Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman on holiday in Portugal

In mid-August 1968, Paul McCartney invited Linda Eastman to visit him in London. They first met in May 1967 in London, spent additional time together when Paul and John Lennon visited New York in May 1968 for Apple’s promotion, and their romance blossomed in June 1968 during Paul’s promotional trip to Los Angeles for Apple.

Linda arrived in London in late September. Following intense recording sessions, The Beatles completed their new double album on October 18, 1968. The band then took a break until the end of the year, reconvening on January 2, 1969, for the “Get Back” sessions, allowing Paul and Linda to spend time together.

On October 20, 1968, they flew to New York for a brief visit. They went to Liverpool on October 25, 1968 and in early November, they visited Paul’s farm in Scotland. Their relationship deepened, with Heather, Linda’s daughter from a previous marriage, becoming part of this new family unit.

On December 11, they travelled to Portugal to visit Hunter Davies, author of The Beatles’ official biography, at his holiday home in Luz, Portugal.

Paul decided to make a deal with the media to safeguard his privacy during his stay. In return for a single interview on December 12 at the beach, they agreed to respect his privacy.

While in Portugal, Paul proposed to Linda. They were married on March 12, 1969, and their first child, Mary, was born on August 28, 1969.

Paul, Linda, and Heather stayed in Portugal until just before Christmas, after which they travelled to Liverpool to spend the holiday with Paul’s family.

I had been in correspondence with all four Beatles, from Gozo and then from Portugal, telling them what I was doing, what I was working on, just chatty letters. In turn, they often sent me postcards, from wherever they were. I had issued a general invitation, to come and visit us, but I’d forgotten that.

Hunter Davies – From “The Beatles, Football and Me“, 2007

In the middle of one night, Paul McCartney arrived with his new girlfriend, Linda, whom we had never met. When we left London he had been engaged to Jane Asher and we thought they made a very good couple. They had with them a girl called Heather, aged about eight, who was Linda’s daughter by a previous relationship.

That evening in London, Paul had suddenly thought it would be a good idea to take his new girlfriend and her daughter to see us, as he knew we had young children, having been to our house. All service flights to Faro had gone, so he told Neil, their roadie, to hire a private jet. Which was why they arrived in the middle of the night.

We might well have not been in, or had even left Portugal, gone somewhere else. They had not rung, for we did not have a phone, nor had they written. Typical Paul. He would not have been fazed if we had not been there, seeing it as an adventure, take life as it comes, let it all hang out.

When he arrived, out of the blue, at two in the morning, he had no money and an irate taxi driver who had driven them 80 kilometres from Faro airport. Paul had landed at Faro with a £50 note, but had given it to someone to change for escudos. Then he noticed a taxi driver, waved him across, and jumped into his taxi, forgetting to pick up his currency.

They stayed for two weeks. At first we had assumed Linda was a groupie, a one-night stand, who appeared to be hanging on to him all the time, but as we got to know her, we realised she was a strong character, better for Paul than we had imagined.

Hunter Davies – From “A Life In The Day“, 2017

Paul decided to fly over with Linda Eastman and her daughter Heather on the spur of the moment, which is typical of him. He hired a plane at fantastic expense, as there were no other available flights, arrived in the middle of the night, shouting ‘Wake up b——, it’s me,’ and when we let him in he headed straight for the loo with his guitar!

Hunter Davis – From Disc And Music Echo – May 17, 1969

Almost from the day Paul and Linda appeared in our house, people were arriving from Lagos bringing flowers, baskets of fruit, bottles of wine, all from shops and restaurants, wanting him to visit. I couldn’t understand at first how they had found out who he was. It was all to do with the £50 he’d given away at the airport. A story had gone round about this idiot Englishman giving money away – then one person had said, ‘Oh no, I recognised him, he’s not an idiot, he’s a Beatle.’

Hunter Davies – From “The Beatles, Football and Me“, 2007

On their third day with us, the press arrived from Lisbon. Paul was very good with them. He agreed to an impromptu press conference outside our front door, on the beach, on condition that they would not bother him again on his holiday. Which they stuck to. After that, when wandering round the Algarve, he never got pestered or bothered. It was of course December, out of season. though there was not much of a season in those days.

Hunter Davies – From “The Beatles, Football and Me“, 2007

Despite that last-minute dash from London, Paul had not forgotten one vital thing – his guitar. In odd moments, including going to the lavatory, we could hear him playing away. It happened to come out one day that my first christian name is Edward, which amused him, though I don’t know why. His first christian name is James, not Paul. He went off to the lavatory and when he came back he played us a little song which went ‘There You Go Eddie, Eddie, Eddie; There You Go Eddie, Eddie You’ve Gone.’

He had only got the first part of the song, the first few bars, but I thought it was charming. Some years later, I heard it on one of the bootleg tapes, recorded during the ‘Let it Be’ sessions, and it was clear he had worked on it a bit more. He is singing and playing it to John, who seems quite impressed. But it never appeared on any album. What a shame. I would love to have been the inspiration and subject of a Beatles song. Even if no one had ever known it was me

Hunter Davies – From “The Beatles, Football and Me“, 2007

While he was staying with us, Paul started a novel, probably inspired by the fact that Margaret and I were each bashing away. He borrowed my typewriter, when I wasn’t using it. I did try to sneak a read at the odd page, behind his back, but didn’t manage it. (I have asked since about his aspirations to write a novel, as he has now done a book of poems. He says he has completed a work of fiction, but it’s locked in a safe while he decides whether to have it published or not.)

Hunter Davies – From “The Beatles, Football and Me“, 2007

As our relationship solidified and we really started to feel very confident with each other, it was a question of ‘Well, shall I get off the pill then?’ and we talked about that, and I said, ‘Yeah!’ I don’t know why. It wasn’t like planning a family, it was more ‘If you like. We could see what happened. If anything happened. That would be all right.’ Then Mary was on the way, it was definitely not planned. And we decided, round about that point, to get married.

Paul McCartney – From “Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now” by Barry Miles, 1997

The Penina was the first golf course built in the Algarve in 1966. One night during his stay, around 1:30 a.m., Paul entered the luxury hotel to exchange five pounds for Portuguese escudos. He then decided to visit the hotel’s bar, where the resident band Jota Herre was performing. The band members recognized the singer and asked him to join them.

The bar, which was half empty and almost closing, quickly filled up with guests and staff who were overjoyed to see the world-famous musician sing an impromptu song while playing the piano. The party continued late into the night (around 4 am) and saw Paul improvising a song, named “Penina“, which he then “offered” to Jota Herre who ended up recording and releasing it in 1969.

That night, we all gathered around Paul and Linda, had a drink and then he proposed: let’s play. It was after one o’clock in the morning. Paul gave an unforgettable show. He played successively piano, bass, guitar and drums. He played drums like I’ve never seen a musician play. Every time more people came into the room. Paul returned to the drums and asked for “one minute”. He started to hum and challenged the crowd to try to follow the harmonic sequence that was coming out. It was 4 o’clock in the morning and, right there, he composed and sang the song and the lyrics of the song he offered us. In the end, he gave it a title, the name of the hotel.

Giuseppe Flaminio – member of Jota Herre – From Jesse Tedesci on Twitter

The story was narrated by the Daily Express, in its January 9, 1969 edition:

Beatle Paul writes a £20,000 holiday tip

In one of those spontaneous gestures for which the Beatles are well known, Paul McCartney is making an escudo millionaire out of a Portuguese bandleader. It all started during the 26-year-old bachelor Beatle’s New Year holiday in Portugal’s Algarve.

McCartney had spent an evening listening to the resident band at the resort’s luxury Penina Golf Hotel. He decided to give a tip in appreciation. And composed a few bars — called Penina — for the lucky bandleader, Anibal Cunha. To help them along McCartney beat out the rhythm on the drums.

As the shareholders of Northern Songs (currently standing at 33s. a share) know, McCartney compositions never fall to net £20,000 at the very least.

But before they rush to cell an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting to ask about their percentage from “Penina”, they may care to note the view Paul’s business associate Derek Taylor, of the Beatle’s firm Apple.

“Naturally he has obligations to his shareholders and fellow directors“, says Mr. Taylor. “One of the sad facts of life is that he is in business. But this was not a whole song he gave to the bandleader. It was more a rif“.

A rif, in the trade, is the name given to a repeated musical phrase coupled with a suggested rhythm.

Northern Songs shareholders in fact are presently benefiting from a rif, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”. John Lennon and Paul McCartney borrowed from another performer, Jimmy Scott. The Marmalade version of this song topped the hit parade this week for the first time.

“John and Paul saw him right,” says Mr. Taylor. “They are themselves often asked for help on their travels. And it just isn’t possible for them to refuse.“

From the Daily Express – January 9, 1969

Some of Linda’s photos taken during those holidays appeared on the inner sleeve of Paul’s debut solo album, “McCartney,” released in April 1970.

Colour home movie of Paul and Linda on holiday in Algarve, Portugal was filmed by their friend Hunter Davies. Hunter showed some of the footage at a book convention in 2006 but no known copies of this footage had come to light until yesterday (November 11th, 2022) when it was shown at a new event by Hunter. According to him, the entire footage lasts 10 minutes, only 3 were shown.

From Paul & Linda McCartney in Algarve, Portugal (NEW Home Movie Footage, December 8th – 17th, 1968) – YouTube

Going further

• https://www.portugalresident.com/penina-offers-reward-for-photo-of-paul-mccartney-performing-at-hotel-in-1968/
• https://theymaybeparted.com/2018/10/30/jan-9-love-from-paul/

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