The Beatles: 10 Incredible Rarities You Can Listen To Right Now

5. If You’ve Got Trouble

ringo starr
By Jean Fortunet [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

This catchy, uptempo track was recorded as a showcase for Ringo Starr on The Beatles’ Help! album. It was ultimately rejected in favour of a cover of Buck Owens’ country tune Act Naturally.

Ringo only wrote two songs for The Beatles and both Don’t Pass Me By and Octopus’s Garden had a country flavour. Plus Ringo recorded a whole country album, Beacoups Of Blues, shortly after the band split up. So it’s possible the country cover was simply more to Ringo’s tastes.

It also seems the other Beatles weren’t happy with the finished recording. George Harrison didn’t mince his words in The Beatles’ Anthology book, saying “It’s got stupid words and is the naffest song. No wonder it didn’t make it onto anything.”

The song isn’t a lost classic or anything but it’s a fun track performed with Ringo’s usual exuberance. With all due respect to Buck Owens there must be many a Beatles fan who would have preferred another Lennon and McCartney original. If you’re one of them you can find If You’ve Got Trouble on Anthology 2.

 
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Chris Chopping is a writer, YouTuber and stand up comedian. Check out his channel at YouTube.com/c/chrischopping. His dream job would be wrestling Manager and he’s long since stopped reading the comments section.... Follow him @MrChrisChopping on Twitter.