Listening To An Original Buddy Holly Studio Recording in Clovis, New Mexico

Bill On The Road
Bill On The Road
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Published 2023-02-18
Buddy Holly recorded his early hits in Clovis, New Mexico at the Norman Petty Recording Studio. Jay Fisher's father was Petty's engineer and saved the original equipment used in that studio in the mid 1950s. Most of the equipment you see in the video, including the large metal audio mixer, was used to record Holly - including his first big hit, "That'll Be The Day" - one of the most important records in American music history. (Fun Fact: that was the first song The Beatles ever recorded in a studio session together.)

This analog recording (captured on my Iphone) makes Buddy Holly seem like he's literally standing in the room with us. I'd never heard his voice like this before. It was truly incredible.

The Norman & Vi Petty Rock N Roll Museum in Clovis has lots of historic memorabilia from the studio and local Clovis music history. The museum's recording studio can also be visited and if you're lucky, you'll have the chance to meet Jay and his wife and hear one of these musical treasures in analog!
All Comments (21)
  • @guywalker29
    Now this is really something to be preserved.
  • @martinwalsh8352
    Love the original equipment and there's nothing like the fidelity of reel to reel.
  • @grassynotes
    Even over the phone you can hear how unbelievably good that would sound in person!!
  • @travisbayles870
    Buddy Holly wouldve been the King of Rock and Roll had he not died far too soon he was just that great Rest in peace Buddy
  • @rogerzimmermann9739
    Buddy holly was truly a great singer I have 8 or so of his albums I purchased as a teenager in the 1960s I still play buddy's albums never get tired of his singing I'm sure his widow Maria appreciates his fans to this day as well.
  • @perrylankford4269
    It's almost as if you were sitting in the studio as it happened... Thank you.
  • @Tonetwisters
    Nikki Sullivan on rhythm guitar, and Buddy's vocal mic acoustically picking up his Stratocaster along with his amp miked. Right off the one-track 1/4"! What a sound!! MORE, PLEASE!
  • @v-town1980
    Buddy and Elvis...my favs from the 50s❤
  • @UnremarkableMarx
    I'm a gen z and I'm sick of apologizing for voice correction, and production that is so over processed and sterile. Even the music on the radio gets made on laptops, and computer plugins. This is talented young men in a room getting their chops up and cutting a timeless record. You can actually hear the room, the inflections and the zeal in Buddy and the Crickets. These are tight performances, simple yet with so much heart, and with a real chorus for goodness sake.
  • @russputin6294
    Sounds awesome even via your iPhone microphone, YouTube's low bitrate and my crappy laptop speakers. It just proves that the quality of he original source is all-important; "garbage in, garbage out" as a wise man said
  • @hunt_
    His voice was super smooth. RIP Buddy