The Tokens have gone through many line-ups though their most famous and the one at the time of this recording was Phil Margo, Mitch Margo, Hank Medress and Jay Siegel.
There were so many white doo wop pop bands that they tend to blur into each other though the Tokens stand out, for one reason:
Their big 1961 #1 US hit (#11UK), "The Lion Sleeps Tonight”
From their website, “In 1961 THE TOKENS, four boys from Brooklyn, recorded, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" on the RCA label. The song (originally a Zulu folk song called "M'bube" and Anglicized to "Wimoweh") soared up the charts to become the number one hit in the nation. To date it has sold over 15 million copies and is known throughout the world. In a survey conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Record Industry Association of America The Tokens' classic recording of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" placed 159th in the top 365 records of ALL TIME”. https://www.thetokens.com/biography
And that seems to be it despite placing nine songs in the US Top 100 between 1961 and 1970 and recording some six albums over the same time, and then recording another ten since, moving through doo wop, early rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, Brill Building Pop, Sunshine Pop, Psychedelic Pop and the “golden oldies” circuit.
They are still performing in some form with at least an original member out there somewhere.
But, their entire allmusic entry reads: “This Brooklyn doo wop group was originally known as the Linc-Tones when it formed in 1955 at Lincoln High School. Hank Medress, Neil Sedaka, Eddie Rabkin, and Cynthia Zolitin didn't have much impact in their early days recording for Melba. They later disbanded, but Medress re-formed the group in 1960 as the Tokens. Brothers Phil and Mitch Margo and Jay Siegel were now the members. They recorded for Warwick in 1960, then had their one glorious hit in 1962, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." It was based on the South African Zulu song "Wimoweh," and reached number seven on the R&B chart while topping the pop surveys. The Tokens formed their own label in 1964, B.T. Puppy, but weren't able to keep the hits coming very long, although "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" remains a standard”. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-tokens-mn0000919853/biography
Wikipedia gives some better background, “The group was formed in 1955 at Brooklyn's Abraham Lincoln High School, and was known first as The Linc-Tones. Originally featuring members Neil Sedaka, Hank Medress, Eddie Rabkin, and Cynthia Zolotin, Rabkin was replaced by Jay Siegel in 1956, and the band recorded its first single, "While I Dream" that same year. In 1957 Sedaka and Zolotin left the band, leaving only Siegel and Medress, who would recruit two additional band members and record the single "Picture in My Wallet" as Darrell & the Oxfords. Finally establishing its most famous name and crew, the band became known as the Tokens in 1960 after they recruited the 13-year-old multi-instrumentalist and first tenor Mitch Margo and his baritone brother Phil Margo’. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tokens
Rolling Stone take it further, “The Tokens were clean-cut Brooklyn boys who had grown up listening to DJs Alan Freed and Murray the K, and the dreamy teen stylings of Dion and the Belmonts and the Everly Brothers. Hank Medress and Jay Siegel met at Lincoln High, where they sang in a doo-wop quartet that briefly featured Neil Sedaka. Phil Margo was a budding drummer and piano player, also from Lincoln High, and Mitch Margo was his kid brother, age fourteen. One presumes that girls were already making eyes in their direction, because the Tokens had recently been on TV’s American Bandstand, decked out in double-breasted mohair suits with white shirts and purple ties, singing their surprise Top Twenty hit, “Tonight I Fell in Love” … And now they were moving toward even greater things. Barely out of high school, they landed a three-record deal with RCA Victor, with a $10,000 advance and a crack at working with Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, ace producers of Jimmy Rodgers, Frankie Lymon and many, many others. These guys worked with Elvis Presley, for God’s sake. “To us this was big,” says Phil Margo. “Very big” … The Tokens knew “Wimoweh” through their lead singer, Jay, who’d learned it off an old Weavers album. It was one of the songs they’d sung when they auditioned for Huge and Luge, their nickname for the hotshot Italians. The producers said, yeah, great, but what’s it about? “Eating lions,” said the Tokens. That’s what some joker at the South African consulate had told them, at any rate: It was a Zulu hunting song with lyrics that went, “Hush, hush. If everyone’s quiet, we’ll have lion meat to eat tonight.” https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/in-the-jungle-inside-the-long-hidden-genealogy-of-the-lion-sleeps-tonight-108274/
All of the entries seem to dwell (or end) on “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. Understandably it was a big, big hit and will forever be associated with them (in the UK “Tight Fit” had a UK #1 with the song in 1982. It charted in Europe and some of the former English colonies but it failed to chart in the US)
The song was riding on the emerging on the folk music boom despite the fact the Tokens were hardly folkies.
The Weavers had brought folk back to the national platform and then Harry Belafonte and a livelier Kingston Trio had given it chart success. There was a breed of new enthusiastic, young white folkies emerging, playing a more strident, gritty and authentic folk music and an audience hungry for the same.
The authentic sounds of folk and Americana had been explored by The Everly Brothers on “Songs Our Daddy Taught Us” (1958) and Johnny Cash on many albums but especially “Songs Of Our Soil” (1959) and ‘Blood, Sweat And Tears” (1962) but the new breed emerging included Bob Dylan who released his self-titled first album, in 1962, as did Peter Paul and Mary, and Tom Paxton whose debut “I'm the Man That Built the Bridges” came out in the same year. Phil Ochs would follow soon with his “All the News That's Fit to Sing’ (1964) and many others followed.
But there was also room for pop folk (a precursor to folk rock perhaps) where the old (familiar) folk songs (or new faux ones in the same style) were dusted down, given sweet arrangements, and then sung in a pop style.
Jimmie Rodgers in the late 50s, perhaps, spearheaded this pop folk (though he leant to the trad pop side of the music business) with hits including "Honeycomb" (# 1 US, 1957), "Kisses Sweeter than Wine" (# 7US, 1957), and "Oh-Oh, I'm Falling in Love Again" (#7, 1958) and albums like “Jimmie Rodgers Sings Folk Songs” (1958) which was subtitled “With Hugo Peretti And His Orchestra”.
It was inevitable that a teen pop version of the same would follow.
And who better to sing it melodic folk than kids youth well versed in vocal melodies through doo wop and early rock ‘n’ pop.
That came when they were paired with cousins, and songwriters, and producers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore who shared an office in New York's Brill Building who produced “The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
The Tokens may have known the tune but Hugo and Luigi had already explored its terrain when they produced the hits for Jimmie Rodgers.
They knew how to tailor an ethnic, regional folk songs for the broadest possible listening market.
And it worked.
The success of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” means The Tokens led the folk pop charge whether they liked it or not.
The folk pop flood gates opened with albums by The Four Seasons “Born To Wander” (1964) and “Folk-Nanny” (1964) (Folk-Nanny, despite its title, was not a hootenanny style release but, rather, a bunch of folk flavoured tracks left on their old label), Gene Pitney “Meets The Fair Young Ladies Of Folkland” (1963), Jackie DeShannon “In the Wind” (1965), Bobby Darin “Golden Folk Hits”, “Earthy” and “18 Yellow Roses” (partial folk) all 1963, Jay & The Americans “Live From The Cafe Wha” (a nod to folk in their second album) (1962), Connie Francis “Sings Folk Song Favorites” (1961) and a nod to folk in “Around The World With Connie” (1962) and “In The Summer Of His Years” (1963).
Even Elvis even tried it, when Peretti and Creatore (again) wrote Presley's hit single Wild in the Country (#26US, 1961)
On the success of the single an album, of the same name, was rushed out to capitalise (and it did a respectable #54US, a good album placing for a teen pop band at the time)
That album was full of old folk songs, sea shanties, cowboy lullabies and Jamaican ballads.
The music industry dictated at the time (and still does) never rock (sic) a happy boat.
Or, perhaps, milk whatever works for all its worth.
Accordingly, this album produced more of the same.
It didn’t do as well as the market was saturated but it is a worthy album of a commercial folk style which doesn’t get re-visited very often.
Tracks (best in italics)
Side One
- This Little Light Of Mine – (Adapted By – Medress, Siegel, M. Margo, P. Margo) – a old folk and gospel song done by everyone including Guy Carawan (1959), Sister Rosetta Sharpe (1960), Pete Seeger (1962) and others later The Seekers (1964) and Bruce Springsteen (2007). Pure folk pop. About as mainstream as you get
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Little_Light_of_Mine
https://www.thoughtco.com/this-little-light-of-mine-1322521
- Five Hundred Miles – (Adapted By – Medress, Siegel, M. Margo, P. Margo) – the most famous versions appeared on Peter, Paul and Mary’s self-titled debut from 1962, The Kingston Trio’s “College Concert” (1962) and as a Bobby Bare single which went to #1 US in 1963. This captures the right pitch of mournfulness .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/500_Miles
- B'wa Nina (Pretty Girl) – (Weiss, Peretti, Creatore) – very similar in style to the “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. This was first done by The Tokens. Catchy, though not as catchy as "lion".
- Monkey Vendor (Tumbili) – (Adapted By – Medress, Harvey, Siegel, M. Margo, P. Margo) – I don’t know anything about this song. It’s faux calypso.
- Wayfaring Stranger – (Adapted By – Kaiman, Medress, Siegel, M. Margo, P. Margo) – this is an old folk song dating back to the early 19th century done by everyone most identified with Burl Ives who first recorded it in 1944. Frankie Laine recorded it for his album “Call of the Wild” (1962) and Jimmie Rodgers for his “Jimmie Rodgers in Folk Concert” (1963). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wayfaring_Stranger_(song)
- A Bird Flies Out Of Sight (Felicidad) – (Jobim, Weiss, Hugo & Luigi) – “A felicidade" ("Happiness") is a bossa nova song by Antonio Carlos Jobim, with lyrics by Vinícius de Moraes, composed for the great 1958 French film Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus). This is a little more intricate in vocal and instrumental arrangements.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_felicidade
Side Two
- La Bomba – (Adapted By – Medress, Siegel, M. Margo, P. Margo) – an old folk song which was done as rocker by, and forever associated with, Richie Valens who had a #22 US 1958 with it. Trini Lopez performed his own version of "La Bamba" on his album “Trini Lopez Live at PJs” (1963) and Los Lobos had a #1 with it in 1987. In 1956 Harry Belafonte recorded the song on an EP and in 1960 the song was included on the album "Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall. A great song, no matter who sings it and the Tokens get the right joy on it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bamba_(song)
- A Boy Without A Girl – (Sexter, Jacobson) – Originally by Frankie Avalon this went to #10US in1959. This is not a folk song. This is more what I expect them to sing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Boy_Without_a_Girl
- The Mountain Boy – (Elias, Medress, Siegel, M. Margo, P. Margo, Lowe) – first done by the Tokens. Not really folk but with a fair bit of yodelling (yes, yodelling) it is faux world folk.
- A Tale Of Two Lovers – (Gluck Jr., Nader) – first done by the Tokens and not folk but some bongos give it a world folk feeling.
- Weeping River – (Kaiman) – first done by the Tokens. A mix of folk and pop "death song" craze. Not too bad.
- Joshua – (Adapted By – Medress, Siegel, M. Margo, P. Margo) – a version of "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho". This old slave gospel song from the 19th century has been done by everyone including Paul Robeson (1925), Mahalia Jackson (1958), and Elvis Presley (1961). This is done as a pop rather than a gospel. It's fun. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Fit_the_Battle_of_Jericho
And …
Not that great. It's sung (really) well but it doesn't stand out amongst other pop folk efforts … still, I'm keeping it.
Chart Action
US
Singles
1962 "B'wa Nina (Pretty Girl) #55
1962 La Bamba #85
Album
—
England
nothing
Sounds
This Little Light of Mine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUNkhr7dKF8
Five Hundred Miles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vhK78MCP3k
B'wa Nina (Pretty Girl)
mp3 attached
Monkey Vendor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHWOWm1F-2E
Wayfaring Stranger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_by191sV9I
A Bird Flies Out Of Sight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIYq8lbldf4
La Bomba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPswnfTiyZc
live, a lot later
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vanG6K9hW84
A Boy without A Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uchoK2m7hHI
The Mountain Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuyXxb3UlAA
A Tale of Two Lovers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKluSSxAFl0
Weeping River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjEc6PwSkbs
Joshua
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKWSn5Gevs8
Others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoKmyugl_bo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3khhdsOj0Y
Review
https://www.allmusic.com/album/we-the-tokens-sing-folk-mw0000858529
Bio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tokens
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-tokens-mn0000919853/biography
Website
https://www.facebook.com/jaysiegelstokens
Trivia
- “After leaving RCA in late 1963, they established their own record company called B.T. Puppy. The B.T. comes from the Tokens music publishing company Bright Tunes, the puppy name was a nod to RCA with their dog mascot Nipper … The company was a 50-50 venture with Jerry Blaine, the owner of Jubilee Records. Jubilee was responsible for manufacturing and distributing the records produced by the Tokens. Their first hit was in late summer 1964, "He's in Town," which reached No. 43 on the Billboard charts (a cover version in the UK by the Rockin' Berries made #3 there). In the spring of 1966 they had a #30 hit with "I Hear Trumpets Blow." … Eventually, the Tokens abandoned recording for their own B.T. Puppy label and began recording albums for other labels. In 1967 they signed with Warner Bros and recorded the album It's a Happening World [Warner Bros WS 1685], which produced the top-40 hit "Portrait of My Love." The Tokens offered a version of their later LP Intercourse to Warner Bros as a followup to It's a Happening World, but Warners rejected it and apparently the group, too. The group then signed with Buddah in 1969 with the LP Both Sides Now [Buddah BDS 5059], which contained a stereo overdub version of "He's In Town," new remakes of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and "Tonight I Fell In Love," the original version of "I Hear Trumpets Blow," as well as minor charters "She Lets Her Hair Down (Early In The Morning)," "Don't Worry Baby," "Both Sides Now," and "Some People Sleep." Hank Medress left the group in the early 1970s to become a producer (e.g., Tony Orlando & Dawn). The remaining trio carried on, recording as Cross Country in 1973 with the LP Cross Country [Atco SD 7024] … In addition to their own career, the Tokens produced other artists, both on the B.T. Puppy label and for other labels. They produced the Chiffons and Randy and the Rainbows for Laurie/Rust. Their biggest success on B.T. Puppy was with a New Jersey group called the Four Graduates, who changed their name to the Happenings when they signed with B.T. Puppy. The Happenings had the hit "See You In September" which reached No. 3 on the US charts in August 1966. The Happenings did better with "I Got Rhythm" which went to No. 1 in the Cash Box Charts, and they had a couple of additional hits in 1967 with "My Mammy" and "Why Do Fools Fall in Love." The Happenings put out two original albums and a Greatest Hits compilation on the label, and although the first LP and the compilation charted, their second album, Psycle, arguably their best, inexplicably failed to chart. The Happenings left to sign with Jubilee Records, where they released Peace of Mind [Jubilee JGS 8028] in 1969”. http://www.bsnpubs.com/nyc/btpuppy/btpuppy.html
RIP : Doris Day – (1922 – 2019)
