Paul McCartney and Jane Asher on holiday in Tunisia

On February 4, 1965, Paul McCartney and his girlfriend Jane Asher flew to Hammamet, Tunisia, for a ten-day holiday. They stayed at a villa owned by the British Embassy, where they were accommodated free of charge. The location offered both security and discretion, allowing Paul and Jane to explore the Tunisian coast without attracting press attention.

The villa grounds included a small amphitheatre, while inside was a lavish bathroom with a sunken bath. The acoustics of the room proved inspiring for Paul, who composed “Another Girl” there. The Beatles began recording the song on February 15, the day after Paul returned from Tunisia.

While they were on holidays, Ringo Starr and Maureen Cox got married on February 11. Paul brought them a silver apple as wedding gift from Tunisia.

While Paul and Jane were abroad, Ringo Starr and Maureen Cox were married on February 11. Paul brought the couple a silver apple as a wedding gift from Tunisia.

The day before recording started on the Help! album, Paul flew back from a ten-day holiday in Hammamet, a seaside resort in Tunisia where he had been the guest of the British government, who put him up in a villa owned by the embassy on the coast south of Tunis. It was hard for the Beatles to go anywhere without the press intruding, and this was an ideal set-up, discreet, secure, fully catered and free. The actor Peter Ustinov had stayed there and recommen­ded it. This was the sort of thing that Peter Brown, the Mr Fixit at Brian Epstein’s office, excelled at organising. […]

The villa had a small amphitheatre in the garden and was designed as a showcase for British culture. At the furthest end of the house, away from most of the activity, was a magnificent bathroom with a sunken bath and decorated throughout with Islamic tiles. It was isolated and the acoustics were ideal for songwriting. Here Paul wrote ‘Another Girl’. The villa was almost perfect but for one thing. Paul: “You’d be sitting there having a cup of tea when the Russian delegation would be shown through by the government. You didn’t have any control over that. “This is one of our cultural guests.” “Hello, how are you?”

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

The only thing that shocked us was how quickly the wedding plans [of Ringo and Maureen] were put together. Paul didn’t make it to the ceremony because he was still in Tunisia. In those long-gone days before fax and e-mail the fastest form of international communication other than the phone was the telegram. A local telephone operator read our telegram to Paul saying: “Rich wed early this morning.” The boys called Ringo by shortenings of his real name, Richie or Rich. Paul told me later that he had difficulty understanding the Tunisian operator: “I thought she was on about early morning tea and I couldn’t see why we were getting a message about that from London. When the original telegram was delivered the following morning I still didn’t get it. Eventually, I saw the wedding story when we picked up a newspaper and realised it referred to Richie and Mo getting married. It was just a drag I wasn’t there because I would have enjoyed it.” The main reason for marrying suddenly in the Sixties was the discovery that one’s girlfriend was pregnant, so we all started counting the months from February 11. Maureen gave birth to their first child, Zak, on September 13.

Tony Barrow – From “John, Paul, George, Ringo and Me” by Tony Barrow, 2006

Do you have many problems getting around when you’re on vacation?

It depends on where you go. Last time I went to Tunisia and had no problems at all. It’s so quiet here, really. As I was telling Derek [Taylor] before about the phones. They’re cut off in Tunisia it’s ridiculous. I mean a man from a newspaper came around when we were in Tunisia and spoke to me and everything and it didn’t get back to England. It was ridiculous.

Dave: You mean nothing of the material got out?

Paul: No, because all the lines were so bad. I couldn’t speak to anyone in England. It was a fluke if you managed to get a good line to England.

Isn’t it a please, though, if you’re away on vacation? You get away…

Yeah, right, it was this time. I enjoyed it. Went away for two weeks, lazed around, went to the little soukhs, which are little market places the Tunisians have. In fact, this very pair of sandals was bought for one dinar. It’s about fifteen shillings in English — I think about two dollars.

When you go on vacation do you turn into a tourist like most tourists do?

Yes, mainly. Like Tunisia I did. Sometimes you don’t. You go to somewhere where it’s not so quiet, then you don’t really get a chance to go out and turn into a tourist. I was completely tourist with a movie camera and snapshots.

Paul McCartney – Interview with KRLA Beat, April 21, 1965

Hi fab!

NATTERING to Paul McCartney t’other day (how’s that for name-dropping!) I asked him about his holiday in Tunisia.

“It was great,” he said.

“Were you bothered with autograph hunters?” I asked.

“Not really,” Paul said, “except one Arab gentleman who thought I was Ringo. He kept following me saying: ‘ARengo ARengo’. I told him I was a German student. I think I convinced him in the end because he disappeared. Good job he did because my German is a bit rusty. All I could say to him was ‘Nein Ich Deutsch Student’ which isn’t really very convincing, is it?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” said I getting all dewy-eyed at the McCartney charm. He did have his arm round me at the time, and I defy any girl NOT to get dewy-eyed in those circumstances.

“Then I went into this shop,” said Paul, “you can imagine what it was like, all dark and dingy with swarthy types flashing in and out, when the owner rushed up to me and asked for my autograph.

“I tried my German bit again but it didn’t seem to work. Then I found out why. He had a large photo of all us Beatles neatly framed and everything. What could I do? I signed and scarpered. But that was the only time I was really recognised.”

When I got back to the office and told the gang about our chat I began to wish I hadn’t. I now have a new name. Amongst others, I am known as Maureen-I-talked-to-Paul-McCartney-Hart. They’re only jealous really.

From Fabulous208 – April 24, 1965

Did the others know you were planning to marry?

George and John didn’t know until the Wednesday afternoon. Brian Epstein just told them: “Ringo’s getting married tomorrow. Come along if you want to—if it’s not too early for you!” Paul was away on holiday. He couldn’t be reached.

Ringo Starr – From Disc Weekly, February 20, 1965

THE ATHLETIC BEATLE

George, had a stay-at-home holiday and Paul went to Tunisia after the Beatles Christmas Show closed until they started recording the songs for their new film on February 15th. John flew to St. Moritz and took part in most of the snow sports with Cynthia, including a trip on the Bob Sleigh run, or as one onlooker called it, “the John Sleigh run”!

From The Beatles Monthly Book – March 1965

‘YOU’VE GONE SOFT IN THE HEAD’

THE Beatles had just finished a recording and George Harrison was passing round cigarettes. Ringo ran across the floor of Studio Two and leapt up the stairs to talk to recording manager George Martin.

The time was right for the other three to speak privately.

John: “Look, what ARE we going to get him as a bloody wedding present? Let’s get it sorted out right now.”

Paul: “I don’t know what you’re worried about. I’ve brought him back something from Tunisia.”

John: “What?”

Paul: “A silver apple — nice, Arabic thing. Very unusual.”

George: “What’re your game then? You’re sucking up to Ringo a bit, aren’t you?”

John: “What are you after, Paul — a job in Ringo’s group when we give him the push? I reckon somebody should go out tomorrow and buy him and Maureen a bloody big gold clock. The biggest gold clock there is. Didn’t you realise we waited for you to come back from holiday before deciding what to buy him from all of us? Listen, somebody, go out and spend a lot of money on this lovely gold clock. Then we’ll send him a note saying he’s out of the group!”

DISASTER

It was a fairly severe joke, but knife edged jokes are flying all the time at a Beatles recording session. Anyone taking them seriously would wrongly think the Beatles lived on the precipice of real disaster. […]

From Melody Maker – February 27, 1965

Going further

The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years

With greatly expanded text, this is the most revealing and frank personal 30-year chronicle of the group ever written. Insider Barry Miles covers the Beatles story from childhood to the break-up of the group.

Buy on Amazon