# Who plays the drums on George Harrison’s 1987 hit ‘I Got My Mind Set On You’?

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/who-plays-the-drums-on-george-harrisons-1987-hit-i-got-my-mind-set-on-you/
- Published: 2026-11-15T15:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-15T16:22:19+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/who-plays-the-drums-on-george-harrisons-1987-hit-i-got-my-mind-set-on-you/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Jim Keltner played drums on Harrison’s 1987 hit.
- He also created a loop using an E-mu SP-1200 sampler.
- The song helped Harrison return to chart success.

## Summary

George Harrison’s 1987 hit ‘Got My Mind Set On You’ featured session drummer Jim Keltner, who helped shape its sound with an electronic drum sampler. The track marked a return to chart success after Harrison’s previous album, Gone Troppo, had flopped, and showed how he embraced new recording technology.

Keltner brought an E-mu SP-1200 sampling machine to a session at Harrison’s Friar Park home, where he had sampled drum sounds and used his fingers to play a bass drum and snare loop. Producer Jeff Lynne was also involved; the article says the song’s blend of collaboration and technology helped bring Harrison back to the top of the charts.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.