While numerous personnel changes have taken place within the group in its 60+ years of existence, the familiar close harmonies remain The Ink Spots' stock in trade. Making up the current group are bass singer-narrator Harold Winley, second lead Sonny Hatchett, lead tenor Grant Kitchings; and the newest Ink Spot, baritone and guitarist, Morris Dow.
The Ink Spots' story begins in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1932, when four young men - Deek Watson, Charles Fuqua, Orville "Hoppy" Jones and Jerry Daniels - formed the first version of the group. The quartet performed as the Riff Brothers and the Percolating Puppies before settling on the Ink Spots name. In search of a recording contract, the group headed to New York City, where they met up with singer Bill Kenny, who replaced Daniels as the group's lead tenor in 1936. Three years later, The Ink Spots had their first million-selling record, If I Didn't Care. The song, which would be their biggest hit, ultimately sold 19 million copies.
Kenny left the group for a solo career in 1945. The replacement was Jim Nabbie and the hits continued over the next decade; I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire, To Each His Own, My Prayer, I'll Never Smile Again, A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening, Java Jive, Maybe, Into Each Life Some Rain May Fall, We Three, It's A Sin To Tell A Lie, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Prisoner of Love ... and on and on. After the remaining original members left the group, it was up to Nabbie to keep things going. Frustrated by acts billing themselves as The Ink Spots, Nabbie acquired the rights to the Ink Spots' name and registered it as a trademark. While the frequency of hits slowed in the mid '50's, The Ink Spots' influence was heard in the many doo-wop vocal groups formed during this period, as well as many groups, like the Temptations, which would come along later. The Ink Spots' musical impact was recognized formally in 1987 when inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. They have been inducted into the Apollo Hall of Fame and, in 1997, into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Nabbie and the rest of the Ink Spots continued to tour, in the neighborhood of some 200 dates a year. Especially pleasing were the 10 to 20 college dates the group would perform each year, where young people, many of whose parents weren't born at the time of The Ink Spots' first hits, would get their first chance to hear the quartet. Nabbie claimed that he was always amazed that younger audiences would accept the "old timers" music so enthusiastically.
In September 1992, Jim Nabbie, "Mr. Ink Spots" for 47 years, passed away, just before the start of an European tour. The Ink Spots were faced suddenly with the prospect of carrying on without their longtime friend and colleague.
More recently, the band has been introduced to a new, or perhaps, younger audience through the highly successful 'Fallout ' series of RPGs, which features the songs 'I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire' (Fallout 3) and 'Maybe' (Fallout).
But carry on the group has! Grant, who had been with The Ink Spots many years ago, was welcomed immediately by audiences with standing ovations. And so it appears that The Ink Spots will remain a viable musical entity for many years to come.
The Ink Spots Bios:
HAROLD WINLEY
Bass Singer/Narrator
His association with The Ink Spots goes back more than fifty years; before he became an original member of THE CLOVERS. It is now more than twenty-five years that he has been performing with THE INK SPOTS on a continual basis. The deep resonance of his voice has thrilled audiences worldwide. He is the "intellectual" of the group and is interested in everything and anything . . . but photography and music are his passions. Born in Washington, DC where most of his family still resides, he was a resident of New York City for many years. He now resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
SONNY HATCHETT
Second Lead/Second Tenor
Sonny is the Group's comedian . . . both on-stage and off-stage . . . and has appeared as a single artist nationally and internationally. Sonny has many comedy albums to his credit. He is also a songwriter and comedy writer and you'll often see his smiling face in movies and commercials filmed in the Miami area. He has been a member of THE INK SPOTS for more than twenty-five years and has earned his nickname of "Twinkle Toes" for his intricate steps on stage. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he now makes his home in the Fort Lauderdale area.
HERMAN DENBY
Lead Tenor
When Grant Kitchings (lead singer 1995-2001) became ill while performing with THE INK SPOTS on the Mississippi Queen, Herman responded immediately and was on the next flight to New Orleans. Those were big shoes to fill, but he did so very well. We are proud to have Herman as a permanent member of the group now that Grant has sadly passed. Herman is a very modest man but he is a published poet, a writer and a songwriter. He was an original member of the "Doo-Wop Hall of Fame" group THE SWALLOWS and wrote most of their songs. He is a life long friend of Sonny Hatchett. He was also born in Baltimore but now makes New York City his home.
MORRIS DOW
Baritone/Guitarist
A native of Philadelphia, he now makes his home in Baltimore, Maryland. He has scored music for many motion pictures and television and radio commercials. Also known as one of the finest jazz harmonica players in the country today, he is a guitarist extraordinare. He is also a writer and has recently had a beautiful book published. Before joining THE INK SPOTS, he toured with many famous artists including Jimmy McGriff and Nancy Wilson. He also worked with Herb Kenny, the brother of THE INK SPOTS' original lead singer, Bill Kenny.
Maybe
Ink Spots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you are all alone
Maybe the one who is waiting for you will prove untrue
Then what will you do
Maybe you'll sit and sigh
Wishing that I were near, then
Maybe you'll ask me to come back again
And maybe I'll say maybe
May be you'll think of me
When you are all alone
Maybe the one who is waiting for you will prove untrue
Then what will you do
Maybe you'll sit and sigh
Wishing that I were near, then
Maybe you'll ask me to come back again
And maybe I'll say maybe
The Ink Spots' "Maybe" is a classic love song with bittersweet, almost somber lyrics. The song is written in a way that speaks to the possibility of a future romance between two people who have already parted ways, with the singer offering a comforting thought to an old lover who may find themselves struggling in a new relationship. The lyrics themselves are filled with uncertain language ("maybe," "perhaps," "what if"), which underscores the sense of trepidation and tentativeness that often accompanies the possibility of starting anew.
The first verse speaks directly to the listener, asking them to consider the possibility that they will "think of me when you are all alone." The singer is acknowledging the fact that people tend to reflect on past relationships when they are feeling lonely or unfulfilled, and is offering themselves up as a potential object of longing. The second verse speaks to the possibility of the listener's current partner being unfaithful, and asks the question "then what will you do?" This line carries with it a sense of inevitability and an acknowledgement of the fact that many relationships end in heartbreak.
The final verse of the song provides a glimmer of hope for the listener, suggesting that they may "ask me to come back again" and that the singer "may say maybe." This final line underscores the central theme of the song - the sense that nothing is certain when it comes to matters of the heart, and that even the most promising of futures may be tinged with uncertainty and doubt.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe you'll think of me
Perhaps at some point you'll recall me
When you are all alone
During times of solitude
Maybe the one who is waiting for you will prove untrue
Possibly the person you are waiting for will betray you
Then what will you do
What actions will you take in response to that situation
Maybe you'll sit and sigh
You may find yourself sitting and releasing a deep breath
Wishing that I were near, then
Desiring for me to be nearby at that time
Maybe you'll ask me to come back again
Perhaps you will request for me to return
And maybe I'll say maybe
I may respond with an ambiguous answer
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICHARD BARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind