Between 1939, the year of the Ink Spots' break-through hit If I Didn't Care,
and 1952, when the group split into two far less successful factions, this vocal quartet's popularity and influence was rivalled by only one other African-American vocal group—the Mills Brothers. Though first making their mark in the mid-1930s by specialising in
jive
, the Ink Spots are best-remembered for their distinctive ballads. Their smooth, effortless singing style, reminiscent of a gospel quartet, was the...
