’s a loop.
The recording process at George's home studio, Friar Park, was famously relaxed. George and Jeff would spend hours just talking about old records before even hitting the record button. They wanted a sound that felt modern but used old-school sensibilities. The song’s structure is incredibly repetitive—the lyrics are basically just two verses and a chorus repeated over and over—but the arrangement keeps it from getting boring. There’s a constant build. New instruments keep dropping in. A sax solo here, a drum fill there. It never sits still.
The Music Videos: A Tale of Two Georges
If you grew up with MTV, you remember the video. Or rather, the videos. There were two.
The first one is the "study" video. George is sitting in a room full of taxidermy and old furniture. Suddenly, the furniture starts dancing. A squirrel plays a flute. A deer head sings backup vocals. It’s peak 1980s surrealism. It was directed by Alan Metter, the guy who did Back to School. It’s goofy, charming, and totally captures George’s weird sense of humor. He wasn't taking himself seriously. He was a former Beatle watching a stuffed owl bob its head to his song.
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The second video is more performance-based. It features a lot of double-tracking and George playing various instruments. While less famous, it highlights how much work went into the actual "band" sound of the track, even though it was mostly just George and Jeff in a room.
The success of the song also created a bizarre chart milestone. It made George the artist with the longest gap between his first Number 1 ("My Sweet Lord") and his last. That’s a testament to his longevity. He wasn't just a legacy act; he was a contemporary force.
The "Money" Problem in the Lyrics
Let's talk about the lyrics. I've Got My Mind Set on You is often criticized for being "thin."
"It's gonna take money. A whole lot of spending money."
Critics at the time poked fun at a multi-millionaire rock star singing about needing cash. But that’s missing the point. The song isn't about literal wealth. It’s a play on the effort required for love. In the 1962 context, "spending money" was a common metaphor for the cost of commitment. George kept the lyrics exactly as they were because he appreciated the simplicity. He didn't want to over-intellectualize a pop song. He just wanted something that swung.
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In an era of heavy-handed stadium rock and dark synth-pop, this track felt like a breath of fresh air. It was light. It was fun. Honestly, it’s one of the few songs from that year that doesn't feel dated by its own technology. The "Lynne Sound" has actually come back into fashion recently, with modern indie bands trying to replicate that specific drum snap.
Impact and Legacy
What really happened with the success of this song was a revival of George’s entire career. It led directly to the formation of The Traveling Wilburys. If this song hadn't been a hit, we might never have gotten the supergroup with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne. George felt validated. He felt like he finally had a place in the modern music world that wasn't just "Ex-Beatle."
It’s also worth noting that this was the last Number 1 hit by any of the Beatles until "Now and Then" was released decades later. It served as a final peak for the generation that grew up in the sixties.
People still cover it. You'll hear it in grocery stores, in movies, and at every sporting event. It has a universal appeal because it’s relentless. The beat doesn't let up. It’s a masterclass in how to take a simple idea and polish it until it reflects everything around it.
How to Appreciate the Track Today
If you want to really understand the song, don't just stream it on your phone. Find a way to hear it on a decent set of speakers where you can catch the separation of the guitars.
- Listen to the James Ray original first. Notice the raw soul and the different vocal phrasing. It’s a 192kbps time machine.
- Pay attention to the backing vocals in George’s version. That’s Jeff Lynne’s signature. The "oohs" and "aahs" are layered dozens of times to create a "wall of sound" effect.
- Watch the "taxidermy" music video. It reminds you that George Harrison was actually a very funny, lighthearted person, contrary to his "mystic" reputation.
- Check out the live version from the 1991 Japan tour. It shows that the song could actually work with a full, live band without all the studio wizardry.
The song is a bridge between eras. It’s a 60s soul song, filtered through 80s technology, performed by a 70s icon. It shouldn't work. On paper, it’s a mess of conflicting influences. But in reality, it’s three minutes and fifty-two seconds of pure pop perfection. It proves that a good melody is timeless, regardless of who wrote it or when it was first recorded. George knew a hit when he heard one, even if it took him twenty years to prove it to the rest of us.
To dig deeper into this era of music, look into the production of the Cloud Nine album. It was a turning point that moved classic rock into the modern age without losing its soul. It's the blueprint for how a legacy artist can reinvent themselves without looking desperate. Check out the work of the Traveling Wilburys next; it's the natural evolution of the sound George perfected on this track.