Lost Birkenhead recording?

[Lord Reith]

While i was looking at 1963 photos today I noticed something unusual about this picture. Can you see it?

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Let's zoom in and you'll see that standing next to one of the PA speakers, there's a dark haired girl holding onto a microphone:

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Now this microphone is different to the one John andf the other two are singing into. I hadn't realised till now but The Beatles had their own vocal PA system at this time, because you can also see the same speakers and mics in the Stowe concert a few weeks earlier. And you also see the same mics in the EMI House performance:

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[Lord Reith]

Here's another photo from Birkenhead where John actually appears to be speaking to the dark haired girl. Is he asking "Why are you recording us, love?"

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So where is this girl and her tape?

[Yellowsubmarine]

Here's a closer version

[billychildish]

Nah, I think that is the amplification for the house PA placed in front of the speaker.

[applebonkerz]

I agree, it's a whole set-up on a regular mic stand just sitting there in front of the PA speaker -- with no one holding on to it in the close-up photo. That dark hair girl was probably just temporarily holding on to that mic stand in the other photo to steady herself against the push of other people behind and beside her at the time.

[alphabeatles]

I think the girl is holding papers to sign, like some of the others...

BUT I think I see a reel-to-reel at left behind the amp on the table-!

[eclipsed1]

No, on close inspection that's actually a turntable.

[alphabeatles]

No, on close inspection that's actually a turntable.

Direct-to-disc recording, ha!

[Lord Reith]

Well it was a nice fantasy anyway.

[BDJ]

Here's another photo from Birkenhead where John actually appears to be speaking to the dark haired girl. Is he asking "Why are you recording us, love?"

gettyimages-56601047-612x612.jpg

So where is this girl and her tape?

Looks like a different girl to me. The girl who was -supposedly- holding the microphone stands between John and the black haired girl; she is holding a piece of paper, probably a fan magazine?