Over sixty years ago, the (almost) Beatles enjoyed a ten-day getaway in Tenerife.
Seventy-five per cent of the Liverpool ensemble – Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr – stayed in Los Realejos from April 29 to May 9, just two days prior to their second number one hit on the British music charts with ‘From Me To You’. This moment marked the beginning of both their success and their challenges.
In the spring of 1963, John and Paul maintained a close friendship, with strife arising later. However, that was not the cause of their split mere weeks after their initial major triumph with Please Please Me. Six decades ago, as Beatlemania began to surge, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr took a brief holiday on the island of Tenerife while John Lennon opted for the sol and prawns of Torremolinos.
The narrative had yet to unfold, but this was precisely 48 hours before the Beatles secured their second number one on the British music charts with ‘From Me To You’, another single from the Please Please Me debut album, which paved their path to global domination from the small venue known as The Cavern Club.
Cynthia Powell, John’s classmate at the Arts School, became pregnant with Lennon’s first child (Julian) in 1962, leading to their marriage. This relationship developed into a tumultuous bond that unravelled with the arrival of Yoko Ono: viewed by many experts as the catalyst that shattered the myth. Paul, George, and Ringo arrived at Los Rodeos on April 29, 1963 without any fanfare.
No one requested their autograph at the baggage claim, and no one sought to capture that serendipitous encounter before the British trio headed north on the island. Indeed, the (almost) Beatles were virtually anonymous. They avoided a popular tourist resort in Puerto de la Cruz. Instead, they went directly to a chalet in La Montañeta, a rural part of Los Realejos. Here, not all roads were paved, the electrical supply was basic, illegal connections were common, and telephones were a luxury. Herds of goats, sheep, and cows roamed the lanes, occasionally enlivened by the calls of vendors selling milk, cheese, yams, or potatoes… The recently renovated home belonged to the family of Klaus Voormann, a photographer who had met the musicians during their second phase in Hamburg. He, along with Brian Epstein – often referred to as The Fifth Beatle – coordinated their trip to Tenerife.
The fourth member of the band preferred the sun and prawns of Torremolinos to unwind after a demanding year of performances in England
Mojo picón and wrinkled potatoes
Voormann was familiar with some of the island’s culinary secrets, and within hours of their arrival [Paul, George, and Ringo landed in the dark at La Montañeta], he ensured traditional dishes and a supply of beers – local brews from Tenerife as well as German and Dutch varieties – were stocked in the fridge for the (almost) Beatles’ inaugural dinner on the island.
The English trio sampled various fish [viejas, cabrillas, morenas fritas, salgos…] and meats during their holiday, yet they found themselves enchanted by a particular product they continually requested to pair with bread, cheese, or the island’s distinct wrinkled potatoes: red and green mojo [which Caco Senante revitalised with his Mojo Picón]. More than once, containers filled with the delicacy made their way back to the UK tucked away like treasures in the suitcases of these daring young men. The trip aimed to serve as a respite following a busy year of concerts and the anticipation of two albums [Please Please Me and With the Beatles]. Their relaxation was immediate, with the Liverpool trio refusing to pause for a week and a half.
George, Ringo, and Paul made the classic error of countless tourists seeking a good sun-tan. They became overly confident, spending hours without shirts before realising the harsh consequences of sunburn [the sensation of cloudiness that typically lingers over the Valle de La Orotava] on their fair, almost transparent skin.
All three ended up suffering from sunburn, with Harrison bearing the brunt of it. He succumbed to sunstroke but recovered after resting for a few hours. Nothing that couldn’t be remedied in short order. However, this did not deter the free spirit from wanting to celebrate that after numerous attempts, their first albums were finally underway: these records were laid down at EMI Studios, which later became known as Abbey Road Studios. Close to these facilities, a legendary photograph was taken of John, Ringo, George, and Paul crossing one of the world’s most renowned pedestrian crossings, but that’s an entirely different tale.
George Harrison’s skin turned the colour of crabs due to sunstroke while Paul McCartney nearly drowned on the shores of Martiánez
In Tenerife, there was no media scrutiny, allowing the (almost) Beatles to roam freely through the streets of Puerto. A small entourage invariably followed the artists, eager to snap photographs [sometimes requested by Klaus Voormann, and at other times prompted by Astrid Kirchherr, his former partner] who were seen visiting the Lido de San Telmo or the fishing harbour. The impressive Lago Martiánez, designed by the Lanzarote architect Cesar Manrique had yet to be constructed, but there was an old café on Colón Street that Paul and Ringo frequented multiple times.
They were so at ease that whispers I suggest that George, Paul, and Ringo considered organising a free concert at the Lido, which never transpired due to the venue manager’s objections. It was the day that the (almost) Beatles did not perform in Puerto de la Cruz. They didn’t proceed because someone deemed it inadvisable for three long-haired men to entertain in English onstage. It goes without saying that such a mistake is not easily erased from memory. Unforgivable!
Yet a trip to Tenerife would feel incomplete without a visit to the Teide itself. Indeed, they ascended the mountain and engaged in a photo session amid a stunning natural backdrop that left a deep impression on these distinguished guests. History preserved images against a backdrop of volcanic scenery, captured while driving an appealing Austin Healey Spring or posing in unusual attire with a Cordovan hat in the middle of nowhere.
The (almost) Beatles even attended a bullfight in Santa Cruz, flirted with numerous young ladies, and encountered some significant scares [Paul McCartney was almost swept away by the waves at Martiánez] before returning to the UK… It is said these holidays marked the last respite before the unstoppable global phenomenon known as The Beatles erupted.
