The Ink Spots were a vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s … Read Full Bio ↴(1934-1954)
The Ink Spots were a vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop. They gained much acceptance in both the white community and black community largely due to the ballad style introduced to the group by lead singer Bill Kenny. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll hall of fame in 1999.
Their songs usually began with a guitar riff, followed by the tenor Bill Kenny, who sang the whole song through. After Kenny finished singing, the bass would either recite the first half, or the bridge of the song, or would speak the words, almost in a free form, that were not part of the song, commonly using the words "Honey Child", or "Honey Babe", expressing his love for his darling in the song. This was followed by Kenny, who finished up singing the last refrain or the last half of the song. On some songs Deek Watson would sing the lead rather than Bill Kenny. This was mostly on the uptempo "Jive" songs.
The Ink Spots formed in the early 1930s in Indianapolis. The founding members were :-
Orville "Hoppy" Jones (b. 17 February 1902, Chicago, Illinois – d. 18 October 1944, New York City) (bass) (Played cello in the manner of a stand up bass)[1]
Ivory "Deek" Watson (b. 18 July 1909, Mounds, Illinois – d. 4 November 1969, Washington, D.C.) (tenor) (Played guitar and trumpet)
Jerry Daniels (b. 14 December 1915 – d. 7 November 1995, Indianapolis, Indiana) (tenor) (Played guitar and ukulele)
Charlie Fuqua (b. 20 October 1910 – d. 21 December 1971, New Haven, Connecticut)
(baritone) (Played guitar)
*** BILL KENNY ***
The voice that made them famous Bill Kenny (Mr. Ink Spot) was born June 12th 1914 in Philadelphia PA, and died Mar 23rd 1978 in New West Minister, British Columbia. When Bill Kenny joined the group in 1936 they were mostly a "Jive" ensemble, performing swinging uptempo songs. It wasn't until The Ink Spots 1939 recording of "If I Didn't Care" that Bill Kenny's voice began being regularly featured on Ballads, which it was until The Ink Spots disbanded in 1954. Hits that feature Bill Kenny include "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire", "We Three", "The Gypsy", "Address Unknown", "With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming", "So Sorry", "Bless You", "My Prayer", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie", It Isn't A Dream Anymore", and dozens of others. Bill Kenny has been listed as an influence by such great artists as Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Johnny Mathis, Sonny Till, Clyde McPhatter and many others. Bill Kenny is often noted as the father of Doo Wop for his high tenor singing and his introduction of the popular "Top & Bottom" format used by virtually every Doo Wop group in the 50's and 60's.
Since Bill Kenny broke up The Ink Spots in 1954 there have been well over 500 black vocal Quartets calling themselves The Ink Spots none of which have or had any original members. There are even groups still touring as The Ink Spots today. It is largely accepted that if the group didn't contain Bill Kenny then the group was/ is a fake.
I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You
The Ink Spots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But now I hear love call,
I'm getting sentimental over you
Things you say and do,
Just thrill me through and through,
I'm getting sentimental over you.
I could live without love
Now I must admit,
Love is all I'm thinking of
Won't you please be kind,
And just make up your mind
That you'll be sweet & gentle,
Be gentle with me
Because I'm sentimental over you
The Ink Spots's song "I’m Getting Sentimental Over You" is a love ballad that expresses the feelings and emotions of the singer towards his beloved. The song starts with the lyrics "Never thought I'd fall, But now I hear love call," which shows that the singer never believed in love and was not interested in it until he met someone special. The chorus of the song "I'm getting sentimental over you" expresses the depth of the singer's emotions and how he is falling in love with his partner.
The verse "Things you say and do, Just thrill me through and through" highlights how the small gestures and actions of the singer's partner have affected him deeply. The second verse of the song "I thought I was happy, I could live without love, Now I must admit, Love is all I'm thinking of" indicates that the singer was content with his life before he met his partner but now all he thinks about is love.
The song ends with a plea from the singer for his partner to be kind to him and "be gentle with me." The use of the word "sentimental" in the song underscores the emotional attachment and depth of love that the singer has for his beloved.
Line by Line Meaning
Never thought I'd fall,
I never imagined myself falling in love,
But now I hear love call,
But love has called out to me and I can no longer ignore it,
I'm getting sentimental over you
I'm becoming emotional and nostalgic because of you
Things you say and do,
The actions and words that you express,
Just thrill me through and through,
Are deeply exciting and enjoyable to me,
I'm getting sentimental over you.
Which is why I'm becoming so nostalgic and emotional about it.
I thought I was happy,
I once believed I was content and satisfied with my life,
I could live without love
and that I didn't need love to be fulfilled.
Now I must admit,
But now, I have to confess,
Love is all I'm thinking of
that love is now the only thing occupying my thoughts.
Won't you please be kind,
Can I kindly ask of you,
And just make up your mind
to make a decision
That you'll be sweet & gentle,
to act in a kind and caring way,
Be gentle with me
especially towards me, who is now overwhelmed with sentimentality and nostalgia.
Because I'm sentimental over you
Because my feelings for you have become intense, emotional and nostalgic.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORGE BASSMAN, NED WASHINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind