Mostly about my backyard chickens. (Boring, I know), but there are a lot of us out here. Mine are only kept as pampered pets. I could eat a neighbor's chicken, but not MINE. There may be a comment on current events only if I get riled up enough. And there will always be a cartoon or a joke to cheer us. I promise to try my very best to respond to comments. Now I have to figure out how this blogger thingy works....
The Diablos' 1954 song "The Wind", has always been regarded a classic among R&B and doo wop fans.
The group had a unique sound, centered around the high lead tenor voice
of Nolan Strong. Besides "The Wind", the Diablos were known for many
songs, such as "Adios My Desert Love", "Can't We Talk This Over", "Mambo
of Love", "If I", "Harriet", "I Am With You", "Goodbye Matilda", "I
Wanna Know", "Beside You", "Mind Over Matter", and "The Way You Dog Me
Around".
The group formed at Central High School in Detroit around 1950 and
originally consisted of Strong (lead tenor), Juan Guitierrez (tenor),
Willie Hunter (baritone), Quentin Eubanks (bass), and Bob "Chico"
Edwards (guitar). The Diablos name is said to have come from a book, El
Nino Diablo (The Little Devil), that Strong was reading for a
high-school book report. In 1954, the Diablos went into Detroit's
Fortune Record Studios to cut some demo sides, with the hopes of
furthering their career. Their hopes were realized even more quickly
than they expected. Those demos impressed Jack and Devora Brown, owners
of Fortune, who immediately signed the group to record for their label.
Their first recording for Fortune was the Devora Brown-penned "Adios My
Desert Love", a cha-cha influenced tune.
But it was their second Fortune record that established the group as
R&B legends. Written by the group members, "The Wind" had a haunting
sound, with the group chanting "blow wind" in harmony behind Strong's
delicate tenor lead, and smooth and sexy talking bridge. Following the
release of "The Wind", Guitierrez and Eubanks left the group, to be
replaced by Nolan's brother Jimmy on tenor and George Scott on bass.
Over the next two years this configuration of Diablos would turn out
several records, including "Route 16", "Do You Remember What You Did",
"Daddy Rockin' Strong", "The Way You Dog Me Around", "You Are", and "A
Teardrop From Heaven".
By late 1956, more changes occurred. Scott decided to leave the group about this time to join Hank Ballard & the Midnighters
- and again the Diablos were in need of a bass. Enter Jay Johnson, who
was introduced to Strong through fellow Fortune artist Andre Williams.
Although not quite 17 at the time, Johnson was already a veteran singer,
having sung bass with Williams' "new" group on "Bacon Fat", "Just
Because of a Kiss", "Mean Jean", and "Bobby Jean". (Williams' "new"
group consisted of Gino Parks, Bobby Calhoun, Steve Gaston, and
Johnson.)
Strong was impressed and the Diablos had their new bassman. Johnson's
first session with the Diablos was on "Can't We Talk It Over" and
"Mambo of Love", recorded in late 1956 and released in 1957. By the time
the first Fortune of Hits album came out, Johnson had already replaced
Scott with the group. Unfortunately, the picture on the album cover did
not reflect this change, and shows the group with Scott instead of
Johnson. This oversight may be a factor in many believing that Johnson
did not join the group until several years later. In fact, Johnson is
heard on bass on more Diablos recordings than either Eubanks or Scott.
Among these are: "Beside You", "Mind Over Matter", "Everything They Said
Came True", "Welcome Baby to My Heart", "I Wanna Know", "If I Could Be
With You", "Since You're Gone", "Harriet", "Harriette It's You", "I Am
With You", "Are You Making a Fool Out of Me", "You're My Happiness",
"Village of Love", "For Old Times Sake", "My Heart Will Always Belong to
You", and "Come Home Little Girl". On "Village of Love", Johnson also
provided the bass on the original Fortune version by Nathaniel Mayer
& the Fabulous Twilights.
Also in late 1956, about the time Johnson joined the group, Strong
departed for a two-year stint in the army. While Nolan was in the
service, the Diablos released one single without him, "Harriet", backed
with "Come Home Little Girl", featuring Hunter on lead. Without Strong,
the Diablos' magic seemed to be missing and the record received little
fanfare. After Strong returned from the service, the group recorded
"Harriette It's You". But when Nolan came back from the service, things
were not quite the same. Fortune was focusing more of their attention on
Strong, and not the Diablos group. In 1954, records showed "The Diablos
Featuring Nolan Strong". Then billing changed to "Nolan Strong &
the Diablos", and by 1962, when "Mind Over Matter" was climbing the
charts, the label just read "Nolan Strong", although the Diablos were on
the record, as prominent as ever. This lack of recognition along with
financial inequities (lack of royalties and unequal pay to the group
members versus Strong), inevitably lead to the group's demise.
Just as Strong had been influenced by Clyde McPhatter, he in turn
would be influential to Smokey Robinson. And Robinson was not the only
one at Motown to have an appreciation for Nolan Strong & the
Diablos. Berry Gordy had wanted to bring the Diablos into his
fast-growing Motown complex. The deal was never finalised.
In 1964, the group disbanded. Calhoun indicates he went south and did some work with Stax Records.
Iverson and Hunter returned to Detroit. Johnson stayed on for a time in
New Jersey, continuing to perform solo at the Tender Trap, but also
found his way back to Detroit. Upon his return, he joined Detroit's Five
Monarchs, but did not record with them. In the late 1960s Johnson
formed the soul group the Four Sonics, releasing two singles in 1968 on Detroit's Sport label. The group recorded through the mid-1970s.
Jimmy Strong died on January 29, 1970, at age 34. Edwards died March 17, 2001 at age 63. Hunter and Eubanks are also deceased.
