If I Didn't Care

If I Did not Care is the title of one of the best known singles of the Ink Spots from 1939, which belongs to the first record sales in the music industry and was composed by Jack Lawrence.

Genesis

The Ink Spots were a vocal quartet consisting of Ivory " Deek" Deacon Watson (lead tenor), Bill Kenny (second lead tenor), Charlie Fuqua ( second tenor / baritone and guitar) and Orville " Hoppy " Jones ( bass singer and acoustic bass / cello ) whose musical style is somewhere between Rhythm & Blues and Doo Wop. Formed in 1934, almost simultaneously with her first record company Decca Records, which had arisen as a sister company of British Decca in August 1934.

Your first known stage appearance goes back to the week between the 3rd and August 9th, 1934, when they performed together with the band of Tiny Bradshaw at the Apollo Theater in New York. The first studio recording was made on May 12, 1936 Your Feet 's Too Big for the young record label Decca Records instead; the admission date they signed a recording contract with Decca Records. On February 25, 1935 she had her radio debut at WJZ New York, on November 6, 1936, they were by their NBC TV appearance to the first African-American group, which occurred on U.S. television.

Jack Lawrence (actually Jacob Lewis Schwartz; 1912-2009 ) was employed since 1938 in Hollywood as a film music composer. On a free afternoon trying on some new piano scores, the ballad If I Did not Care came out. He sent to Dave Kapp, owner of the young Decca label. Shortly after Lawrence was criticized by Archie Bleyer, discoverer of the Andrews Sisters and later founder of Cadence Records that would start this piece with two different pitches and end. As Lawrence unsettled the corrected version on Decca Records sent, came the prompt reply: "Too late, Song has already been taken up by the new group Ink Spots. . They have a smash hit " Faced with the million seller weakened Bleyer his assertion from: " Both endings would have been possible. "

Publication

However, it took over 3 years and 11 singles until January 12, 1939 If I Did not Care / Knock Kneed Sal ( Decca # 2286 ) was the first chart placement for the Ink Spots. The group received, as required by the contract, $ 37.50 for recording. Following the release of the ballad in February 1939, the single reached for two weeks on rank 2 of the pop charts. If I Did not Care presents Bill Kenny is increasing, but tremulous tenor, while Jones improvises his spoken within the song bridge recitation bass garnished with complex harmonies of the residual group. The recipe for the future vowel structure was found. The end of 1939 the million sales limit was already reached, overall, the song sold worldwide 19 million times. He takes a rank 5 of the world's best- selling singles, ahead of the top-selling Beatles singles. From Bing Crosby's White Christmas apart, was the title of the Ink Spots for a long time record holder on sales of singles - until he was replaced by Bill Haley Rock Around the Clock.

Cover versions and Statistics

The early pop success was, according to ASCAP gecovert only 18 times, including by Van Alexander & His Orchestra on 25 April 1939 the Hilltoppers ( August 1954; Rank # 17), Connie Francis ( March 1959; # 22), Brenda Lee ( October 10, 1960 ) Platters ( December 1960; # 30) Moments ( August 1970; # 44) and David Cassidy (May 1974 UK # 9, D # 43). For Jack Lawrence 272 compositions registered copyright, with which he is one of the great composers of popular music. The song was recorded later in the Hall of Fame in the category of R & B ( Single) in February 1987. The title is listed in the list of Songs of the Century, ranked 271, was created in 2001 by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ).