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.
With Plenty of Money and You
The Ink Spots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With plenty of money and you
In spite of the worry that money brings
Just a little filthy looker buys a lot of things
And I could take you to places that you would like to go
But outside of that, I've no use for dough
It's the root of all evil
Of strife and upheaval
With plenty of money and you
It's the root of all evil
Of strife and upheaval
But I'm certain, honey, that life would be sunny
With plenty of money and you
The Ink Spots’s song “With Plenty of Money and You” is a love song that highlights the significance of money in romantic relationships. The song is a melancholic tribute to the effect of money on love. The singer sings about the things that could be done with money and the woman he loves, and how money brings a lot of worry along with it.
The lyrics reveal that money, which is often viewed as the root of all evil, can bring strife and upheaval in most cases. The singer suggests that a little bit of money can buy a lot of things, but money is not a necessity to him. He admits that he has no use for money outside of taking his loved one to the places she would like to go.
The lyrics convey that love is the driving force behind happiness, and not necessarily money. Although money can bring temporary pleasure, it does not guarantee a happy life. The song sends the message that love can bring joy and happiness with or without money.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, baby, what I couldn't do
Oh, my darling, if only I had the means
With plenty of money and you
I'd be able to provide for us both and share everything with you
In spite of the worry that money brings
Although money can cause stress and anxiety, I believe it's worth it for our happiness
Just a little filthy looker buys a lot of things
Even a small amount of money can go a long way in buying material possessions
And I could take you to places that you would like to go
I'd love to spoil you with trips and experiences to fulfill your desires
But outside of that, I've no use for dough
Other than spending it on us and our happiness, money holds no importance to me
It's the root of all evil
Money often causes negative behaviors and actions
Of strife and upheaval
Money can lead to conflicts and disruptions in relationships and society
But I'm certain, honey, that life would be sunny
Despite the potential negatives, I truly believe that having money and you would make life bright and positive
With plenty of money and you
Together, we could conquer anything and live life to the fullest with the abundance of financial resources
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dubin, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Connor Williams
Well, baby, what I couldn't do
With plenty of money and you.
In spite of the worry that money brings.
Just a little filthy looker buys a lot of things.
And I could take you to places that you would like to go.
But outside of that, I've no use for dough.
It's the root of all evil,
Of strife and upheaval.
But I'm certain, honey, that life would be sunny
With plenty of money and you.
It's the root of all evil,
Of strife and upheaval.
But I'm certain, honey, that life would be sunny
With plenty of money and you
Bad Modder
Two absolute units enjoying the spoils of their adventure
Archibald Roulleau-Thery
One of the rare Ink Spots song that doesn't begin with the same guitar intro !
Court_of_the Crimson_Kingfish
I couldn’t actually tell who it was because it sounded like the inkspots but it didn’t have that intro
John Malcolm Cuthbertson
And the guitar intro in their other stuff always sounded like "Happy Trails to You"..
(Roy Rogers Theme)☺
C Porter
its not really that rare, last time i estimated (and im still finding new Ink Spot songs, about 45% of their songs didnt have the Huey Long Solo
deadsuperhero
This is easily one of my favorites of theirs. I feel like the message actually has a lot of interesting things to say.
Poly Blank
This song is amazing.
Isaac Hupp
RIGHT ON
Thumpster
Pootis Engage Aftermath brought me here.
Way to visit a classic.
Gub
same