Anna (Go to Him) – Death (Alexander) Please Please Me, 1963 “Anna (Go to Him)” was written and originally recorded by southern soul singer Arthur Alexander. The Beatles were big fans, including three of his songs in their live repertoire from 1962-63. Years later, Paul said, “If the Beatles wanted a sound, it was R&B.…
There’s a Place – 3 of Swords (McCartney/Lennon) Please Please Me, 1963 The first verse of the penultimate track off Please Please Me comes with a twist. The singer begins by informing us that there’s a place he can go when he’s feeling down. Considering that most pop songs at the time were about matters…
Please Please Me – Knight of Wands (McCartney/Lennon) Please Please Me, 1963 As soon as the Beatles finished recording their second single, “Please Please Me”, producer George Martin confidently proclaimed they’d just made their first number one. He was proven correct. It was the song that launched Beatlemania in their native UK, and as the…
Do You Want to Know a Secret? – Page of Cups (Lennon/McCartney) Please Please Me, 1963 “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” was written by John, shortly after getting married to Cynthia. He soon recognized the simple melody was well-suited for George’s vocal range. John said later that the idea for the song came…