Anna (Go To Him): Introduction
“Anna (Go To Him)” is one of The Beatles’ early cover releases on their 1963 album, “Please Please Me.” We will review more below, but first we shall provide a little more detail about the track.
In Detail
- Release Date: March 22, 1963
- Recorded: February 11, 1963
- Track Duration: 2:54
- Record Label: Parlophone
- Songwriter: Arthur Alexander
- Genre: Soul
- Producer: George Martin
- Engineer: Norman Smith
Performers And Instruments
- John Lennon: vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
- Paul McCartney: bass, backing vocals
- George Harrison: lead guitar, backing vocals
- Ringo Starr: drums
Where To Find This Track
You can still buy the original song on their 1963 album. Click on the following albums to see what other songs they contain:
Anna (Go To Him): Background
To begin with, “Anna (Go To Him),” or simply “Anna,” was one of the band’s favourites while they were touring.
However, it is a cover song, which means the Beatles never wrote it. As a matter of fact, Arthur Alexander did, and he had minor success with it as a single. Be that as it may, the Fab Four recorded it for their first studio album, “Please Please Me.”
The Beatles sang about many girls, of course. However, when they recorded “Anna (Go To Him),” this was the first time they named a specific girl. Lennon loved the song so much that it became part of their live act, including at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.
Despite the title saying “Go To Him,” the actual lyric sang throughout the song is “Go With Him.”
Recording Anna (Go To Him)
The Beatles recorded “Anna (Go To Him)” together with most others on the “Please Please Me” album in one day. This was on February 11, 1963, during the 10 a.m.–10.45 p.m. session. They recorded 3 takes, of which their last take became the master copy for mixing.
John Lennon sings this song, and on the day of recording, he had a bad cold. This had a negative influence on his voice, but he managed well to reach the highest notes to good effect. On The Beatles’ first studio album, it sits on side 1 as track 3 after “Misery” and before “Chains.”
The Beatles also appeared on BBC Radio regularly in the early 1960s, of course. Indeed, some of their work at the BBC is now commercially available to buy. For the “Pop Goes The Beatles” show, they recorded “Anna (Go to Him)” on June 17, 1963, for transmission on June 25. Then they recorded it again on August 1, 1963, for a broadcast on August 27.
Their 2013 release of “On Air: Live at the BBC, Volume 2” includes the version from August.
Take A Listen
So, have a listen to the song and tell us your thoughts.
