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.
You’re Breaking My Heart
The Ink Spots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've fallen for somebody new
It isn't too easy believing
You'd leave after all we've been through
It's breaking my heart to remember
The dreams we depended upon
You're leaving a slow dying ember
I'll miss you, my love, when you're gone
But if some day you should want to return
Please hurry back and we'll make a new start, dear
Till then you're breaking my heart
I wish you joy, though teardrops burn
But if some day you should want to return
Please hurry back and we'll make a new start, dear
Till then you're breaking my heart
The Ink Spots' song "You're Breaking My Heart" is a mournful plea from a man to a woman who is leaving him for someone new. The opening line, "You're breaking my heart 'cause you're leaving," sets the tone for the song, which expresses the singer's feelings of sadness, loss, and betrayal. He is struggling to come to terms with the fact that the woman he loves is no longer his and that their dreams of happiness together have been shattered. The line "It isn't too easy believing/You'd leave after all we've been through" underscores the deep sense of disbelief and hurt that he feels.
The second verse of the song further underscores the pain that the singer is feeling. The line "It's breaking my heart to remember/The dreams we depended upon" highlights the fact that he had placed so much hope and trust in their relationship, only to have it come crashing down. The metaphor of a "slow dying ember" suggests that the love they once shared is slowly fading away, leaving behind nothing but ashes. Despite all of this, the singer still wishes his former love all the best, saying "I wish you joy, though teardrops burn." He even leaves the door open for her to come back to him, singing "But if some day you should want to return/Please hurry back and we'll make a new start, dear." The song ends on a note of resignation, with the singer acknowledging that until she returns, "you're breaking my heart."
Line by Line Meaning
You're breaking my heart 'cause you're leaving
Your departure is causing my heart to break
You've fallen for somebody new
You've developed feelings for someone else
It isn't too easy believing
It's difficult for me to believe what's happening
You'd leave after all we've been through
You're leaving despite all the experiences we've shared
It's breaking my heart to remember
Recalling our past is emotionally painful for me
The dreams we depended upon
Our mutual aspirations have been shattered
You're leaving a slow dying ember
Your departure is gradually extinguishing my love for you
I'll miss you, my love, when you're gone
When you're not around, I'll feel the absence of your love
I wish you joy, though teardrops burn
Even though it causes me pain, I want you to be happy
But if some day you should want to return
In case you ever reconsider and want to come back
Please hurry back and we'll make a new start, dear
Let's reconcile and begin again together
Till then you're breaking my heart
Until that happens, my heart remains broken
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE BIHARI, RILEY B. KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eugene DeBartolo
Always that same beginning melody but always great
Joe Lake
I think they always had that spoken word middle section, too. Maybe this is what Mike Love meant when he tried to get Brian to "stick to the formula".