Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets: studio, gear and credits

Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets: recorded at Pythian Temple (Decca Studio B), 135 West 70th Street, New York City, NY. Large high-ceilinged Masonic hall/ballroom renowned for long, natural ambient acoustic decay. (Documented studio per Discogs (release-wide): Decca Records, Inc.)).

Details

Song: (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock
Artist: Bill Haley & His Comets
Genre / Style: Rock and Roll / Rockabilly / Western Swing
Date(s) Recorded: April 12, 1954 (Session ran approximately 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM)
Original Record Company & Catalog #: Decca Records – Catalog # 29124 (Matrix: 86170)
Release Date: May 10, 1954 (B-side of "Thirteen Women (And Only One Man in Town)"); re-promoted March 1955
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Personnel and session credits

Credits for this recording are still being verified against Discogs and MusicBrainz.

Studio and recording technology

Tracking Studio & Room: Pythian Temple (Decca Studio B), 135 West 70th Street, New York City, NY. Large high-ceilinged Masonic hall/ballroom renowned for long, natural ambient acoustic decay. (Documented studio per Discogs (release-wide): Decca Records, Inc.))

Reported gear and setup (not independently verified)

Mixing / Overdub Studio: Pythian Temple (Decca Studio B), New York City (Live mono mixdown directly to master tape; spliced live edits).
Mixing Console / Desk: Custom Decca Tube Console (Built using Western Electric, RCA, and Langevin 116/117 tube preamplifiers with custom rotary attenuators).
Multitrack Tape Machine & Format: Ampex 300 Single-Track 1/4-inch Full-Track Mono Tape Recorder operating at 15 IPS (Inches Per Second).
Studio Monitors: Altec Lansing 604C coaxial loudspeakers housed in custom Decca utility cabinets.
Key Outboard Processors & Hardware Units:

Custom Decca Tube Passive Equalizers (Pulley/Langevin style)
Natural Acoustic Echo (Captured live within the marble/plaster ballroom volume of Pythian Temple via distant room mics and baffle control)
RCA / Universal Audio Tube Limiting Amplifiers (early custom variants)

Signal chains covered in the full track sheet

Instrument-by-instrument recording pathways, including: Lead Vocals (Bill Haley), Lead Electric Guitar (Danny Cedrone), Slap Upright Double Bass (Marshall Lytle), Drums (Dick Richards), Tenor Saxophone (Joey D'Ambrosio), Piano (Johnny Grande).

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