Behindthegrooveson This Day In Music History December 18

behindthegrooves:

ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY: DECEMBER 18, 1961

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by The Tokens hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks. Written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, Roy Ilene, Albert Stanton, George David Weiss, Paul Campbell, and Solomon Linda, it is the biggest hit for the biggest hit for the Brooklyn, NY based doo wop vocal group.

Originally formed in 1955 while still students at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, the group are originally known as The Linc-Tones and featuring Hank Medress, Cynthia Zolotin, Eddie Rabkin, and future solo star Neil Sedaka in their line up. Jay Siegal will replace Rabkin a year later and eventually Sedaka and Zolotin will leave by 1957, the latter being replace by brothers Phil and Mitch Margo. The group will score their first hit earlier in 1961 with "Tonight I Fell In Love" on Warwick Records, before moving to RCA Records. Originally titled "Mbube" (the Zulu word for "lion") by its original composer South African singer Solomon Linda, it is later adapted into "Wimoweh" by The Weavers in 1949 when Linda's song is brought to the attention of Pete Seeger by musicologist and then Decca Records folk music director Alan Lomax. The Weavers version will become a hit when they release their version in 1951. South African singer Miriam Makeba will record her version of "Mbube" in 1960.

The Tokens' producers Hugo & Luigi will hear the song, which by now has become a folk music standard, will have the group record the song as the B-side of their first single "Tina". Initially embarrassed by their rendition, the group are against the song being released as a single, until DJ Dick Smith at WORC in Worchester, MA begins giving it heavy airplay on his show. From there, the record will take off nationally.

Entering the Hot 100 at #70 on November 13, 1961, it will rocket to the top of chart five weeks later. "Lion" will be covered by numerous artists over the years including a version by Robert John who will take his version to #3 on the Hot 100 in March of 1972 and by British pop band Tight Fit who will take it to #1 on the UK singles chart in 1982. The song will also be heard in the Disney classic "The Lion King" in 1994. Thanks to its exposure in the blockbuster film, The Tokens' original 1961 recording will be reissued and rechart, peaking at #51 on the Hot 100 in September of '94. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA

Origin: pua-celebrities.blogspot.com