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.
Memories of You
Ink Spots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At Sunrise,
Ev'ry sunset too,
Seems to be
Bringing me
Memories of you.
Here and there,
Scenes that we once knew,
And they all
Just recall
Memories of you.
How I wish I could forget
Those happy yesteryears
That have left a rosary of tears.
Your face beams
In my dreams,
Spite of all I do!
Ev'rything
Seems to bring
Memories of you.
How I wish I could forget
Those happy yesteryears
That have left a rosary of tears.
Your face beams
In my dreams,
Spite of all I do!
Ev'rything
Seems to bring
Memories,
All those memories of you.
The Ink Spots's "Memories of You" is a melancholic song that depicts a person's inability to escape feelings of nostalgia and longing for a past love. The lyrics convey the despair of waking up every day only to be reminded of the lost love and how that love is everywhere in the scenes of one's life. The singer wishes they could forget the happy moments shared with the lost love so that they could escape the pain of remembering them, but that very effort seems futile. Even when one sleeps, the memory of the lost love lingers on and haunts them. The lyrics "Your face beams in my dreams" suggest that the person has not moved on from the past relationship and still holds a deep attachment. The song's use of the metaphor of a "rosary of tears" highlights the regret and mourning the singer experiences, encapsulating how memories of the lost love continue to shape the person's life and identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Waking skies
The dawn is a reminder of the memories of you.
At Sunrise
The beginning of a new day reminds me of you.
Ev'ry sunset too
The end of the day also brings back memories of you.
Seems to be
It appears as if everything reminds me of you.
Bringing me
Causing me to recollect memories of you.
Memories of you.
Remembering the times spent with you.
Here and there,
In different places,
Ev'rywhere,
Within every location,
Scenes that we once knew,
Places that we once shared,
And they all
These places,
Just recall
Remind me of
Memories of you.
the moments we shared together.
Your face beams
The image of your face shines
In my dreams,
Within my unconscious thoughts,
Spite of all I do!
Despite my efforts to forget you,
Ev'rything
Everything around me,
Seems to bring
Provides a reminder of
Memories of you.
Moments and memories we shared together.
How I wish I could forget
I sometimes want to forget
Those happy yesteryears
Those joyful past times
That have left a rosary of tears.
That have caused me to shed many tears.
All those memories of you.
All the moments we shared together that continue to haunt me.
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC. , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIM YESTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Timothy Buchanan
Bill Kenny does things with his voice that you only hear people doing in opera. The Ink Spots are my all time favorite singing group
Mitch Grube
Yet another INK SPOTS masterpiece on youtube---Glad I can hear this .....hope younger generations do too and appreciate this wonderful stuff...
Lebowski
Indeed, I'm fourteen, but I've learned to love older music and especially The Ink Spots through modern games, like Fallout 3. I wish more people of my age would find joy in such music
PingJesus
I’m 21 and a huge fan of vintage music ranging from the 1920s onward, so we definitely exist!
oj shilinski
I've loved the Ink Spots for 70+ years -- everything they sing is perfection.
Drain o
oj shilinski you alive
OLD GUARD SQUAD
@Drain o same..
Team Player
Alive?
oj shilinski
@Team Player Yes, I am still alive and will have my 89th birthday in November -- still feel the same about the Ink Spots....
FilmBucket
@oj shilinski Happy belated birthday!