Why The Beatles Rejected One of George Harrison’s Biggest Hits

George Harrison didn’t get the same opportunities to lead Beatles songs as Paul McCartney and John Lennon. He did write several hits, including “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun,” but many of the songs he wrote were rejected or saved for future projects. The Beatles almost used one of the biggest hits from his solo career, but Lennon and McCartney ultimately rejected it.

George Harrison recorded a cover of ‘Got My Mind Set on You’

George Harrison became known as the “dark horse” of The Beatles due to his surprising success in his solo career. However, in 1982, Harrison took a five-year hiatus from music. He returned in 1987 with “Got My Mind Set on You,” the first single from his upcoming album, Cloud Nine. The song is a cover of a little-known song written by Rudy Clark and recorded by James Ray.

In the book George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters, Harrison explained how the album came together and why he enjoyed doing covers. 

“I had a lot of demos,” he said. “I played them to [the Eclectic Light Orchestra’s] Jeff [Lynne]; he picked them out. I asked him to write me a song, too. Since I’ve been not making albums, I’ve done a lot of other people’s songs. Just as demos, some old tunes, I do a quick version. I like the idea of singing somebody else’s songs.”

George Harrison wanted to record his cover with The Beatles, but John Lennon and Paul McCartney rejected it

While “Got My Mind Set on You” became a hit for Harrison, he wanted to record it for The Beatles. According to Express, Harrison pitched the song to Lennon and McCartney, but the two turned it down. It’s reported that the songwriting duo didn’t want to do a cover, which sounds somewhat hypocritical. 

The Beatles recorded plenty of covers. One of their biggest hits was a cover of “Twist and Shout.” They also did a few covers of songs by Little Richard and Chuck Berry. Indeed, most of the covers they did were early in their career, so it’s possible they wanted to move forward with primarily originals. However, it turned out to be the wrong decision. 

‘Got My Mind Set on You’ became his third No. 1 hit

Rejecting “Got My Mind Set on You” might be a decision McCartney regrets, as George Harrison succeeded with it outside The Beatles. It became his third No. 1 hit, joining “My Sweet Lord” and “Give Me Love.” He also became the first Beatle in their solo career to reach three No. 1 singles. 

The track reached No. 1 in the U.S. only a week before The Beatles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, making Harrison one of the few artists to have a No. 1 hit around their induction. However, the song only stayed at the top of the chart for one week as it was dethroned by Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel.”