The Ink Spots, along with the Mills Brothers, were one of the leading early doowop vocal groups during the decades spanning Word War Two. Bringing together the influences of barber-shop quartets, gospel and jazz to create a sound and style that appealed to the mainstream pop market, The Ink Spots are celebrated as one of the most pioneering vocal collectives of all time.
In 1989, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as “early influences” by Bobby McFerrin and in 1999, they joined the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Employing a distinctive guitar introduction, and using the “top and bottom” technique that contrasted the high tenor lead vocal of Bill Kenny with the bass voice of Orville Jones delivering a spoken verse, they developed a successful formula that was all their own.
Between 1939 and 1951 they had around 50 hits in the various incarnations of the charts and Acrobat are unable to include all of them in this joyous 48-track collection. However, across the two discs, listeners will find all their Top 30 pop hits and all their Top 10 R&B hits, plus a few more, including those with Ella Fitzgerald. It’s a concentrated 2CD presentation of their very best recordings, and features the No.1s Address Unknown, We Three (My Echo, My Shadow And Me), I’m Making Believe, Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall, The Gypsy, and To Each His Own plus the R&B No.1s I Can’t Stand Losing You and Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.
A marvellous showcase for their unique style of music and their highly individual treatments of some of the era’s finest songs.
