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.
We Three
The Ink Spots Lyrics
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Living in a memory
My echo, my shadow, and me
We three - we're not a crowd
We're not even company
My echo, my shadow, and me
What good is the moonlight
The silvery moonlight that shines above?
I walk with my shadow
I talk with my echo
But where is the one I love?
We three - we'll wait for you
Even till eternity
My echo, my shadow, and me
We three - we're all alone
Seems like we're livin' in a memory
That's my echo, my shadow, and me
We three - we ain't no crowd
Fact is, we ain't even company
That's my echo, my shadow, and me
You know I been wonderin'
What good is the moonlight
That silvery moonlight that shines way, way up above?
Yeah, I walk with my shadow
I talk with my echo
But where is that gal that I love?
We three - we'll wait for you
Even till eternity
My echo, my shadow, and me
The Ink Spots's song We Three is a somber expression of loneliness and heartbreak. The first verse sets the scene – three solitary figures, an echo, a shadow, and the singer, are "all alone, living in a memory." The second verse explains that they are not even a company or a crowd, but just the three of them – emphasizing the loneliness of the situation. The chorus wonders about the point of the moonlight, which is shining above while the singer walks with their shadow and talks with their echo, but their beloved is absent. The third verse repeats the chorus, revealing that it is the singer and their shadow and echo waiting for their love, even till eternity.
The chorus's emphasis on the moonlight highlights the yearning for the beloved, as they are absent even when the beauty of the night is present. The echo and shadow are clever metaphors for the singer's own loneliness and isolation, highlighting how they are only a reflection of the person they once were.
The song's lyrics are straightforward and touching, capturing the bittersweet feeling of being in love and being alone. The simple instrumentation of the song – with the soft harmonies and acoustic guitar – perfectly amplifies the song's message.
Line by Line Meaning
We three - we're all alone
The three of us are alone and have each other only.
Living in a memory
Our only companionship is reminiscing the past.
My echo, my shadow, and me
It's just the three of us - my back and front reflections and the sound of my own voice.
We three - we're not a crowd
Although we're three, it doesn't feel like a crowd.
We're not even company
We're not proper company since we're just echoes of each other.
What good is the moonlight
What's the use of romantic ambiance if the person I love isn't here to appreciate it with me?
The silvery moonlight that shines above?
The moonlight that delicately adds charm to the night sky.
I walk with my shadow
Being alone, I only have my shadow to accompany me on my walks.
I talk with my echo
At times, I strike up a one-sided conversation with my echoes just so I could hear a response.
But where is the one I love?
But, I miss the person I truly love and wish to be with.
We three - we'll wait for you
The three of us will remain in the memory and keep the room waiting for you till the end of time.
Even till eternity
We'll continue to be here, waiting patiently for your return through forever.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DICK ROBERTSON, NELSON COGANE, SAMMY MYSELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Maneru2011
For those who watch Better Call Saul:
My echo: Jimmy McGill, as he is the most distant one. Also, for an echo to form, some distance is required: Considering Jimmy is his first and true identity, now "destroyed" and forgotten, it is not far-fetched to deem him the "echo"".
My shadow: Saul. His recent criminal deeds in the Breaking Bad world and his fear of being caught by the police are like a shadow who haunts his soul. When compared to the echo, a shadow is almost always behind you: It has your shape, looks like you, but of course, it is not you. By observing its outline, in spite of its featurelessness, it is possible for someone to recongnize you. This is, as shown a number of times, Gene's greatest fear.
And Me: Gene. But then, could we really assume this is the protagonist's true self? From a pure viewer perspective, the answer is no. His "true" and primary self is Jimmy McGill, but now he is an echo. Gene longs for the "glory times" when he was Saul, daydreaming of becoming his shadow. His present self, Gene, is ironically the most shallow and miserable of all the three, possibly nothing but an echo, a shell of a formerly prosperous person. Yet, right now, he is the protagonist's "me".
Living in a memory: I think this one is quite obvious
We're not a crowd/We're not even company/We three, we're all alone: The identities cannot ever meet one another, as this is the same as condemning Gene/Saul/Jimmy to a life in prison. Even though he is three, he is lonely and must remain so in order to survive.
What good is the moonlight/That silvery moonlight(...) But where is that girl that I love?: This life is meaningless now, I cannot appreciate it. He has no one he loves around (Kim doesn't even show up in Breaking Bad).
I cannot help but love Better Call Saul's production team.
I hope we get another great series from Vince Gilligan when BCS is over.
@comiccando
We three, we're all alone
Living in a memory
My echo, my shadow and me
We three, we're not a crowd
We're not even company
My echo, my shadow and me
What good is the moonlight
The silvery moonlight
That shines above?
I walk with my shadow
I talk with my echo
But where is the one I love?
We three, we'll wait for you
Even 'til eternity
My echo, my shadow and me
We three, we're all alone
Seem like we living in a memory
That's my echo, my shadow and me
We three, we ain't no crowd
Fact is we ain't even company
That's my echo, my shadow and me
You know, I've been wondering
What good is the moonlight
That silvery moonlight
That shines way, way up above
Yeah, I walk with my shadow
I talk with my echo
But where is that gal that I love?
We three, we'll wait for you
Even 'til eternity
My echo, my shadow and me
Sourse: LyricFind
@ignacioaltuna785
Gracias Sr. Becker! Me alegra que le agradara el comentario. Acá estos discos llegaron algo tardíamente, antes habían editado a The Platters (1956)
que fueron un boom, y durante añosy hubo algunos otros grupos del mismo tipo, pero fuera de de los dos nombrados, ninguno llegó a la altura de éstos. Yo soy de Buenos Aires (Argentina} y bastante mayor (80)... Ud., ¿Desde donde escribió? Repito mi agradecimiento. Hasta siempre, ligados por el común afecto por los viejos, buenos discos. Ignacio Altuna (a) Nacho9
@atlas3870
“I can’t believe there’s like a billion people on this planet, and the only person I have to talk about this is you” - Jimmy McGill
@oliviaprimm7366
THANK YOU!!! I just watched BCS before watching The Blacklist. This song is in both shows and for the life of me I couldnt recall where I had heard it before
@nont18411
And now that “you” guy is dead
@mariacampbell4761
Yeah! 😊 👍
@khamismichael136
@@oliviaprimm7366 same for me
@CallOfCrypto010
Last season😭 Please for the love of god Kim makes it to the hoover shop!
@karen-cheriecogane1871
This beautiful song, "We Three" was written by my father, Nelson Cogane, the prolific ASCAP lyricist/songwriter. The Ink Spots version is classic. A moving love song, "We Three" was written for my mother, Dorothea Cogane, his inspiration, and was composed before my parents were married. I'm so proud to have had such a wonderful and gifted father.
@ozell1992
+KAREN-CHERIE COGANE fascinating
@karen-cheriecogane1871
Thank you.
@skinjbeard8017
You must be very proud!