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.
To Each His Own
Ink Spots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
And my own is you
What good is a song if the words just don't belong?
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone, to each his own
[Chorus:]
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
Your touch means too much to me
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
The Ink Spots's song, "To Each His Own", explores the concept of individuality and unique love connections. The lyrics emphasize how each person has their own separate and distinct preferences in life. The opening line, "A rose must remain with the sun and the rain/Or its lovely promise won't come true" sets the tone for the entire song, highlighting the idea that for something beautiful to grow and flourish, it must receive its required elements. This is compared to the singer's love, which has found its necessary match in their significant other, and without them, it cannot exist.
The lyrics continue to express how important it is for different things to be made for different people. For a song to be successful, the right words must fit together to create something that resonates with the listener. Similarly, a dream must be shared with someone else to make it meaningful. "No good alone, to each his own/For me there's you" exemplifies how the singer has found fulfillment in their unique connection with their loved one, but it may not be the same for others.
Line by Line Meaning
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
If a rose is to grow, it must tolerate both sun and rain, or else it will fail to bloom
Or its lovely promise won't come true
If the rose doesn't withstand both sun and rain, it can't fulfill its promise of blooming into a beautiful flower
To each his own, to each his own
Everyone has their own preferences and choices in life
And my own is you
For me, you are my choice
What good is a song if the words just don't belong?
A song is meaningless if the words don't fit perfectly with the music
And a dream must be a dream for two
Dreams are only worth pursuing if there are two people involved, otherwise they are just empty wishes
No good alone, to each his own
Being alone is not good for anyone, but everyone has their own way of finding happiness
For me there's you
And for me, you are my happiness
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
A relationship needs to have a spark of attraction to grow
To open each door there's a key
Every problem has a solution, just like every locked door has a key to open it
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
I know that I need you because I can't imagine life without you
Your touch means too much to me
Your touch is incredibly important to me
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Kissing requires two people, otherwise it's not really a kiss
Or they'll never know what love can do
If the two lips don't find someone else to kiss, they will never experience the full potential of love
I've found my own, one and only you
I have found my happiness in you, and there is no one else like you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAY EVANS, JAY LIVINGSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Blue Pink
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
And my own is you
What good is a song if the words just don't belong
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone, to each his own
For me there's you
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
Your touch means too much to me
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
[Spoken]
If a flame is to grow, there must be a glow
And to open each door there's gotta be a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
'Cause honey your touch means too much to me
[Sung]
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
sauquoit13456
According to the October 5th, 1946 issue of Billboard magazine there were five versions of "To Each His Own" on its 'Records Most Played On The Air' Top 10 chart...
At #2. Eddy Howard
#4. Freddy Martin
#6. Tony Martin
and two tied at #10. The Modernaires and The Ink Spots
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the #1 record at the time was "Five Minutes More" by Frank Sinatra, plus the rest of the Top 10 was:
#3. "South America, Take It Away" by Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters
#5. "Rumors Are Flying" by Frankie Carle
#6. "Five Minutes More" by Tex Beneke with the Glen Miller Orchestra
#9. "South America, Take It Way" by Xavier Cugat...
Olga Thomas
The song I remember when I was 5 years old. Enjoyed by my mom and dad. Brings back so many memories of by-gone-days that can't be duplicated. Those were the days of golden music.
Blue Pink
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
And my own is you
What good is a song if the words just don't belong
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone, to each his own
For me there's you
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
Your touch means too much to me
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
[Spoken]
If a flame is to grow, there must be a glow
And to open each door there's gotta be a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
'Cause honey your touch means too much to me
[Sung]
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
Meren Jamir
Thanks.
Leetle Fool
Bless the people who leave the lyrics in the comments.
armyoldsweat
The Ink Spots! Long forgotten but sounds as great as it ever did back then if not better. Where have the years gone?
John Llewlyn Davies
They keep coming back - the BBC's mega-series The Tourist features
If I Didn't Care throughout.
Irene de Villiers
Never forgotten. I love the inkspots., and l still listen to them ~ this song especially. They were my Dads favourite as well. Now he's listening to them forever.
Kailyn Pajer
Learning this song on the ukulele because my grandma and grandpa loved this song and my grandma just died and I'm going to play this at her memorial.
Nijole Sopher
Luv this song, so smooth and mellow, beautiful lyrics, thats what makes this song so fantastic❤😘🔥💋💞
Eb Aeria
I loved this song as a kid and love it even more today. Beautifully sung by the Ink Spots.