Comments on: If You’ve Got Trouble

By: Ron Nasty

Ron Nasty — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 11:19:40 +0000

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

By: MikeP

MikeP — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 22:47:08 +0000

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.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 14:41:06 +0000

This is really great! Where’s it from?

By: Ron Nasty

Ron Nasty — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 12:38:30 +0000

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

By: Bungalow Bob

Bungalow Bob — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 01:49:08 +0000

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.

By: EchoNov

EchoNov — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 23:18:22 +0000

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.

By: Arno Luyendijk

Arno Luyendijk — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 19:12:53 +0000

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.

By: Dan L

Dan L — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 19:52:09 +0000

A charmless headache of a song, I gotta say… one of the Beatles’ few mis-steps in the studio, and — along with the equally anemic “That Means a Lot” — an exception that proves the rule, as they had the awareness to not put it out. Fascinating, though, to hear what the Fabs sound like doing weak original material — something we seldom ever got to see with their released albums and singles!

By: Dan L

Dan L — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 19:49:48 +0000

By: Paul Beaulieu

Paul Beaulieu — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 12:21:36 +0000

It’s not terrible but it’s not very good. The song’s weaknesses would be easier to look had they been able to grab onto something about it that excited them and deliver a convincing performance. But they just weren’t feelin’ it.

By: wwhyte

wwhyte — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 13:44:46 +0000

I just listened to this song for the first time today. It’s not bad! The drum track is a bit too close to Ticket to Ride for comfort, the lyrics are pish and the middle eight frankly isn’t trying, but the verse has a manic Monkees energy with the insistent riff and the chiming, circular guitars. Not the best song by any means, but it’s got more life than some other songs from around the same time (looking at you, Wait and Run For Your Life).

By: Tony

Tony — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 16:41:21 +0000

I love this song. A catchy tune, I can’t believe they never released it prior to Anthology. Not sure why many comments are saying it’s horrible. I imagine singing this over and over if it were released with the Help album (my very first album purchase in 1974). As it is I love singing it now as it bobs around in my head.
If one was to judge a great song in other than technical musicianship and craft, then what other criteria make a great song? For me, if it makes me feel good and I don’t tire of hearing it, it’s a winner. I can’t say the same for Act Naturally or Honey Don’t. The former has the most cornball lyrics, if one has to compare.

By: EmileJ

EmileJ — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 22:38:31 +0000

Obviously not one of the Beatles’ best songs, but I still find it immensely fun to listen. I really like Ringo’s slightly sarcastic-sounding “Ah, rock on, anybody!” It does feel a bit like a slightly generic rock and roll number, but oh well, I’m glad we got to hear it.

By: Steve Rogers

Steve Rogers — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 07:24:17 +0000

LOL yes it’s such a catchy riff isn’t it. I bet we’d see it differently if it had been released back in the day.

By: Louie

Louie — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 13:55:37 +0000

I just heard this song for the first time in probably 20 years on Sirius XM. It took me until about halfway through to realize I’d ever heard it before. Naturally, it will not likely make anyone’s Top 10 list, save for maybe the occasional uber-contrarian. Nonetheless, hearing for the second first time, what jumped out at me was Ringo’s drumming on this track. I kinda like the relentless crash cymbal and way-ahead-of-the-downbeat pattern he no doubt mindlessly threw down. That aside, yes, the lyrics are mostly crap, the main riff is derivative as folk, and there’s a self-evident reason George doesn’t remember recording it. But I will still take this over 85% of anything they put out after Revolver.

By: JohnK

JohnK — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 14:03:33 +0000

The only good part is Ringo yelling, “Rock on Anybody!”

By: Tony Marik

Tony Marik — Tue, 30 May 2017 03:20:12 +0000

Well, if it’s a poor song, then I’ve had that poor song in my head all day. I suppose I could apologize for liking it, but I won’t.

By: Pablo Banques

Pablo Banques — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 20:21:08 +0000

Of course the Beatles knew this was not a good number and this ‘one and only’ take was never meant for release – that’s why it’s so rough and did not made it onto Help! It’s only on Anthology as a discarded curiosity – which is what is great about Anthology. I listen to their whole list including the (very few) weak ones like this. The problem is the tune has a catchy rhythm which can sometimes be an ear worm – once it gets in your head it can be stuck in there for days! Help!

By: J Neo Marvin

J Neo Marvin — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 18:41:00 +0000

I was just rewatching the Anthology series and heard this song again for the first time in a while. If it had been a track on Out Of Our Heads or Aftermath it would have been considered a classic Stones album track. Maybe the Beatles should have offered it to them. As it is, the lyrics are way too caustic for sweet natured Ringo to pull them off. Not a Beatles classic, but not as awful as I thought at first.

By: Barry

Barry — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 14:35:27 +0000

I believe this was mainly written by McCartney, about 95%, with only minor input from Lennon.