The Ink Spots wrapped smooth close harmony and a spoken-word bridge around some of the tenderest pop records of the swing era, their sound as plush as a hotel lobby at midnight. Bill Kenny's high, trembling lead tenor became a template for the romantic vocal-group sound that R&B and doo-wop groups would chase for decades. Long before soul had a name, the Ink Spots were already writing its rulebook for tenderness.

the sound in question

1939

If I Didn't CareThe Ink Spots