Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and sung by Ringo Starr, ‘If You’ve Got Trouble’ was originally intended to be a part of the non-soundtrack half of the Help! album.
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.
Anthology
The songs given to Starr to sing were never among Lennon and McCartney’s finest: ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ and ‘What Goes On’ were little more than album fillers, and often Starr was left to sing cover versions.
‘If You’ve Got Trouble’ bears the unfortunate hallmarks of the two songwriters going through the motions: uninspired lyrics about diamond rings, “money and things”, references to Starr’s haplessness (his persona within the group’s early years was that of an amiable clown), and a tune which was less than inspired.
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.
In the studio
‘If You’ve Got Trouble’ was recorded in a single take on 18 February 1965, in between two other Lennon–McCartney songs – ‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’ and ‘Tell Me What You See’.
The rhythm track was recorded first, at 6pm, with drums, bass, and George Harrison’s Gretsch electric guitar. Ringo Starr then overdubbed his first vocal track onto track three at 6.40pm.
Track two was an overdub of three guitars: Harrison’s Gretsch, Paul McCartney’s Epiphone Casino, and John Lennon’s Fender Stratocaster.
At 7.15pm Starr double tracked his lead vocals onto track four, Lennon and McCartney added backing vocals, and Harrison performed a solo on a Fender Stratocaster.
That the song wasn’t working as planned can be heard in Ringo’s desperate call before the guitar solo: “Ah, rock on – anybody!” ‘If You’ve Got Trouble’ was eventually replaced on the Help! album by ‘Act Naturally’, recorded four months later.
The song itself may “work” badly as a whole: not really inspired lyrics, guitar solo waving in between “first attempt” and “nice try”….but the main riff did something to me: it inspired me to write a song about my fan-relationship to the Fab4. I almost finished it, as I am not completely satisfied with some chord progresssions, but wow, I feel not bad at all with the result thus far.
I like that song. It could have been a great song for the Help album or as a B-side for a single, if they had worked more with it.
When I first heard it – some years before the Anthology – I remember laughing at how bad this is. I never would’ve believed they did something like this at that stage of their career.
There was nothing to work with and they knew it.
I heard it long before “Anthology” also (on “Ultra Rare Trax”), and I too felt the same way.
First of all, it’s got a funny lyric – “If you’ve got troubles, than you’ve got more troubles than me.”
Second, the afore-mentioned “Rock on, anybody!”
Third, George’s solo is so bad to border on the sarcastic. Yet it works in a sort of “so bad it’s good, avant garde” way. It’s certainly no wonder why he forgot it.
Lastly, the background singers do a perfectly placed “Uh uh.” I heard inferior versions where they did it throughout but this version nails. it.
I think it’s fun.
The line is “If you’ve got troubles, then you’ve got LESS troubles than me”.
Still terrible.
Don’t George Martin’s contemporary session notes contradict the line up you’ve got? –
IF YOU GOT TROUBLE.
Routine 5.30. Start recording 6pm.
Track 1 Drums, Bass, George on Gretsch
6.40 Track 3 Ringo first voice
Track 2 Paul on Epiphone, George on Gretsch, John on Fender
7.15 Track 4 Ringo double track.
John & Paul sing oh ohs.
George on Fender for solo
Finish 7.30 Have to do George’s solo again
https://imgur.com/6IhjhFN
This is really great! Where’s it from?
I really like it as well! It’s interesting that their apparent lack of interest in it does not affect the performance energy one bit.
George Martin took detailed notes during the first week of recording on the Help! album; circa 2008 The Beatles Story purchased a private collection for their archive which included the seven pages of notes, putting them on display in February 2015 for the 50th Anniversary (don’t know if they’re still on show).
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/beatles-story-puts-george-martin-8643567
Probably hundreds of lesser bands wish they could have produced an original tune like it…
For sure! That would be a holly grail for some bands at that time…oh!
Sounds like the kind of song that other bands were writing to sound like The Beatles. It’s OK but I understand why they didn’t release it.
I would’ve preferred this on the Help album over the Act Naturally cover. A lesser Lennon/McCartney original, one that has a bit of rock’n’roll energy behind it (despite the “rock on, anybody,” there is drive behind this performance), is – IMHO – better than a goofy country novelty (regardless of how it sounds almost tailor-made for Ringo).
I like the song! I would have bought it if it were a single. I’m not one of these that strategically breaks down Beatles songs and scrutinizes them for their lyrical content or musical structure – then compare it to something else. I’m Joe-Q Public. If I like it – I like it. Just like Bandstand – It’s got a great beat and you can dance to it. LOL. I think the “rock on anybody” is just part of their humor and makes the song fun.
Beats the hell out of “What Goes On”, which is even less inspired. The driving drums and nagging riff have real urgency even if the tossed off lyrics don’t. Flipped my wig when I first heard it on “Not For Sale” circa ’85.
Sounds kinda like Cheap Trick!
Holy crap that’s an awful song and Harrison’s lead is absolutely dreadful. It sounds like a band practicing in someone’s basement. Poor Ringo.
At the time of this George Martin was thinking about recording the Fortunes with a song You Got Your troubles…written in 64 by roger cook and greenaway….and the Fortunes eventually did it in August 65…..so the Beatles beat them to it with a similar title probably hearing about it from Martin…and knowing it had not been recorded….its how things work, ideas come from other writers back and forth and they are not similar apart from the title
Certainly not a great song, but I prefer it to Act Nsturally (which I cannot stand).