Previous Vocal Group Record of the Week
#844 (8/1/15 - 8/28/15)

IN MEMORY OF BILL PROCTOR
(WHO LEFT US ON JULY 11, 2015)

"Everyone Is Saying Hello Again
(Why Must We Say Goodbye?)"
The Ink Spots
on Decca 18817
released in 1946

"When You Come To The End Of The Day"
The Ink Spots
on Decca 24261
released in 1947

"I'm Lucky I Have You"
The Ink Spots
on Decca 27742
released in 1951


Above: Photo of The Ink Spots (L-R) Ivory "Deek" Watson (tenor), Bill Kenny (tenor, kneeling), Orville "Hoppy" Jones (bass), and Charlie Fuqua (baritone). This was the line-up from 1936 to 1943.


Above: Photo of The Ink Spots circa 1939 (L-R) Charlie Fuqua, Deek Watson, Hoppy Jones, Robert Benson (pianist), and Bill Kenny. The inscription says "To Tilford a mellow fellow From Deek 4 Ink Spots Home Cooking in the Bag."


Above: The Ink Spots clipping from The Billboard dated 10/11/47 (L-R) Bill Kenny, Herb Kenny (bass), Charlie Fuqua, and Billy "Butterball" Bowen (tenor). This was the line-up from 1945 to 1951.




Above Left: (From Buffalo Courier Express 2/23/43) Famous Singing Group Headlines Stage Show—The Ink Spots, famous quartet, will appear on the stage of Shea's Buffalo, starting Friday. With them will be Lucky Millinder and his orchestra and "Sister" Rosetta Tharpe.

Above Right: (From Buffalo Courier Express 2/9/49) Stars of Stage, Screen And Radio to Sing Here—The Ink Spots, stars of stage, screen and radio, will appear in person heading a big vaudeville show, on stage of Shea's Buffalo starting tomorrow.



Above: The Ink Spots, in porter uniforms for their appearance in the 1941 movie "The Great American Broadcast." They sang three songs, and provided back-up on another. They also appeared and sang three more songs in the 1942 movie "Pardon My Sarong."

The above picture is from the Pittsburgh Courier 4/26/41. Caption is "MADE FILM DEBUT IN MANHATTAN—The sensational Ink Spots who will make their film debut in New York this week at the famous Roxy theatre in "The Great American Broadcast." The picture will feature, besides the Ink Spots, Alice Faye, Jack Oakie, John Payne, Cesar Romero and the dancing Nicholas Brothers. The picture here shows how the Ink Spots will look in the movie."



Above: (From Afro-American Newspaper 4/17/48) They Gave the Applause Meter a Workout—Eddie (Rochester) Anderson, center, joins the Ink Spots during their recent "surprise" appearance on the Jack Benny show in a bit of harmonizing (?). The audience loved every minute of it. Bing Crosby, also a guest, was cut off in the middle of a gag because of the time consumed by the lengthy applause for the Ink Spots.

EXTRA AUDIO (Windows Media Player):

Listen to "Driftwood" - The Ink Spots - Decca 29957 - 1956.

This was recorded on February 4, 1941 and originally released on Decca 3872 in July 1941.
Bill Kenny is singing lead and Deek Watson sings the second part.



Above: Label image of Decca 18817 recorded on February 21, 1946 and released in April 1946.


Above: Label image of Decca 24261 recorded on November 7, 1946 and released in November 1947.


Above: Label image of Decca 27742 recorded on August 1, 1951 and released in September 1951.

The Billboard (1/26/52): The Paramount, NYC....The Ink Spots carried thru in their well-known way. They opened with "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall." The new "Please Mister Sun" was perfectly tailored to Bill Kenny's talent, and received deserving hands. "I'm Lucky I Have You" featured the pianistics of Harold Francis. They wound up with the one the crowd was waiting for, "If I Didn't Care," which they carried off with the freshness and vitality of a new number. Between tunes they injected their standard chatter....

Listen to this week's selections by The Ink Spots: [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

     A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
 
          1. Everyone Is Saying Hello Again
          2. When You Come To The End Of The Day
          3. I'm Lucky I Have You
 
          ALL THREE played in sequence

     B. Download RealAudio...
 
          1. Everyone Is Saying Hello Again
          2. When You Come To The End Of The Day
          3. I'm Lucky I Have You

     C. Stream/Download Media Player...
 
          1. Everyone Is Saying Hello Again
          2. When You Come To The End Of The Day
          3. I'm Lucky I Have You

      [To download audio files, right-click on link and then select "Save (Link) Target As..."]


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