RARE Doo Wop Diablos Come Home Little Girl/Harriet 45 Record Fortune Doo Wop
$
56
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Description
Come Home, Little Girl” b/w “Harriet”
Fortune Records 841 • Original 1955 Detroit Doo Wop / R&B 45
A true Detroit vocal group treasure on the legendary Fortune label, featuring one of the city’s greatest harmony groups led by the incomparable Nolan Strong. Original Fortune 45s remain among the most sought-after records in the history of Detroit rhythm & blues.
Released in 1955, this scarce Fortune Records original features The Diablos backed by the Ted Walker Orchestra. Led by Nolan Strong, whose soaring falsetto would later influence Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, and countless soul singers, The Diablos stand among the most important vocal groups of the pre-Motown era.
The A-side, “Come Home, Little Girl,” was written by Willie Hunter, while the flip, “Harriet,” is credited to J. Strong and W. Hunter. Both recordings capture the haunting vocal harmonies and intimate production that made Fortune Records one of America’s most distinctive independent labels.
Founded by Jack and Devora Brown in Detroit, Fortune Records became famous for its raw, unpolished recordings by artists including Nolan Strong & The Diablos, Andre Williams, Nathaniel Mayer, John Lee Hooker, Doctor Ross, and many others. Original Fortune pressings are prized worldwide by collectors of Detroit R&B, blues, early soul, and rock & roll.
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Record Details
* Artist: The Diablos (with Ted Walker Orchestra)
* A Side: Come Home, Little Girl
* B Side: Harriet
* Label: Fortune Records (Detroit, Michigan)
* Catalog Number: 841
* Original Release: 1955
* A-Side Matrix: F-136
* B-Side Matrix: F-135
* Songwriters: Willie Hunter (Come Home, Little Girl); J. Strong & W. Hunter (Harriet)
* Publisher: Trianon Publications (BMI)
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Condition (VG-)
Visually grades approximately VG-.
The vinyl shows moderate to heavier surface wear consistent with a well-played original 1955 Fortune pressing, while retaining respectable gloss. Labels exhibit heavy wear, flaking, writing, and areas of paper loss.
Protective archival tape has been applied to stabilize portions of the fragile labels. The dead wax also contains several handwritten collector notations, including ownership markings that have remained with the record for decades.
Please review all photographs carefully and listen to the included audio sample to judge playback quality for yourself.
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Provenance
This record comes from the private collection of a legendary Detroit crate-digger and one-time DJ. It bears the unmistakable hallmarks of his preservation techniques, including protective tape over fragile label areas and handwritten dead wax notations documenting ownership and release information. These characteristics appear consistently throughout this extraordinary archive and reflect a lifetime devoted to preserving Detroit’s musical history.
It represents “a piece of rock history from an epic collection of rare 45’s, filled with DJ copies and promos of early northern soul, doo-woo, rockabilly, detroit garage and psyche rock.”
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⭐ Why Collectors Want This Record
* Original 1955 Fortune Records Detroit pressing.
* Features Nolan Strong & The Diablos, one of the most influential vocal groups in American music.
* Essential pre-Motown Detroit R&B and doo wop.
* Fortune Records is among the most collectible independent labels ever produced.
* Strong influence on Smokey Robinson, The Miracles, and the Motown vocal sound.
* Increasingly difficult to locate as an authentic original pressing.
Few Detroit vocal group records carry the historical importance of an original Diablos Fortune release. Despite the label wear, this is exactly the kind of record serious Fortune collectors pursue because of its rarity, significance, and authenticity.
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