In April 1963, just a few weeks before Beatlemania, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr took a holiday in Tenerife, Spain. It was the last time they would spend such carefree days without being recognised. They lazed around San Telmo Lido and got themselves a sun tan while John Lennon and manager Brian Epstein choose to holiday in fashionable Torremolinos.
The fab three stayed with their friend, artist Klaus Voormann, the Hamburg photographer who they knew in 1960, also joined the boys for the holiday.
Klaus, whose family owned a villa on the island, recalled: “I will never forget walking into the club and hearing their sound. I had not heard anything like it before. I went back every night and eventually plucked up courage to talk to them. We have been friends ever since.
“They were scruffy boys from Liverpool when I met them. My father had built a villa in the mountain and I was with him for seven months. Paul wrote me a letter and asked if they could visit. It was as simple as that.”
On their return to the UK, The Beatles’ first album
Please Please Me went to No.1 on May 11, 1963. It stayed there for the rest of the year.
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| George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in Tenerife, April 1963. |
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| Paul McCartney in Tenerife, April 1963. |
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| George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Astrid Kirchherr in Tenerife, April 1963. |
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| George Harrison and Astrid Kirchherr in Tenerife, April 1963. |
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| George Harrison and Astrid Kirchherr in Tenerife, April 1963. |
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| George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Astrid Kirchherr in Tenerife, April 1963. |
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| George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Astrid Kirchherr in Tenerife, April 1963. |
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| Paul McCartney and Astrid Kirchherr in Tenerife, April 1963. |
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| George Harrison and Astrid Kirchherr in Tenerife, April 1963. |
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| George Harrison and Astrid Kirchherr in Tenerife, April 1963. |
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| George Harrison and Paul McCartney in pal's Austin Healey Sprite |
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| George Harrison and Paul McCartney. |
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| The lads on the beach. |
