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.
it had to be you
The Ink Spots Lyrics
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I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
With all your faults, I love you still,
It had to be you, wonderful you,
It had to be you.
It had to be you, it had to be you.
I wandered around and finally found somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me be blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
With all your faults, I love you still.
It had to be you, wonderful you
It had to be you.
The Ink Spots' "It had to be you" is a classic love ballad that expresses a sense of profound connection and destiny. The singer explains that they have wandered around aimlessly for so long, but have finally found the one person who can make them feel true emotions. The person they are singing to has the power to make them feel blue, but also fills them with joy even when thinking about sad times spent together. The lyrics convey a sense of acceptance, acknowledging that the person they love may have faults, but they love them nonetheless.
The second verse reinforces this feeling of inevitability by stating that they have seen others who could potentially make them happy, but ultimately they wouldn't be able to compare to the person that they are with. The singer has found the one person who gives them a thrill, faults and all. It is clear that this deep connection is what makes this person so wonderful and that it had to be them who would be able to make the singer feel fulfilled.
Overall, the song is a beautiful ode to true love and how it can make someone feel complete. The lyrics are simple and heartfelt, conveying the passion and intensity of the singer's feelings. The idea of destiny and inevitability is a powerful one, and the song captures this well.
Line by Line Meaning
It had to be you, it had to be you.
Out of everyone in this world, it could only be you that I fell in love with.
I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
I searched for a very long time until I finally found the person who was meant for me.
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
You have the power to bring out my true self and even make me feel sad sometimes.
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Thinking of you can make me feel happy even though I'm sad.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
I've seen other people who are never unkind or cruel.
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
They might never get angry or try to be controlling.
But they wouldn't do.
But they aren't the person for me.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
No one else made me feel so excited and happy.
With all your faults, I love you still,
Even though you're not perfect, I still love you.
It had to be you, wonderful you,
You're the one for me and I think you're amazing.
It had to be you.
It could only be you, and I'm grateful for that.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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