Song

STORY BEHIND the

Can you settle a pub argument? My pal insists George Harrison’s Got My Mind Set On You is actually a cover version of an old ’60s song. I’m convinced the former Beatle wrote it himself. Who’s right? – G.

You might need to buy your friend a drink. The song was written by Rudy Clark and recorded by R&B star James Ray in 1962. As Beatlemania swept the world, Harrison picked up a copy of the single when visiting his sister in the US.

Twenty-five years later, he decided to cover the song during recording sessions for his Cloud Nine album.

Got My Mind Set On You reached No 2, Harrison’s biggest hit since My Sweet Lord in 1971.