Ole Los Beatles Espana
By Juan Agueras and Richardo Gil
Sgt. Beatles Fanclub
(Found in September/October 1995 issue of Beatles Unlimited)
Blinded by the Spanish sun and escorted by acolytes and
bodyguards (Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans among others,) they went off the plane
chewing gum and dressed in a casual style.
John was wearing a black and white squared cap matching his trousers, a
white jacket and a black T-shirt. Paul,
a dark suede jacket, a white shirt and black trousers. George, just like Paul but with a t-shirt on
instead. Ringo was wearing a white
jacket, and black trousers and a T-Shirt.
“Saludos amigos!” (Hi friends!) said Paul in perfect Spanish one John
had said the same by means of making faces and bizarre slices of hand. Then they got into two black Cadillacs. Authorities, in order to show their contempt
for the band ordered them and all the staff to undergo the customary proceedings: they had to go through the “something to
declare” counter, though all their 22 pieces of luggage and assorted musical
equipment were ignored. Ringo had to
suffer on the raw of the disdain: the
drummer lagged behind as he was asked for an autograph by an Iberia airhost. When Ringo tried to return to his friends, a
police officer took him for a fan and thereby was shoved aside regardless of
his actual identity. Eventually, the
Beatles stumbled their way to the cars. “They
definitely know where country they were coming to,” Bermudez said.
 |
| The Beatles at the customs window in Madrid |
The retinue, which included some foreign journalists, drove
off towards the Fenix Hotel, placed in Paseo de la Castellana, Plaza de Colon,
where the Beatles stayed in rooms 122, 123 and 124, the three of them linked by
means of a common sitting room which was provided with two balconies over a
garden and a street. Brian Epstein, who
had not been seen since the days the group had been touring around Roma,
arrived at Madrid in a different flight and later made a public appearance
with, as Peter Brown recalls—a black eye and telling everybody he had stumbled
on a wardrobe’s door! The management of
the hotel did not send an invoice as part of a promotional campaign.
The building was besieged by fans, crowded with people from
the media and escorted by twenty police officers. “The pressure exerted by the people wanted to
gain access to the hotel and to see them and even to touch them – the inn-keeper
Enrique Bartolome comments, “was so tremendous that the exterior windows were
about to shatter.” Moreover, secret passwords were used by the employees so as
not to reveal the whereabouts of the famous guests. The employees saw themselves in the situation
of having to satisfy Paul’s whim: he
wanted to meet a girl but served on a tray by a waiter. Just a joke!
Two hours were enough to have a rest and to recover. Then, a chaotic press conference began. The four lads were sitting on a striped divan
and over a hundred press men piled up almost on top of the Beatles very
heads. Though a loud speaker the people
from the media were told to be quite and they were likewise reminded that they
were just minutes to take photographs.
Ringo and George stayed in the same pose all along the brief photo call,
whereas John and Paul in the end appeared sitting on the divan’s back. The latter posed with a carnation in his
mouth and it remained there through the press conference. Most of the questions were translated by a
woman and were actually silly. The
thematic repertoire showed that nobody there knew whom they were talking
to: their long hair, their millions,
whether they liked Spain and the like were central topics. Someone asked them if “Are you afraid of
meeting Delilah?” A supposedly funny mention to the Biblical character who
shaved Samson’s head. Foreigner media
thought the Liverpudlians were being asked about Dali – the Spanish painter, or
the singer Dalida. Spanish journalist
payed more attention to the fact that no alcoholic drinks were served due to
Francisco Bermudez’s prescription.
Afterwards, the musicians returned to their rooms and had a
rest. They did not leave their place
until the following day. Later that same
day, after midnight, El Cordobes, with a photographer from the Pueblo
newspaper, popped in the hotel so as to get an exclusive, but it had been told
that the boys should not be awakened.
Just like El Codobes, Francisco Bermudez could not get a snap for
posterity, though he said he did not care as he had done it on purpose, “it was
a misunderstood proof of humbleness.”
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