Paul McCartney and Jane Asher’s Denver vacation
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Although the recording of the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album was unfinished, Paul decided to take a ten-day break in the United States to surprise his girlfriend Jane Asher on her 21st birthday. At the time, Jane was touring the US with the Old Vic Company and performing Romeo And Juliet.
On April 3, 1967, Paul and Mal Evans departed London and spent the following day in San Francisco. On April 5, they travelled to Denver to meet Jane and celebrate her birthday.
Paul, Jane, and Mal enjoyed a few days of pleasure in the Denver area. On April 6, they embarked on a trip to the Rocky Mountains, while the following day, April 7, they headed to Civic Center Park, where they visited the Greek amphitheatre. Paul, who was carrying his camera, filmed Jane walking away in the distance. It was during this moment that Paul conceived the idea for a television special that would ultimately become the “Magical Mystery Tour” film.
I used to do a lot of amateur filming and from my interest in that it was a very small step for me to say, ‘Well, if we hired a film cameraman and we told him where to shoot, then we’re starting to film, aren’t we? As long as we know that we want to go over Westminster Bridge backwards, he’ll be able to do that. I can convey it to him.’ So, the idea tumbled together that we’d hire a bus, take a bunch of people out and start trying to make up something about a magical mystery tour.
It used to just be called a mystery tour, up north. When we were kids, you’d get on a bus, and you didn’t know where you were going, but nearly always it was Blackpool. From Liverpool, it was inevitably Blackpool and everyone would go, ‘Oooo, it was Blackpool after all!’ Everyone would spend time guessing where they were going, and this was part of the thrill. And we remembered those. So much of the Beatles’ stuff was a slight switch on a memory; in ‘Penny Lane’, the nurse and the barber and the fireman were just people we saw on a bus route, but this time they’d be with us. So we’d always just heighten the reality to make a little bit of surreality. That we were interested in.
Paul McCartney – From “Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now” by Barry Miles, 1997
On April 8, while Jane was performing in a matinée performance of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo And Juliet”, Paul and Mal returned to the Rocky Mountains. That evening, they made their way back to Denver to watch Jane in the Old Vic Theatre Company’s performance of “Romeo And Juliet”.
The following day, April 9, Paul and Mal left Jane and travelled back to Los Angeles.
Early in April, Mal was with Paul in Denver, Colorado, for Jane’s 21st birthday. During that trip to America Paul thought of building a TV show around a coach tour. In Mal’s diary for April 7 he wrote: “Getting quite excited about planning the television film. Idea going at the moment is to make it about some sort of Mystery Tour (Roll Up! Roll Up!). Paul is getting lots of ideas and we’re jotting them down as we go.”
The same week his diary had an entry reading: “Took charge of Hertz rented car. Drove Paul and Jane up into the Rockies for what I can only describe as a real Magical Mystery Trip.”
From The Beatles Monthly Book, December 1967
THURSDAY APRIL 6:
Took charge of Hertz rented car. Drove Paul and Jane up into the Rockies for what I can only describe as a real Magical Mystery Trip. Pulled off the road and parked amongst the so-green trees. Down a rocky gorge to river. Ended up paddling in the cold running water, trousers rolled up to the knees, with Jane. Warm lazy day. We walked bare-foot in the drifts of snow but didn’t feel at all cold. This evening everyone more than ready for a big meal and a fair helping of colour television.
FRIDAY APRIL 7:
Early start to get Paul’s camera fixed. Then we all went off to the park to see a delightful Greek theatre. Paul filmed Jane walking away in the distance with my feet in the foreground. Then I ran like hell and caught up with her with a stitch in my side and much lack of breath! Paul getting quite excited about ideas for The Beatles’ TV Special. Idea going at the moment is for some sort of mystery tour. “Roll up for the grand mystery trip!”
SATURDAY APRIL 8:
Jane had a matinee and evening performance today so Paul and I drove up past Central City and discovered the old Boodle Mine, complete with graveyard. Just think of all the fortunes made here a century or so ago! In trying to get photographs of some great horses we both got stuck in a mixture of snow and mud. I tried to pull Paul out and we got into an even worse mess. Covered in melting white snow and mucky brown mud pies by the time we sorted ourselves! Back into Central City to look for a cuppa. Where else but a place named “Paul’s Cafe”! After a simple but filling dinner there we drifted across the road to a local bar — The Gilded Garter. Had a few drinks and listened to the band. Singer asked if we were two folk stars as he was sure he knew our faces. I guess I look like a Country Singer! Home in the dark and to “Romeo and Juliet”. Back to Paul’s house afterwards for a game of darts.
Mal Evans – From The Beatles Monthly Book, July 1967
Last updated on February 11, 2024