Hi Sean,
Love your music and thanks for producing the wonderful new Mind Games box set!
Two questions about videotape footage of your dad:
- In the May 1973 Sony Portapak videotape footage at The Dakota, why is John Lennon wearing a United States Navy APH-6 pilot's helmet, with microphone attached, indoors at night with the sun visor down? What is he up to?
- Does the August 19, 1980 professional videotape footage of John Lennon performing multiple takes of "I'm Losing You" at The Hit Factory studio still exist? And will this 1980 videotape footage ever be officially released?
Thank you! Please see screen capture images below for reference...
Below: 1973 Sony Portapak videotape at The Dakota. John appears to have a helmet microphone routed into a Fender tweed guitar amp behind him.
Below: 1973 Sony Portapak videotape at The Dakota. John is apparently adjusting the volume or tone controls on what appears to be a 1950s-era Fender tweed guitar amp.
Below: 1973 Sony Portapak videotape at The Dakota. Close up of the device affixed to the back of John's pilot helmet. The metal box may be a microphone impedance transformer allowing John to speak or sing through his guitar amp.
Below: "clapper" slate for the August 19, 1980 videotape footage at The Hit Factory
Below: Video still from unreleased footage of John performing "I'm Losing You" on August 19, 1980 at The Hit Factory
Below: John & Yoko on August 19, 1980 -- just before entering The Hit Factory recording studios for the "I'm Losing You" videotape session.