George Harrison had a number one hit with Got My Mind Set on You in January of 1988. It was his last number one hit and the only one he didn’t write himself. The song was written by Rudy Clark and first recorded by James Ray in 1962. Harrison first heard it in 1963 while visiting his sister in Illinois, where he bought several albums, one of which was James Ray’s 1962 album containing the song. As a single, it was the B-side of the song Always.
It is perhaps the greatest irony of the Beatles “Dark Horse,” George Harrison, that what is perhaps his most recognizable hit from 1987 was the only one he didn’t write himself. He first discovered the song in 1963 during a visit to see his sister in Illinois, where he bought a copy of James Ray’s debut album. While the song sounds like a straightforward 80s pop anthem, its roots are deep in 1960s New York soul, written by a mailman-turned-songwriter named Rudy Clark.
Rudy Clark, who started out as a mailman in New York City in 1961, wrote many songs performed by artists such as James Ray, King Curtis, Wayne Newton, Ben E. King, Wilson Pickett, The Four Tops, and others. Several of the songs he wrote reached the top 100 in several charts including the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B, including at least six in the top 40.
The Folk Mystery: House of the Rising Sun: Many assume The Animals wrote this blues-rock classic in 1964, but it is actually an ancient folk song with roots stretching back to 16th-century ballads. Before Eric Burdon ever took the mic, folk legends like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan had already recorded their own versions of this haunting tale.
Read the Full History: House of the Rising Sun
His first songs were recorded by James Ray whose most famous hit was If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody, written by Rudy Clark. It reached number 1- on the Billboard R&B chart and 22 on the Hot 100 in 1962. Clark met Ray after seeing him perform in a small nightclub and suggested that he record some of his songs after Gerry Granahan of Caprice Records became interested. Rudy Clark was also close friends with singer Bobby Darin, who employed him in his TM Music/Trio music company.
Angel of the Morning: The Pre-Juice Newton Hits: Juice Newton’s 1981 version is the most famous, but the song was a hit twice before she ever touched it. It was originally recorded in 1968 and again in 1970, written by the same songwriter behind the rock anthem “Wild Thing.”
Read the Full Investigation: Angel of the Morning
George Harrison originally released his cover version of Got My Mind Set On You as a single and then on his album, Cloud Nine, which was released under his own label, Dark Horse Records.
Frequently Asked Questions: Got My Mind Set on You
Who wrote “I Got My Mind Set on You”? The song was written by Rudy Clark, a former New York mailman who also penned hits like “It’s in His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)” and “Good Lovin’.”
Where did George Harrison find the original song? George bought James Ray’s 1962 self-titled album at a record store in Benton, Illinois, in September 1963 while visiting his sister, Louise. He was the first Beatle to visit America, five months before the rest of the band arrived for The Ed Sullivan Show.
Was George Harrison’s version a direct cover? Not quite. Harrison and producer Jeff Lynne “modernized” the song significantly. They removed the “screeching girl singers” and the old-fashioned waltz-style orchestration from the James Ray original to create the synth-heavy 80s pop sound we know today.
Is “Got My Mind Set on You” a love song? While widely interpreted as a song about romantic determination, some listeners find the lyrics, which focus entirely on “patience, time, and money” without ever mentioning “love”, to be a bit obsessive or even humorous. Harrison himself liked the “strangeness” of the earworm chorus.
Who is the girl in the music video? The blonde girl featured in the “taxidermy room” music video is model Sarah Bishop. The video became an MTV staple, famous for the dancing furniture and George’s backflip (performed by a stunt double).
📊 Quick Facts: I Got My Mind Set on You
- First Recorded By: James Ray (1962)
- Most Famous Version: George Harrison (1987)
- Songwriter: Rudy Clark
- The Harrison Connection: George bought the album at a record store in Benton, Illinois, a full year before the Beatles took America by storm.
- Chart Success: The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1988, making it the last #1 hit by any former Beatle.
📚 Further Reading
- Who Did As Tears Go By First?
- The Original Tainted Love by Gloria Jones
- Who Sang Angel of the Morning First?
- The Origins of House of the Rising Sun