The history of early twentieth century African-American vocal ensembles is a rich one: the highly successful Mills Brothers inspired a large number of singing groups in the years of the Great Depression and the Second World War. Using only their voices and sometimes some sparse instrumentation, these groups combined jazz, pop, and gospel to produce music that anticipated the rise of R&B, rock ‘n roll, and doo-wop in the 1950s. Such groups as the Spirits of Rhythm, the Golden Gate Quartet, the Four Vagabonds, Cats and the Fiddle, the Ravens, and the Ink Spots were all pioneers and integral parts of musical history.
The Ink Spots gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s and were widely accepted in both the white and black communities. They had started out in 1934 as a group singing comedy jive songs in the manner of Fats Waller or Cab Calloway, but when their original tenor singer Jerry Daniels left the group, his replacement Bill Kenny would transform them into a seriously melodic vocal harmony group that would sell millions of records. It’s no exaggeration to say that every singer who sang a ballad in the 1950s and early sixties was influenced by the Ink Spots.
If I Didn’t Care was the record that defined their trademark sound. Written by Jack Lawrence, it is the perfect showcase for the Ink Spots’ deliciously warm harmonies. The angel voices of Bill Kenny and bandmates Charlie Fuqua, Deek Watson, and Orville Jones, harmonise together like honey. Check them out here.
