A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke: studio, gear and credits

A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke: engineered by Dave Hassinger (RCA Staff Engineer). See the credits and gear, then recreate the sound in your DAW.

Details

Song: A Change Is Gonna Come
Artist: Sam Cooke
Genre / Style: Orchestral Soul / R&B / Civil Rights Anthem
Date(s) Recorded: January 30, 1964
Original Record Company & Catalog #: RCA Victor – 47-8486 (Single B-Side to "Shake") / RCA Victor – LSP-2899 (Album)
Release Date: March 1, 1964 (Album: *Ain't That Good News*), December 22, 1964 (Single)
YouTube Search: Listen on YouTube

Personnel and session credits

Chief Recording Engineer(s): Dave Hassinger (RCA Staff Engineer)
Musicians & Session Performers:

Sam Cooke - Lead Vocals
René Hall - Arranger, Conductor, Guitar
Earl Palmer - Drums
Chuck Badie - Upright Acoustic Bass
Clifton White - Rhythm Guitar
William Hinshaw - French Horn
Emil Radocchia (Emil Richards) - Timpani & Auxiliary Percussion

Studio and recording technology

Key Outboard Processors & Hardware Units:

RCA BA-6A Tube Limiters, Pultec EQP-1A Tube Equalizers, Fairchild 660 Limiters, RCA Hollywood Custom Live Echo Chambers

Reported gear and setup (not independently verified)

Tracking Studio & Room: RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California (Studio A) (Documented studio per MusicBrainz: RCA Studios)
Mixing / Overdub Studio: RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, CA
Mixing Console / Desk: RCA Custom Tube Recording Console (featuring rotary pots and custom RCA tube line amplifiers)
Multitrack Tape Machine & Format: Ampex 300-3 3-Track 1/2-inch Tape Machine operating at 15 IPS
Studio Monitors: Altec Lansing 604 "Duplex" monitors in custom RCA cabinets

Signal chains covered in the full track sheet

Instrument-by-instrument recording pathways, including: Lead Vocals (Sam Cooke), Drums (Earl Palmer) & Upright Bass (Chuck Badie), Orchestra (Strings, French Horn, Timpani).

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