Despite its title, The Beatles in Italy is not a live album, but, rather, a compilation of previously released studio recordings.

The album was issued in 1965 to capitalise on the band's Italian leg of their 1965 European tour (they performed in Milan, Rome and Genoa between 24 and 27 June 1965), and the release of the film, Help!.

The album consists entirely of single and EP tracks that had not been previously collected into an LP (although Ticket to Ride appeared on the Help!

EMI's Israeli affiliate was impressed enough with the compilation that they released it there, albeit without the gatefold cover that it sported in Italy.

The record probably would have remained obscure had not John Lennon, in a 1970 Rolling Stone interview, speculated that there might have been a live album released in Italy.