This 2001 set from the Allegro Corporation's Cocktail Hour series contains 28 tracks from the heyday of the Ink Spots' career, including 4 tracks with Ella Fitzgerald. As Ink Spots compilations go, this package is as good as any other - comprehensive, but far from all-inclusive. It fills the bill for a good "representational" collection of Ink Spots hits.
Liner notes, though rather sketchy, give a brief outline of the Ink Spots' career, crediting them as "...precursors of the do-wop sounds of the 50s." There is no real discographical info, so you'll have to find it elsewhere.
Nonetheless, this is as economical a means as any for adding Ink Spots hit performances to your collection.
A couple of the Ink Spots' "Soundies" are featured on the Rare Vocal Groups video, which is also reviewed on this Web site.
An in-depth Ink Spots discography and other Ink Spots information can be found at Jack Hanna's The Ink Spots (Original Group) Web site.
Worth the price.
Track listing (dates shown are recording dates):
Disc 1:
1. Maybe - 11 Jun 1940
2. I Don't Want to Set The World On Fire -21 Aug 1941
3. If I Didn't Care - 12 Jan 1939
4. I'm Beginning To See The Light (with Ella Fitzgerald) - 26 Feb 1945
5. Whispering Grass - 11 Jun 1940
6. Stop Pretending - 26 Jun 1940
7. Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat - 13 Oct 1941
8. Address Unknown - 17 Aug 1939
9. Do I Worry? - 8 Aug 1940
10. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You - 11 Oct 1939
11. Every Night About This Time - 23 Jun 1942
12. I'm Making Believe (with Ella Fitzgerald) - 30 Aug 1944
13. Don't Get Around Much Anymore - 28 Jul 1942
14. The Gypsy - 19 Feb 1946
Disc 2:
1. Cow Cow Boogie (with Ella Fitzgerald) - 3 Nov 1943
2. Java Jive - 16 Jul 1940
3. To Each His Own - 8 Jul 1946
4. Street Of Dreams - 28 Jul 1942
5. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, And Me)- 16 Jul 1940
6. My Prayer - 18 Sep 1939
7. No Orchids For My Lady - 19 Jan 1949
8. Until The Real Thing Comes Along - 25 Jul 1941
9. I'll Get By - 23 Dec 1943
10. Who Do You Know in Heaven - 27 Jun 1949
11. A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening - 23 Dec 1943
12. When The Swallows Come Back to Capistrano - 13 May 1940
13. It's Funny To Everyone But Me - 17 May 1939
14. Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall (with Ella Fitzgerald) - 30 Aug 1944
