Unreleased Beatles track: The Quirky John Lennon Song That Never Saw the Light of Day
By the end of 1969, as the Beatles disbanded, they had an notable catalog of over 200 songs, primarily original compositions, while many others remained in their archives. Among these unreleased tracks were not just rough demos and jam sessions, but also fully produced songs that the band ultimately chose not too include in their albums.
The Unveiling of “If You’ve Got Trouble”
One such track is “If You’ve Got Trouble,” the first song penned specifically for drummer Ringo Starr. Written by John Lennon for the 1965 film Help!, this energetic number features a heavy riff and is rooted in a modified three-chord blues structure.
Throughout their early discography, Starr was given a vocal feature on nearly every album (with the exception of 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night) to cater to his fanbase. Lacking songwriting credits during this period, he frequently enough performed covers such as “boys” from Please Please Me and “Honey Don’t” from beatles for Sale, or songs written by Lennon and McCartney, like “I Wanna Be Your Man” from With the Beatles.
Lennon’s Humble Reflection
Despite the effort put into the recording, Lennon himself was not notably fond of the song. According to Ray Coleman, former editor of Melody Maker, Lennon acknowledged that it wasn’t his best work. ”I wrote it.It’s the funniest thing I’ve ever done,” he shared with coleman during a recording session on February 18, 1965. “Listen to the words,” he laughed, ”I didn’t expect anybody to want to record it.”
Even though Lennon dismissed the track, the Beatles dedicated significant time to its production. The foundational elements-drums,bass,and rhythm guitar-were performed with vigor,with George Harrison contributing on his Gretsch guitar. Coleman noted that McCartney was pleased with the overall sound they were creating, stating, “Paul thought the sound was one of the best ever.”
A Milestone in McCartney’s Guitar Journey
This song is particularly noteworthy as one of the first instances where McCartney played guitar, joining Harrison to deliver its driving riff on his Epiphone Casino. Coincidentally, during the same week of recording, the Beatles also laid down tracks for “Ticket to Ride,” “Another Girl,” and “The Night Before,” which marked McCartney’s growing role as a lead guitarist.
“Hey, listen, hear that play by Paul?” Lennon remarked to Coleman, highlighting McCartney’s increased involvement in lead guitar work that week.
Ringo’s Unique Introduction
Starr’s introduction to the guitar solo on “If You’ve Got trouble” is also noteworthy. Rather of his usual shout-outs to Harrison, he exclaimed, “Oh, rock on, anybody!” This could indicate that the band had not yet decided who would take the solo, as Ringo’s vocals were recorded prior to the guitar work, according to George Martin’s notes.
Ultimately, the solo was performed by Harrison, but it stands out as one of his less memorable contributions in the Beatles’ discography. By the end of the session, it seemed that the consensus was that the song lacked potential.although it received both mono and stereo mixes on February 20 and 23, respectively, it was ultimately shelved.
Another Unreleased Gem
Interestingly, during the same mixing session on February 20, the Beatles recorded another track that would remain unreleased for years: “That Means a Lot.” This McCartney composition, characterized by a heavy R&B influence and a driving beat, was later given to American artist P.J. proby, whose rendition reached number 24 on the U.K. charts in September.
A Brief Resurgence in 1984
In 1984, “If You’ve Got Trouble” was almost included in the unreleased Beatles rarities album, Sessions, when former engineer Geoff Emerick prepared a version that trimmed the first verse by 20 seconds. However, after the surviving members of the Beatles blocked the album’s release, the song remained in obscurity until it was finally featured in its entirety on Anthology 2 in 1996. Music critic Ian MacDonald described it as “the only unmitigated disaster in the Lennon-McCartney catalog.”
Even George Harrison was critical, stating in the Beatles’ Anthology book, “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.”
