The Beatles in Portugal … Did you know there was a link between the famous pop band “The Beatles” and Portugal? Paul McCartney, one of the singers of the famous English pop group went to Portugal twice : in 1965 and 1968. Stays that were not intended to develop his music in Portugal but just for holidays. At that time, many English pop artists were spending their holidays in the Algarve. 

Finally, even if the goal was not to make music, these two stays of Paul McCartney in Portugal had an influence on some of The Beatles’ songs. In this article, know about Paul McCartney’s two stays in Portugal and how one of The Beatles’ hit songs was born in Portugal.

The hit song “Yesterday” was written in Alentejo.

In 1965, Paul McCartney and his girlfriend Jane Asher made their first trip to Portugal, specifically to Albufeira in the Algarve.

In the 1960’s, Albufeira was a small fishing port. Many pop rock stars had homes there, like Cliff Richards and Tom Jones. They could spend a quiet vacation there without anyone recognizing them. It was during this stay in Portugal that Paul McCartney wrote the lyrics of the song “Yesterday“, one of the most iconic songs of The Beatles. 

Before I tell you about the lyrics of the song, I will first tell you about the song’s melody because it has an original story.

One morning in 1963, Paul McCartney woke up with a melody in his head and threw himself on his piano to play it. While he was playing the melody on his piano, Jane’s mother (Jane was his girlfriend) asked him if he wanted scrambled eggs for breakfast. This is why, Paul McCartney gave to this nighttime melody the original title of “Scrambled Eggs”. Paul McCartney had no lyrics for this melody. So he put it aside without knowing if he would ever use it.

And finally … few years later … this melody became the hit “Yesterday”! 

The lyrics for this Beatles hit were written in May 1965, when Paul McCartney was on holidays with Jane in Portugal. On May 27, 1965, Paul and Jane flew from London to Lisbon to go to Albufeira (Algarve). At that time, the city of Faro (Algarve) did not yet have an airport (it would open two months later). Once they arrived in Lisbon, Paul McCartney and Jane had another 5 hours drive to Albufeira and it was during this long drive that the lyrics for this hit were written. It was precisely after passing the Rio Mira (river), in Alentejo, that McCartney remembered the melody of “scrambled eggs” and began to scribble the lyrics on a piece of paper.

When they arrived in Albufeira, they stayed at the Hotel Boavista, and Paul McCartney went to the second home of Cliff Richard (British rock singer) where Bruce Welch (guitarist of The Shadows) was staying with his wife for the vacations. He asked for a guitar and began to play the melody of “scrambled eggs” on the guitar with the lyrics he had just written on the way. The hit “Yesterday” was being born.

After two weeks vacation in Algarve, Portugal, Paul McCartney returned to London and explained to the other members of the Beatles that the “Scrambled Eggs” melody he had written a few years earlier had become “Yesterday. McCartney called George Martin, the producer, to record.

The recording of “Yesterday” took two days (June 14 and 17, 1965) in the famous Abbey Road Studio 2, in London and the rest you know… this song became one of the hit of The Beatles.

“Penina”, a song created and offered during a party in Algarve

In December 1968, Paul McCartney returned to Algarve to spend his vacations with Linda Eastman, who would become his wife.

One night during his vacation, McCartney decided to go to the “Sobe e Desce” nightclub in Carvoeiro, a very famous club at that time. On his way there, McCartney noticed that he had only pounds (English money) with him. He decided to do a stop at the Hotel Penina to exchange his pounds for escudos (Portuguese currency).

He arrived at the hotel reception just as the Portuguese music group “Jotta Herre“, which was performing that day at the hotel, was on a 10-minute break.

Immediately, the group recognized the star. The band asked the singer if he would join them to play a song. McCartney agreed and started playing drums. It was 1:30 am and what was supposed to be one song lasted until 3:30 am. They played together and went through several standards of the music. At the end, McCartney took the piano and in a very short time composed the song “Penina”, referring to the name of the hotel where they were staying. Paul McCartney offered this song to the group. The “Jotta Herre” recorded “Penina” and the song was released in 1969. To listen to it, click here.

Later, a version was recorded by the Portuguese singer Carlos Mendes. This version is included in the 1976 compilation called “The Songs Lennon and McCartney Gave Away”.

Conclusion

The lyrics of the song “Yesterday” were born on the road between Lisbon and Albufeira. The song “Penina”, on the other hand, was created and performed during an impromptu concert in the Algarve at the “Penina” hotel (the name of this song). Today, we notice that the English (tourists and residents) are numerous in the Algarve, and we can imagine that the link between The Beatles, mythical English group and the Algarve has contributed a little to the popularity of the destination for the English.

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