“Anna (Go To Him)” is one of The Beatles’ early cover releases on their 1963 album, “Please Please Me”.
In Detail
Albums
Recorded: 11th February, 1963
Track Duration: 2:54
Record Label: Parlophone
Songwriter: Arthur Alexander
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Performers
John Lennon: vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: bass, backing vocals
George Harrison: lead guitar, backing vocals
Ringo Starr: drums
Track Source
Please Please Me
On Air – Live At The BBC Volume 2
Anna (Go To Him)
To begin with, “Anna (Go To Him)”, or simply “Anna” was one of the band’s favourites while they were touring.
Please Please Me Album (1963)
On Air – Live At The BBC Volume 2 Album (2013)
The Beatles sang about many girls of course. However, when they recorded “Anna (Go To Him)” this became 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, Liverpool.
Despite the title saying “Go To Him” the actual lyric sang throughout the song is “Go With Him”.
Recording Studio
The Beatles recorded “Anna (Go To Him)” together with most others on the “Please Please Me” album in one day. This was on 11 February 1963 during the 10am-10.45pm 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 sixties 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 17 June 1963 for transmission on the 25th June. Then they recorded it again on the 1st August, 1963 for a broadcast on the 27th August.
Their 2013 release of, “On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2”, includes the version from August.
