To begin with, “If You’ve Got Trouble” is a Beatles recording from 1965. However, there was no commercially available version of the song available until 1996 with the release of the Anthology 2 album.
In Detail
Album
Recorded: 18th February, 1965
Studio: EMI Studios
Genre: Rock
Track Duration: 2:49
Record Label: Apple Records
Songwriter: Lennon-McCartney
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Performers
Anthology 2 Album (1996)
John Lennon: backing vocal, also the rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: backing vocal, also the bass guitar
George Harrison: lead guitar
Track Source
If You’ve Got Trouble
This Lennon-McCartney song could have been a track on the 1965 album, “Help!” Indeed, it may even have found its way into the “Help!” film too. Not only did the song not make the grade but they totally forgot about it.
“We’ve just come across that, and it’s the most weird song. I’ve no recollection of ever recording it. It’s got stupid words and is the naffest song. No wonder it didn’t make it onto anything.”
George Harrison
Anthology
Sung by Ringo Starr, “If You’ve Got Trouble” was to be his song in the “Help!” project. However, his vocal appearance on the album came by the way of the song, “Act Naturally” instead. That song didn’t appear in the film, of course.
“I recorded a song for the Help! album that was never released – If You’ve Got Trouble. George Martin found it in the vaults of EMI studios.”
Ringo Starr
Anthology
Although the recording is from 1965, we had to wait over 30 years before we could buy a version of it in the shops.
Recording Studio
The Beatles recorded “If You’ve Got Trouble” on the 18th February, 1965, in Studio Two of the EMI Studios, London, during the 6.00pm-10.30pm session. They only recorded one take of the rhythm track and then overdubbed the vocals and the guitar tracks on the same day.
Harrison performed a guitar solo on a Fender Stratocaster but nothing could save this song, they just didn’t like it. In fact, just before the guitar solo, take a listen how Ringo Starr desperately sings “Ah, rock on – anybody!” The band clearly had no interest in the song, and Starr’s desperate plea just about sums up their feelings.
They shelved the song and then forgot about it. Obviously, the prolific songwriters had much more material available and so it remained in the vault for a very long time.
