Any Time at All

"Any Time at All" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Beatles. Credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership, it was mainly composed by John Lennon, with an instrumental middle eight by Paul McCartney.[1] It first appeared on the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night album.

"Any Time at All"
Label of Philippine 7-inch single
Song by the Beatles
from the album A Hard Day's Night
Released	10 July 1964
Recorded	2 June 1964
Studio	EMI, London
Genre	Rock
Length	2:13
Label	Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Lennon–McCartney
Producer(s)	George Martin

Origin

In his 1980 interview with Playboy, Lennon described the song as "An effort at writing 'It Won't Be Long'. Same ilk: C to A minor, C to A minor—with me shouting."[2]

Lennon's handwritten lyrics for "Any Time at All" were sold for £6,000 to an unidentified individual at an auction held at Sotheby's in London, on 8 April 1988.[3]

Recording

Incomplete when first brought into EMI Studios on Tuesday 2 June 1964,[4] Paul McCartney suggested an idea for the middle eight section based solely on chords, which was recorded with the intention of adding lyrics later. But by the time it was needed to be mixed, the middle eight was still without words and that is how it appears on the LP.[3] McCartney sings the second "Anytime at all" in each chorus because Lennon couldn't reach the notes.[5] "Any Time at All" reprises a George Martin trick from "A Hard Day's Night" by using a piano solo echoed lightly note-for-note on guitar by George Harrison.[6]

Releases

In addition to A Hard Day's Night, "Any Time at All" was included on:

• Extracts from the Album A Hard Day's Night British EP.
• Capitol album Something New
• Rock 'n' Roll Music compilation LP.

Personnel

• John Lennon – lead vocal, acoustic rhythm guitar, electric guitar (concluding chord)
• Paul McCartney – co-lead vocal, bass, piano
• George Harrison – 12-string lead guitar, classical guitar[7]
• Ringo Starr – drums, cowbell[8]

Personnel per Ian MacDonald[9] except where noted

Cover versions

• In 1973 Blue Ash No More, No Less Mercury Records SRM1-666
• In 1976, C.B. Victoria recorded a version for his album "Dawning Day"
• In 1981, Nils Lofgren included a version on his album Night Fades Away.
• In 1990, Austrian band Opus on their album Magical Touch.
• In 1991, Dweezil Zappa released a cover version for his album, Confessions.
• In 2012, OK Go released a cover version on their first compilation album, Twelve Days of Ok Go.
• In 2014, Bryan Adams recorded a version for his album Tracks of My Years.
• In 2014, Ali Campbell covered the song on his album Silhouette.

Notes

1. Miles 1997, p. 164.
2. Sheff 2000, p. 195.
3. The Beatles Bible 2009.
4. Lewisohn 1988, p. 44.
5. Alan W. Pollack's Notes on "Any Time At All"
6. "95 - "Any Time at All"". 100 Greatest Beatles Songs. Rolling Stone.
7. Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2014). Books on Google Play All The Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release. Running Press. ISBN 1603763716.
8. Margotin & Guesdon 2014.
9. MacDonald 2005, p. 120.

References

• "Any Time At All". The Beatles Bible. 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
• Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-84413-828-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Sheff, David (2000). All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-25464-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Further reading

• Alan W. Pollack's Notes on "Any Time At All"