"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda under the title "Mbube" for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. Linda's original was written in is in Zulu, while the English version's lyrics were written by George David Weiss.
There's about 50 years between the original record and this pefromance, and Dr Jay Siegel sounds almost identical, its remarkable. Hes 82 now, still singing.
First recorded in 1939, but that’s because there wasn’t many recordings before then. No audio tape back then. So, this song could possibly came hundreds, thousands, or millions years before in Africa. The first recorded recorded version was in Africa.
This was an old South African song that was then popularized in western culture by The Tokens. Truly a great song, both versions. It was written by Solomon Linda. He called his original Mbube, and sang it in his native language of isiZulu.
And it was a signature song in the fifties for The Weavers. No one really mentions The Weavers so much anymore but they were important in music history. Many hits by groups in the sixties came from their influence. Pete Seeger as with the group as I recall.
That was a VERY impressive performance! That lead guy's part was remarkable when he was young... I can't believe he was still able to do it! 😳 The whole group sounded great 👍
A classic amongst classics. I remember listening to this song as a kid in the 60s.My older brother always sang this song and he could do it justice too. I never grow tired of listening to this song from time to time, makes the heart smile. I am amazed the lead singer can still hit those high notes....amazing! Thanks for covering this one guys, you made a lot of people feel good.
Hi Brad and Lex. Great choice! The Tokens recorded this in the early 60's, the time of the Doo-Wop, where the vocals were the instruments, a cappella. There were some really good a cappella groups during that time. Keep the great music coming. You two are fun to watch!
Brookyns very own The Tokens one of the best Doo-Wop groups of that Era funfact this song is actually a cover of Solomon Linda's song he was a South african Zulu singerwriter this song originally cameout in 1939.
I was born in '64 so I grew up hearing this song. I loved it as a child. The Tokens sound exactly the same as they did when they were young. Amazing. This song was popular LONG before The Lion King was ever dreamed up.
I’m 67. I was about 3(?) when I heard this song and I loved it!!!!!!! My cousin and sister were teenagers and listened to music on the transistor radio all the time. You had to wait until the dj played your song again. No internet no UA-cam. One AM radio station that was good. No one listened to FM radio, it was only Sunday southern preachers and farm reports.
I remember recording this song with an old tape recorder- off the radio with two microphones (so you know the sound was "great")... then I tried to re-record and over-dub my voice doing the "Huh! Huh!" parts during the song. Needless to say, it sounded as ridiculous as you'd imagine! Brad n Lex, you've got the best reactions on UA-cam, may all your dreams come true!☮️
The Weavers introduced this tune to the U.S. in 1952 under the title "Wimoweh". Miriam Makeba recorded a more traditional version of the song in 1960 under the title "Mbube" -- the Zulu word for lion. The Tokens scored their only hit with their adaptation in 1961. They took the song to number one in the U.S. charts. The song is catchy and they did a lot of interesting things with it, the drum accents in particular. Check out their original studio recording when you can.
Our old friend Luigi co-wrote this song and lived very nicely off the royalties down here in Boca Raton, Florida lol. He also wrote I Can't Help Falling In Love With You for Elvis and it was later recorded by UB40, much to his benefit!
The song is South African, written by Solomon Linda in 1939. American folk singer Pete Seeger popularized the tune here in the 1950s among the folky crowd. The Tokens version from 1961 was a huge hit.
This song was made over 60 years ago. The lead singer is 82 and I'm floored at his voice. I can't believe he hit those high notes in his 20s ,never mind his 70s or 80s
They definitely still had it in that performance. Awesome. Always loved that song. I grew up hearing it in the late 60s and early 70s, and was probably hearing it in the womb too, as my parents also loved the song.
Have never heard this live version. They sound amazing. I only remember this song from being played on the radio in the 60's and not connected to any movie or play. Such a unique sound and those high vocals make this a song you always remember.
Like me, these guys are all a bunch of Brooklyn boys. One of the original members of this group was Neil Sedaka, a Brooklyn boy, who wrote and sang "Calendar Girl", 'Walking In The Rain", and "Breakin' Up Is Hard To Do". Dr. Jay Seigel, the lead singer here is still alive and singing at the ripe young age of 82. My other favorite songs by this group are "Tonight I Fell In Love" and "Portrait Of My Love". Singing with this group and standing next to the female soprano is the original Jay Traynor from Jay And The American's. He was later replaced by Jay Black. Jay Traynor was the original singer on the Jay and The American's song "She Cried". Give all these songs a listen.
The song is actually much older than that. It was written in 1939 by an African musician named Solomon Linda. The original title was “Mbube”. It was later mistranslated and recorded in 1951 by the American folk group The Weavers. This beautiful song has a long history.
The tokens recorded this version in 1961,but it was based on a song written by a south African band in 1939 the song was titled Mbube and sung by Solomon Linda!
Yes, The Lion King is based on the play Hamlet (Shakespeare) and this song is a traditional African folk song that the Tokens made famous in the very early 1960's. You should hear the original studio version but this was actually an amazing performance.
Originally written and recorded by the South African artist, Solomon Linda in 1939. The song was covered and recorded by many artists including The Weavers and was featured in “The Lion King” without crediting Linda.
Was never intended for the Lion King movie, the original song came way before the 1960s. The Tokens' seems to be the most popular version and they still sounded great here. This song was sampled or covered from a very old song from the late 1930s written by a South African Zulu singer Solomon Linda and first recorded with the original title "Mbube" which means lion in Zulu. In 1949 Musical group Pete Seeger & the Weavers recorded a cover version with some changes that sounded like the one the Tokens did here and they titled their version "Wimoweh".
Here's a little bit of history that I just found about The Lion Sleeps: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight was originally simply called, Mbube. It was written and recorded in 1939 by a South African national named Solomon Linda and was originally in Zulu only. Solomon Linda recorded it with South African band, The Evening Birds. By the 1950s it was internationally known having been covered by a number of folk artists. In 1961 it was a #1 US hit for The Tokens. Solomon Linda made very little from the song and his descendants live in poverty, hence the laswsuit. When Walt Disney used the song in the movie The Lion King, it earned mega-royalties, none of which went to Solomon Linda’s family. In 1972, American Robert John recorded The Lion Sleeps Tonight. It peaked at #3 on the US charts. The song has also been covered by: The New Christy Minstrels, Pete Seeger, Chet Atkins, Desmond Dekker, The Tremeloes (on their album Silence is Golden), Brian Eno, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, R.E.M., ‘N Sync, The Muppets, Baha Men, and The Mavericks."
I think this is from 2009. Amazing he can still hit those high notes while being in his early 100s. 😂. They put on a great show. Seen them in the 60s, 70s and early 2000s.
Tthis was the 1st 45 I bought. 4th grade and the school had no cafateria and the teacher had students bring records in during lunch. Loved it then and now and you both make a great team to BRING THIS BACK TO THE FUTURE.
When I was a freshman in college, I was assigned housing in room 109 of a dorm - the last room at the end of the hall. In room 108 was a guy I never saw, not for the entire year - I only heard him. Every night. Playing this song. Over and over and over again. I never knew who that guy was, I just called him "Aweem Away".
This song is so old from the 30's! It is originally from Africa and sounded much different. The Lion King used the song because the song existed and the story was about a lion! You should google the song and listen to both the original African song and the earlier version by the Tokens. This song is from my early childhood. I adored it then and still do. It is classic.
In the 60's our high school marching band mastered this song and played it whenever our team played our rivals, The Lions. These geezers are doing some fantastic lip-syncing.
The Lion King took inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and basically told it’s own version. The song came out way before this. The Lion King came out in the 90s. The Tokens recorded it in 1961 and I’ve heard that the song is even older than that.
🤘 I remember not going to the club to watch this live PBS program. I can't remember who all they had on, but I remember it was and we were lit! The Chi- Lites I remember killed it!
In October of 1970, my dad gave me a portable phonograph & a box of his old 45s. This was among that collection. I was 6 & dad & I began enjoying music together. He bought me KC & The Sunshine Band & I gave him Seals & Crofts along with Kiss. We enjoyed an eclectic appreciation of music.
hey guys, cool reaction. LOVED this song as a kid in the 70s. But check out the backstory on this song. it originally came from a group in, Africa? i forget, but back in the 30s maybe. its a sad story, but its interesting to see where this tune actually came from.
My first memory of this song is singing it in music class in elementary school (in the 70s) - always loved this song. You can't not smile. And don't know when this was performed, but they were still killing it!
You realize this song was about the fact that the lion who had been threatening the village in a jungle had been killed. Per the lyrics, “hush my darling,don’t fear my darling, the lion sleeps tonight” Great song and great reaction.
These were the original members of the Tokens who had the early 1960's hit [November 1961]. 40 years later, they could still nail it. Amazing!!!! The Lion King had nothing to do with the song, but the song fit perfectly for the movie of course. the Tokens did not sing this for the Lion King movie: The song was first used in The Lion King franchise by Timon and Pumbaa, who sung the song in the original film. Kids, you KNOW you're old when you remember this being on the radio some 61 years ago when you were 5 years old....EGAD!!!!
This song began in South Africa in the 1930's or 40's, I don't remember which. It was written by Solomon Linda and was called Mbube. It got lost over the years, was found by the folk singers of the 50's and released by Pete Seeger as Wimoweh. A few years later it was revised again and released by the Tokens as The Lion Sleeps Tonight in 1961. Disney used it 30 plus years later for the Lion King movie. There's an interesting documentary on Netflix about the history of this song and how the man who originally wrote was cheated out of all the money it has earned.
I grew up in the middle of nowhere. My town was a Native American reservation, less than 1000 people. The first "big" town was 12 miles away, 5000 people. There were no towns bigger than 100,000 for close to 100 miles, the outdoor experiences and nature was amazing, I am very fortunate for the experience. Two television channels, zero fm radio stations. But the point is, I was exposed to very little music and "culture".. The closest was my mom and dad had some a little turntable and played Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell and John Denver. The very first time I clearly remember hearing some current, non-country really good music was The Lion Sleeps tonight. I was probably 10 or so, so it was around 50 years about(time goes SO fast) I was hanging out on a ranch way out in the country with friend. Helping take care of their baby lambs. He and I were near their house, walking somewhere, I can't remember where. Suddenly I heard this amazingly beautiful song, coming from his high school aged sisters window. I stopped in my tracks. It was an awakening. I was fortunate, I had a paper route on the res so made regular money with no real place to spend it. For a long time, most of the money I made went to records all based on that one song. One thing that might be a little contentious. Have to give those guys credit, they do very well for their age, but that crisp, little difference between now live and then recorded makes a difference, it is one of very few times I go w/the recording, at least in part because of the memories.
The song is just the song, no deeper theory behind it. Disney picked it for The Lion King because it fit perfectly. Most of the songs for The Lion King were written for the movie in the 90's, but this one was written many years before, and this version was a huge pop hit in the 60s and fit with the theme of the movie. No deeper meaning than that.
These guys have to be approaching their 80s, age wise. they did this song back in 1961 or 62 I think. One of these guys looks like a replacement, because he only looks to be around 40 to 45 yrs. old. People pass away, for different reasons, and someone has to take their place, especially when these old groups are doing a special reunion show for PBS like in this case. That guuy can still hit those high notes at his age, it's amazing.
Very special meaning to me and my Mom! My Mom said when I was a baby and she a first time Mom. I was crying and would not stop. She changed me fed me rocked me did everything she could think of and nothing worked. This song came over the radio and I went to sleep! Tied to this song always!
"Skiing around the notes" i love the way Lex describes sounds and the way she hears thing. Like when she said zz topp sounded like leather. Perfect descriptions. I describe things the same way so i love hearing someone else do it cause i completely understand lol
There was a song called mbube by a south african singer back in like 1939. This was a remake of that song. I believe it was originaally redone by folk singers Pete Seger and the group The Weavers. Huge hit back in the day. Huge! I'm sure when folks were putting together a score for The Lion King, using this song was a no brainer.
This was a classic when I was a kid even though that was a long time after it came out, it was still being played at parties and stuff in the late 70s early 80s when I was a result young kid. Was just a song on its own, not related to the lion king theatre or movie, as far as I'm aware, as they're both modern (late 90s 2000s I think..) this was out in charts 30+ years before that. 👍😎🏴
I was born in '70 and I know we had this song on an album that I remember playing constantly when I was really young. If this doesn't take me back I don't know what will...
When I was in Jamaica years ago we all sang this on r way thru a torch lit river and needles to say we were lit and we were torched. Never forget it when I hear it.
As a kid during the 1960's my mom used to sing the Zulu version to us, she was raised in a town called Umhlanga Rocks in Zululand, Natal (eTehekwini) Thanks guys.
Just a fun song to listen to. I was a kid when this song came out and i couldn't get enough of it. The song was used in the Lion King movie but it was recorded by the tokens in the early 60's. The original idea for the song came from a group in Africa in the 1930's but this version was completely different than the original African version.
This was a hit long, long before "The Lion King" was written! I remember hearing it as a kid in the '60s on an oldies show on the radio.
Funnily thou, Lion King is based on a play. Hamlet.
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda under the title "Mbube" for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. Linda's original was written in is in Zulu, while the English version's lyrics were written by George David Weiss.
We had the 45
It is probably the other way around since the lion king is hamlet.
Great reaction. I think you'll find that the vocals are very close to the 60s version. They haven't lost much
There's about 50 years between the original record and this pefromance, and Dr Jay Siegel sounds almost identical, its remarkable. Hes 82 now, still singing.
I know you are so right 👍
First recorded in 1939, but that’s because there wasn’t many recordings before then. No audio tape back then. So, this song could possibly came hundreds, thousands, or millions years before in Africa. The first recorded recorded version was in Africa.
@@ed.z. this song was present at the big bang
What?! I thought this was a Disney original!!! “A-wimba-wum” is one of the most iconic Disney lines
I think this song originally was an African tribe song that was adopted by the tokens I may be wrong on this but double-check it thanks
That young Lady deserves some praise too!!!🤩
OMG I have goosebumps. They still sound the same. I've loved this song since I was a little girl. ❤️
This was an old South African song that was then popularized in western culture by The Tokens. Truly a great song, both versions. It was written by Solomon Linda. He called his original Mbube, and sang it in his native language of isiZulu.
This song was a HUGE hit long before anyone ever thought of The LionKing. And I love that they brought them together!
The Lion King musical play opened on Broadway in 1997 and is based on the Disney movie. The Tokens released The Lion Sleeps Tonight in 1961.
The Lion King is loosely based on Hamlet.
The Token's version is actually a cover.
The original song is from a South African band from 1939.
And it was a signature song in the fifties for The Weavers. No one really mentions The Weavers so much anymore but they were important in music history. Many hits by groups in the sixties came from their influence. Pete Seeger as with the group as I recall.
@@Simonpsays along with Woody Guthrie
That was a VERY impressive performance!
That lead guy's part was remarkable when he was young... I can't believe he was still able to do it! 😳
The whole group sounded great 👍
The urge to sing the Lion Sleeps Tonight is always just a whim away, a whim away a whim away a whim away.....
🤘😉
Stop it, dad!! 😀
@@dbadbt
That's granddad thank you very much. 😁👍
Oooooouuuuch-a!
@@amazane1
😁
You're not lion.
A classic amongst classics. I remember listening to this song as a kid in the 60s.My older brother always sang this song and he could do it justice too. I never grow tired of listening to this song from time to time, makes the heart smile. I am amazed the lead singer can still hit those high notes....amazing! Thanks for covering this one guys, you made a lot of people feel good.
Hi Brad and Lex. Great choice! The Tokens recorded this in the early 60's, the time of the Doo-Wop, where the vocals were the instruments, a cappella. There were some really good a cappella groups during that time. Keep the great music coming. You two are fun to watch!
Brookyns very own The Tokens one of the best Doo-Wop groups of that Era funfact this song is actually a cover of Solomon Linda's song he was a South african Zulu singerwriter this song originally cameout in 1939.
I gotta look into dat shit.
My last name is Solomon. 😘
@@Cindrbell Cindy Solomon no his last name wasn't Solomon that was his first name his last name was Linda
@@BKLYN_TZU I know. I get it. Just wanna be schooled. 🙂
I just wanna learn from all angles. I'm a Solomon for a reason. I just didn't know y. I'll do my research. 🤗😁
@@Cindrbell Cindy Solomon I understand tell me what you want to know I'll try to give you the best information I could
Actually, this is from the 1930s. South African singer Solomon Linda and The Evening Birds recorded it in 1939.
I was born in '64 so I grew up hearing this song. I loved it as a child. The Tokens sound exactly the same as they did when they were young. Amazing. This song was popular LONG before The Lion King was ever dreamed up.
Their voices are more instruments than actual instruments !
I don't think I've ever enjoyed watching someone enjoy music more than I enjoy watching Lex listening.
I’m 67. I was about 3(?) when I heard this song and I loved it!!!!!!! My cousin and sister were teenagers and listened to music on the transistor radio all the time. You had to wait until the dj played your song again. No internet no UA-cam. One AM radio station that was good. No one listened to FM radio, it was only Sunday southern preachers and farm reports.
I remember recording this song with an old tape recorder- off the radio with two microphones (so you know the sound was "great")... then I tried to re-record and over-dub my voice doing the "Huh! Huh!" parts during the song. Needless to say, it sounded as ridiculous as you'd imagine!
Brad n Lex, you've got the best reactions on
UA-cam, may all your dreams come true!☮️
Dean, well I hope you became a singer!
The Weavers introduced this tune to the U.S. in 1952 under the title "Wimoweh". Miriam Makeba recorded a more traditional version of the song in 1960 under the title "Mbube" -- the Zulu word for lion. The Tokens scored their only hit with their adaptation in 1961. They took the song to number one in the U.S. charts. The song is catchy and they did a lot of interesting things with it, the drum accents in particular. Check out their original studio recording when you can.
Our old friend Luigi co-wrote this song and lived very nicely off the royalties down here in Boca Raton, Florida lol. He also wrote I Can't Help Falling In Love With You for Elvis and it was later recorded by UB40, much to his benefit!
The song is South African, written by Solomon Linda in 1939. American folk singer Pete Seeger popularized the tune here in the 1950s among the folky crowd. The Tokens version from 1961 was a huge hit.
This song was made over 60 years ago. The lead singer is 82 and I'm floored at his voice. I can't believe he hit those high notes in his 20s ,never mind his 70s or 80s
I feel like i am listening for the 1st time, BUT I know every word!!! OF ALL these songs, I grew up with them blasting on the radio !
They definitely still had it in that performance. Awesome. Always loved that song. I grew up hearing it in the late 60s and early 70s, and was probably hearing it in the womb too, as my parents also loved the song.
Have never heard this live version. They sound amazing. I only remember this song from being played on the radio in the 60's and not connected to any movie or play. Such a unique sound and those high vocals make this a song you always remember.
Like me, these guys are all a bunch of Brooklyn boys. One of the original members of this group was Neil Sedaka, a Brooklyn boy, who wrote and sang "Calendar Girl", 'Walking In The Rain", and "Breakin' Up Is Hard To Do". Dr. Jay Seigel, the lead singer here is still alive and singing at the ripe young age of 82. My other favorite songs by this group are "Tonight I Fell In Love" and "Portrait Of My Love". Singing with this group and standing next to the female soprano is the original Jay Traynor from Jay And The American's. He was later replaced by Jay Black. Jay Traynor was the original singer on the Jay and The American's song "She Cried". Give all these songs a listen.
My grandfather used to play The Tokens in the car when I was a little kid. Great memories.
I just want to dive into the phone and hug Lex. She is so happy and upbeat in all their reactions. What a beautiful soul
Absolutely!
Never knew Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) could sing like that. -- impressive as hell!
The song is actually much older than that. It was written in 1939 by an African musician named Solomon Linda. The original title was “Mbube”. It was later mistranslated and recorded in 1951 by the American folk group The Weavers. This beautiful song has a long history.
The tokens recorded this version in 1961,but it was based on a song written by a south African band in 1939 the song was titled Mbube and sung by Solomon Linda!
Yes, The Lion King is based on the play Hamlet (Shakespeare) and this song is a traditional African folk song that the Tokens made famous in the very early 1960's. You should hear the original studio version but this was actually an amazing performance.
OH DAMN!!! Sooo happy... this was the first song I ever sang and danced as a toddler (end of the 70's/80's). This just made my whole day!!! :)
Originally written and recorded by the South African artist, Solomon Linda in 1939. The song was covered and recorded by many artists including The Weavers and was featured in “The Lion King” without crediting Linda.
This style of singing is known as Barbershop/Accapella! Brad actually smiled!!!
Was never intended for the Lion King movie, the original song came way before the 1960s. The Tokens' seems to be the most popular version and they still sounded great here. This song was sampled or covered from a very old song from the late 1930s written by a South African Zulu singer Solomon Linda and first recorded with the original title "Mbube" which means lion in Zulu. In 1949 Musical group Pete Seeger & the Weavers recorded a cover version with some changes that sounded like the one the Tokens did here and they titled their version "Wimoweh".
Here's a little bit of history that I just found about The Lion Sleeps:
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight was originally simply called, Mbube.
It was written and recorded in 1939 by a South African national named Solomon Linda and was originally in Zulu only.
Solomon Linda recorded it with South African band, The Evening Birds.
By the 1950s it was internationally known having been covered by a number of folk artists. In 1961 it was a #1 US hit for The Tokens.
Solomon Linda made very little from the song and his descendants live in poverty, hence the laswsuit. When Walt Disney used the song in the movie The Lion King, it earned mega-royalties, none of which went to Solomon Linda’s family.
In 1972, American Robert John recorded The Lion Sleeps Tonight. It peaked at #3 on the US charts.
The song has also been covered by: The New Christy Minstrels, Pete Seeger, Chet Atkins, Desmond Dekker, The Tremeloes (on their album Silence is Golden), Brian Eno, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, R.E.M., ‘N Sync, The Muppets, Baha Men, and The Mavericks."
Lol. You left out Sha-Na-Na’s cover.
For some reason you left out the excellent version from 1961 with Karl Denver.
it was also covered in the uk by tight fit in the early 80's.
This is the first song I remember ever liking... My mom used to play this when I was a toddler... They killed it here too!
My too!!
In 1966, we would get ready early. This song came on at 6:25 every morning.
Brad & Lex, their "Tonight I Fell In Love" was another hit, all 1:45 of it! Jay Siegel with the amazing vocals on "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"!
I think this is from 2009. Amazing he can still hit those high notes while being in his early 100s. 😂. They put on a great show. Seen them in the 60s, 70s and early 2000s.
🤣🤣🤣
Cold, but true.
I was surprised at how much strength he still had in his voice, and the female singer was outstanding.
Tthis was the 1st 45 I bought. 4th grade and the school had no cafateria and the teacher had students bring records in during lunch. Loved it then and now and you both make a great team to BRING THIS BACK TO THE FUTURE.
I die just a little bit every time the blond beauty sings.
Magnificent voice
I remember when it came out in 1961. This song has endured more than 60 years.
When I was a freshman in college, I was assigned housing in room 109 of a dorm - the last room at the end of the hall. In room 108 was a guy I never saw, not for the entire year - I only heard him. Every night. Playing this song. Over and over and over again. I never knew who that guy was, I just called him "Aweem Away".
That blonde backup singer ... WOW what a set of pipes
PS: I grew up listening to this music
Kelly Defade is her name
That was crazy! This song is from way back. I can't believe that guy can still sound like the original at his age!!
The lady backing singer is incredible.
"Is the Lion King and old play?" Yup. HAMLET.
I'm 65 and remember this on the radio and younger grades singing it for school assemblies.
Yes,it is from the 60s....this video,the lead singer is in his 80s! He still hit every note! Respect!
The song is an original reworking of a South African song written in the early 1930s by a local group !
This song is so old from the 30's! It is originally from Africa and sounded much different. The Lion King used the song because the song existed and the story was about a lion! You should google the song and listen to both the original African song and the earlier version by the Tokens. This song is from my early childhood. I adored it then and still do. It is classic.
WOW thanks, I just checked that on Wiki
You’re right! It was AWESOME!! They may be old but they still have IT! Cheers
"I didnt know the lion king song was from the 60s" lol¹1 that song was a classicbefore disney thought of the lion king
In the 60's our high school marching band mastered this song and played it whenever our team played our rivals, The Lions. These geezers are doing some fantastic lip-syncing.
Very rarely is Lex caught STUNNED, Sha Na Na Bowzer the TV show
The Lion King took inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and basically told it’s own version. The song came out way before this. The Lion King came out in the 90s. The Tokens recorded it in 1961 and I’ve heard that the song is even older than that.
🤘 I remember not going to the club to watch this live PBS program. I can't remember who all they had on, but I remember it was and we were lit! The Chi- Lites I remember killed it!
1961, I was just 3 years old when this song came out by The Tokens.... WOWOW...
There is a dedicated page on Wikipedia : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_Sleeps_Tonight
Basically this was originally written in 1939.
In October of 1970, my dad gave me a portable phonograph & a box of his old 45s. This was among that collection. I was 6 & dad & I began enjoying music together. He bought me KC & The Sunshine Band & I gave him Seals & Crofts along with Kiss. We enjoyed an eclectic appreciation of music.
The "original" original came from South Africa. I've always loved this song. It always makes me smile. ☺♥
The Tokens did the most popular version in 1961 but it's actually a cover of the song done by a South African man named Soloman Linda in 1939
hey guys, cool reaction. LOVED this song as a kid in the 70s. But check out the backstory on this song. it originally came from a group in, Africa? i forget, but back in the 30s maybe. its a sad story, but its interesting to see where this tune actually came from.
My first memory of this song is singing it in music class in elementary school (in the 70s) - always loved this song. You can't not smile. And don't know when this was performed, but they were still killing it!
Thanks, kids! this is not the original band that did this - but they are the ones that had the hit.. I love how this guy still got it at his age!
You realize this song was about the fact that the lion who had been threatening the village in a jungle had been killed. Per the lyrics, “hush my darling,don’t fear my darling, the lion sleeps tonight” Great song and great reaction.
They have not stopped singing this one song for 40 years.
These were the original members of the Tokens who had the early 1960's hit [November 1961]. 40 years later, they could still nail it. Amazing!!!! The Lion King had nothing to do with the song, but the song fit perfectly for the movie of course. the Tokens did not sing this for the Lion King movie: The song was first used in The Lion King franchise by Timon and Pumbaa, who sung the song in the original film. Kids, you KNOW you're old when you remember this being on the radio some 61 years ago when you were 5 years old....EGAD!!!!
wow, never seen this live. dude did such a great job as an old man. I been listening to this song since 1976
This song began in South Africa in the 1930's or 40's, I don't remember which. It was written by Solomon Linda and was called Mbube. It got lost over the years, was found by the folk singers of the 50's and released by Pete Seeger as Wimoweh. A few years later it was revised again and released by the Tokens as The Lion Sleeps Tonight in 1961. Disney used it 30 plus years later for the Lion King movie. There's an interesting documentary on Netflix about the history of this song and how the man who originally wrote was cheated out of all the money it has earned.
I grew up in the middle of nowhere. My town was a Native American reservation, less than 1000 people. The first "big" town was 12 miles away, 5000 people. There were no towns bigger than 100,000 for close to 100 miles, the outdoor experiences and nature was amazing, I am very fortunate for the experience. Two television channels, zero fm radio stations. But the point is, I was exposed to very little music and "culture".. The closest was my mom and dad had some a little turntable and played Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell and John Denver.
The very first time I clearly remember hearing some current, non-country really good music was The Lion Sleeps tonight. I was probably 10 or so, so it was around 50 years about(time goes SO fast) I was hanging out on a ranch way out in the country with friend. Helping take care of their baby lambs. He and I were near their house, walking somewhere, I can't remember where. Suddenly I heard this amazingly beautiful song, coming from his high school aged sisters window. I stopped in my tracks. It was an awakening.
I was fortunate, I had a paper route on the res so made regular money with no real place to spend it. For a long time, most of the money I made went to records all based on that one song.
One thing that might be a little contentious. Have to give those guys credit, they do very well for their age, but that crisp, little difference between now live and then recorded makes a difference, it is one of very few times I go w/the recording, at least in part because of the memories.
There's actually an interesting Netflix Doc bout the origins of this song (Remastered -Lion's Share)
The song is just the song, no deeper theory behind it. Disney picked it for The Lion King because it fit perfectly. Most of the songs for The Lion King were written for the movie in the 90's, but this one was written many years before, and this version was a huge pop hit in the 60s and fit with the theme of the movie. No deeper meaning than that.
These guys have to be approaching their 80s, age wise. they did this song back in 1961 or 62 I think. One of these guys looks like a replacement, because he only looks to be around 40 to 45 yrs. old. People pass away, for different reasons, and someone has to take their place, especially when these old groups are doing a special reunion show for PBS like in this case.
That guuy can still hit those high notes at his age, it's amazing.
I'm 73 and I remember this when I was 10
Nobody who was ever born can fail to love this. What an unbelievable live performance by the guys. Amazing!
Very special meaning to me and my Mom! My Mom said when I was a baby and she a first time Mom. I was crying and would not stop. She changed me fed me rocked me did everything she could think of and nothing worked. This song came over the radio and I went to sleep! Tied to this song always!
"Skiing around the notes" i love the way Lex describes sounds and the way she hears thing. Like when she said zz topp sounded like leather. Perfect descriptions. I describe things the same way so i love hearing someone else do it cause i completely understand lol
There was a song called mbube by a south african singer back in like 1939. This was a remake of that song. I believe it was originaally redone by folk singers Pete Seger and the group The Weavers. Huge hit back in the day. Huge! I'm sure when folks were putting together a score for The Lion King, using this song was a no brainer.
This was a classic when I was a kid even though that was a long time after it came out, it was still being played at parties and stuff in the late 70s early 80s when I was a result young kid. Was just a song on its own, not related to the lion king theatre or movie, as far as I'm aware, as they're both modern (late 90s 2000s I think..) this was out in charts 30+ years before that. 👍😎🏴
What a great oldie!
One of my favorites songs when I was in junior high school in St Petersburg, FL back in 1962!
The Lion King was never a play, there has been a musical, but that was years after the movie. The song was a hit in 1961
Brilliant....still love it... heard it as a kid in the 60's. Lion King just used this song.
Lol.. Brad’s like “will you stop with the nostril stuff?” 🤣🤣
I would like to hear more about Lexs "nostril theory' Lol
At the beginning of this video, the looks on your your faces were priceless.
When this was popular in the sixties I did not appreciate it. I love hearing it now, brings tears to my eyes.
I was born in '70 and I know we had this song on an album that I remember playing constantly when I was really young. If this doesn't take me back I don't know what will...
I lived in Germany from 82-84. Every single time we went into a pub, they were playing this song. Lol
That's interesting. Were the lyrics in German ?
@@danceswithcritters no. They liked American music.
My father had the small record of this song. I've listened to it plenty of times. Perfect Lion King song.
Yes as said this is a traditional zulu songs of South Africa.
the song was originally written in 1939 in south africa and recorded in zulu
When I was in Jamaica years ago we all sang this on r way thru a torch lit river and needles to say we were lit and we were torched. Never forget it when I hear it.
As a kid during the 1960's my mom used to sing the Zulu version to us, she was raised in a town called Umhlanga Rocks in Zululand, Natal (eTehekwini) Thanks guys.
That's fantastic. How similar is it to the Zulu version?
I remember this as a kid in the 60s. Don’t really remember a play back then. Plays back then would have been
“The King and I” that opened in the 50s
From Solomon Linda to Pete Seegar to The Tokens. Smash hit and you gotta hear the studio version.
Just a classic superoldschool slow jam that still rocks to this day
Just a fun song to listen to. I was a kid when this song came out and i couldn't get enough of it. The song was used in the Lion King movie but it was recorded by the tokens in the early 60's. The original idea for the song came from a group in Africa in the 1930's but this version was completely different than the original African version.