The Ink Spots were the preeminent black vocal group of 1940's pop music and were precursors to the doo-wop, rhythm & blues, and rock & roll sounds that blossomed in the subsequent two decades. The original members of the group were Jerry Daniels, Charlie Fuqua, Ivory "Deek" Watson and Orville "Hoppy" Jones, and sometimes included guest accompany vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald, though various changes occurred throughout the group's history as members passed on, were drafted into military service or left due to internal disagreements. The following is a list of those vocalist considered to be legitimate members of the group over its recording history: Bernie Mackie, Huey Long, Cliff Givens, Billy Bowen, Herb Kenny, Adriel McDonald, Ernie Brown, Teddy Williams, Jimmy Cannady, Bob Benson, Asa "Ace" Harris, Bill Doggett, Ray Tunia, Harold Francis, Fletcher Smith, and Everett Barksdale.
The sound of the Ink Spots evokes impressions of an era gone by, inspiring images of enjoying a lunchtime sandwich and coffee in a New York deli during the second World War, or indulging in a fine Claret at a social affair in a scene from The Great Gatsby. The smooth mellow flow of the music is relaxing and easily sets a good background for activites such as casual conversation or Sunday morning coffee alone on the veranda. The mild energy level prevents tension yet does not sink into melancholy or depressive ranges. As a vocal group, harmony is the pillar on which the Ink Spots music is founded, and contains only minimal and subdued instrumental flourishes. One side effect of limited instrumentation however as a generic sound that pervades most of their music.
Readers may be familiar with the track
If I Didn't Care as it appears often in film and television including the notable movies
The Shawshank Redemption and
Blade Runner. This track along with 11 other popular Ink Spot tracks appear in the 1999 release
The Best of the Ink Spots an album in the 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection series of releases by MCA Records, and provides a good introduction for the causal listener to enjoy The Ink Spots.
For more detailed information on the group's history see the
Ink Spots entry in Wikipedia.
Be Your Own Pet is full of energy, and all they want to do is be your friend, fuck things up, and have some fuuuuuun together. This album is loud, noisy and simply a great rock\punk album. I listened to it non-stop for the first several weeks (to my wife's consternation). Now, months later I'm still listening to it at least twice a week. This is high praise. With so many albums and so little time to really absorb them; for a debut album from a band I had never heard of to rise to the top of the pile like this is a once a year event at best.
Saint Etienne
