Tracing the origins of the Four Ink Spots, one of the most distinctive of all vocal groups, is rather like compiling a family tree. It goes back to the early 1920s when dancer Orville 'Hoppy' Jones teamed up with 'Miff' Campbell to play in small time vaudeville. Joined in 1928 by Leonard Reed, they became The Peanut Boys. Elsewhere, Ivory 'Deacon' ( better known as 'Deek') Watson was playing in a 'coffee pot' band known as the Percolating Puppies whose members, in addition to playing stringed instruments, would also use various sized tea and coffee pots as echo chambers for kazoos, thus emulating the sound of a larger band. When Reed left Jones and Campbell, Watson was recruited to take his place and with the addition of a fourth member, 'Slim' Green, became the Four Riff Brothers who performed together well into 1931 when Watson and Green left to pursue solo careers. In the meantime Charlie Fuqua, originally with the Patent Leather Kids, teamed with Jerry Daniels and Bernie Mackey to play in an un-named coffee pot band. 

Also available by The Ink Spots JASMCD2546 & JASMCD2562

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Disc One
1. BLESS YOU
2. SOMEONE'S ROCKING MY DREAMBOAT
3. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
4. MY GREATEST MISTAKE
5. I'M BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT w. Ella Fitzgerald
6. THOUGHTLESS
7. WE THREE (My Echo, My Shadow And Me)
8. SHOUT, BROTHER, SHOUT
9. WHISPERING GRASS (Don't Tell The Trees)
10. KEEP COOL, FOOL
11. SWING HIGH, SWING LOW
12. THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
13. I DON'T WANT TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE
14. I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN
15. DON'T LET OLD AGE CREEP UPON YOU
16. SLAP THAT BASS
17. LITTLE SMALL TOWN GIRL w. Ella Fitzgerald
18. YOU'RE BREAKING MY HEART ALL OVER AGAIN
19. PLEASE TAKE A LETTER, MISS BROWN
20. WHO WOULDN'T LOVE YOU?
21. SINCERELY YOURS
22. IT'S FUNNY TO EVERYONE BUT ME
23. KEEP AWAY FROM MY DOORSTEP
24. A LOVELY WAY TO SPEND AN EVENING
25. INFORMATION PLEASE

Disc Two
1. I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN UNTIL I SMILE AT YOU
2. 'TAIN'T NOBODY'S BIZNESS IF I DO
3. THIS IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR
4. I'M GONNA TURN OFF THE TEARDROPS
5. I'M MAKING BELIEVE w. Ella Fitzgerald
6. WHAT CAN I DO?
7. IT'S A SIN TO TELL A LIE
8. STREET OF DREAMS
9. STOMPIN' AT THE SAVOY
10. TO REMIND ME OF YOU
11. I'LL MAKE UP FOR EVERYTHING
12. OLD JOE'S HITTIN' THE JUG
13. INTO EACH LIFE SOME RAIN MUST FALL w. Ella Fitzgerald
14. PUTTIN' AND TAKIN'
15. DO I WORRY?
16. JAVA JIVE
17. MAYBE
18. I'LL GET BY
19. YOUR FEET'S TOO BIG
20. RING, TELEPHONE, RING
21. BROWN GAL
22. LET'S CALL THE WHOLE THING OFF
23. THAT'S WHEN YOUR HEARTACHES BEGIN
24. WHEN THE SWALLOWS COME BACK TO CAPISTRANO
25. HEY DOC!

Disc Three
1. ALWAYS
2. FOO-GEE
3. WHAT GOOD WOULD IT DO?
4. WITH PLENTY OF MONEY AND YOU
5. I STILL FEEL THE SAME ABOUT YOU w. Ella Fitzgerald
6. UNTIL THE REAL THING COMES ALONG
7. DON'T GET AROUND MUCH ANY MORE
8. COQUETTE
9. WHOA, BABE!
10. OH! RED
11. THE SWEETEST DREAM
12. THE GIPSY
13. YOU'RE BREAKING MY HEART
14. YOU WERE ONLY FOOLING (While I Was Falling In Love)
15. STOP PRETENDING
16. EV'RY NIGHT ABOUT THIS TIME
17. WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN
18. COW-COW BOOGIE w. Ella Fitzgerald
19. ADDRESS UNKNOWN
20. IF I DIDN'T CARE
21. ALABAMA BARBECUE
22. SO SORRY
23. PRISONER OF LOVE
24. I COVER THE WATERFRONT
25. I GET THE BLUES WHEN IT RAINS

Disc Four
1. GIVE HER MY LOVE
2. I WISH YOU THE BEST OF EVERYTHING
3. MINE, ALL MINE, MY, MY
4. THAT'S THE WAY IT IS w. Ella Fitzgerald
5. NOTHIN'
6. KNOCK-KNEED SAL (On The Mourner's Bench)
7. MY PRAYER
8. MEMORIES OF YOU
9. DRIFTWOOD
10. TO EACH HIS OWN
11. THAT CAT IS HIGH
12. DON'T EVER BREAK A PROMISE
13. YES, SUH!
14. CAN YOU LOOK ME IN THE EYES?
15. HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
16. NO ORCHIDS FOR MY LADY
17. PORK CHOPS AND GRAVY
18. YOU BRING ME DOWN
19. BEWILDERED
20. I'M STILL WITHOUT A SWEETHEART ('Cause I'm Still In Love With You)
21. I'M THROUGH
22. IT'S ALL OVER BUT THE CRYING
23. AS YOU DESIRE ME
24. JUST FOR ME
25. THAT'S WHERE I CAME IN
26. I'VE GOT A BONE TO PICK WITH YOU