THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

266-Ink Spots-If I Didn’t Care.

1939-It has never charted in the UK. There was no UK chart until 1952.

Best Bit- At 2.16. Introducing the ‘Top & Bottom.’ In 1938 band member Bill Kenny introduced the group to a new format that he called ‘Top & Bottom.’ The format called for the tenor, which was usually Bill Kenny to sing the lead for one chorus, this was followed by a chorus performed by the bass singer Hoopy Jones, reciting the lyrics rather than singing them. After a chorus of what became known as ‘Talking Bass,’ the lead tenor sang the rest of the song until the end.

The Ink Spots (see also best songs 702) were formed in New York City, New York, United States in 1934, by the quartet of Jerry Daniels, (1915-1995) Deek Watson, (1909-1969) Charlie Fuqua, (1910-1971) and Hoppy Jones, (1905-1994) in 1936 Jerry Daniels was replaced by Bill Kenny, (1914-1978) and they remained active until 1954. In total there were 16 official members of the Ink Spots come and go during their 20 years of activity, but it was the five mentioned above who were inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ in 1989. Also in 1989 this song by the Ink Spots ‘If I Didn’t Care’ was was inducted into the ‘Grammy Hall of Fame.’ The Ink Spots were television pioneers when, on November 6th, 1936, they were the first musical group to perform live on television, during an ‘NBC’ test broadcast held at the ‘NBC/RCA Building’ for the press, and in 1948 they became the first black performers to appear on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show.’ The Ink Spots appeared in two films, as Pullman porters who sing during their breaks and ultimately ‘make it big time’ in the 1941 American musical comedy ‘The Great American Broadcast,’ and in 1942 they were featured in an Abbott and Costello film, ‘Pardon My Sarong,’ where they played singing waiters in a nightclub.

Bill Kenny was born William Francis Kenny Jr. on June 12th, 1914 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. In 1969 he was severely burnt when the petrol tank of his sports car exploded in an underground car park, he suffered third degree burns to his face and hands, and also inhaled fumes, he died from a respiratory illness on March 23rd, 1978, at the age of 63. Bill Kenny is remembered as the ‘Godfather’ of R&B tenor vocalists, and is regarded as one of the most influential high-tenor singers of all time, Kenny was noted for his ‘bell-like’ vocal clarity and impeccable diction. Elvis Presley (1935-1977) (see also best songs 954-664-442 and 194) who recorded Kenny’s composition ‘There Is No God But God,’ said that he could ‘Honestly never hope to equal the musical achievements of Bill Kenny.’ The Ink Spots, and particularly Kenny were the forerunners, and the inspiration for the next generation of vocal groups, such as ‘The Ravens,’ the ‘Orioles,’ and the ‘Clovers, leading to the R&B era in the 1950’s. Bill Kenny was a member of the Ink Spots from 1936, and between 1940-1949 he was the featured lead singer on 40 of 45 Ink Spots recordings that reached the American Billboard Hot 100 top 40. In 1951, he started upon a solo career that would last until his death. He released his first solo Album ‘Precious Memories’ that year on the ‘Decca Record’ label under the ‘Faith Series.’ From that Album the Gospel composition ‘It Is No Secret’ gave Kenny a hit single, reaching Number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 also in 1951.

The ‘Talking Bass’ on ‘If I Didn’t Care’ was provided by Hoppy Jones, who was born Orville Jones on February 17th, 1905, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, he died on October 18th, 1944, after he collapsed onstage at the ‘Zanzibar,’ in New York City, at the age of 39. Hoppy Jones began his career as a dancer, and his nickname was probably derived from his dancing style. In 1928, he was a member of a dance duo named ‘Jones and Campbell,’ the duo would later join another to become ‘Three Peanut Boys’ around 1931, According to a review in the ‘Pittsburgh Courier,’ this act combined singing and dancing. Hoppy Jones then became one of the ‘Four Riff Brothers’ when that group was formed in late 1932, and he remained a member until the group split in September of 1933. At some point in 1934 he became a member of the ‘King, Jack and Jester,’ who would soon become the ‘Ink Spots.’ The Ink Spots were famous for two main reasons. One was Bill Kenny’s high tenor ballads and the other was Hoppy Jones’ bass talking parts, where he often talked to his ‘honey child’ in the middle of several of their recordings.

‘If I Didn’t Care’ was written by Jack Laurence (1912-2009) (see also best songs 274) and first recorded by the Ink Spots in 1939. Although the song only peaked at Number 2 on the Billboard chart in America, it is currently the ninth best selling song for physical copies of all time, with sales in excess of 19 million copies. It is also one of only 14 songs to have sold more than 15 million physical copies, and is the oldest song in that listing. The other songs to have sold in excess of 15 million physical copies, and to feature in this ‘1000 Best Songs’ list are (see also best songs 822-768-704-628-457 and 220) ‘If I Didn’t Care’ has been recorded by many artists down the years, with the hit versions on Billboard in America being by the ‘Hilltoppers,’ (1954-Number 17) Connie Francis, (1959- Number 22) the ‘Platters,’ (1961-Number 30) and ‘The Moments,’ (1970-Number 44) while in the UK the song was a Number 9 hit for David Cassidy in 1974.

‘Honey child, if I didn’t care more than words had ever said, and if I didn’t care, would I, would I feel this way? Honey, if this isn’t love, then tell me, why do I thrill so much?’