bionsup.blogg.se - The tokens

Their group now includes Phil's son Noah on drums. The Margo brothers are still actively recording and touring and they perform as the Tokens featuring Mitch and Phil Margo. The Tokens have reformed and toured at various times over the years, including a doo-wop revival show in which they performed at Radio City Music Hall in 1981. Three members of the Tokens, Jay Siegel, Mitch Margo, and Phil Margo, renamed themselves Cross Country and had a minor hit with In The Midnight Hour in 1973 the record was produced on Atco. Another version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight was recorded by Robert John and the song once again reached the top ten, this time peaking at number three in 1972. Their efforts resulted in some top ten hits in the 60's such as One Fine Day, See You In September and I Got Rhythm. They formed Bright Tunes Productions and produced the Chiffons, one of the best of the 60's girl groups, and other artists such as the Happenings and Tony Orlando & Dawn. Portrait Of My Love had been a top ten hit for Steve Lawrence earlier in the decade. Puppy label and Portrait Of My Love on Warner. Mitch Margo was only fourteen years old at the time, although the others were at least five years older.įollowing the success of The Lion Sleeps Tonight, the Tokens put nine more songs in the top 100 from 1962 to 1970, two of which made it to the top forty: I Hear Trumpets Blow on their own B. Jay Siegel's dynamic lead vocal helped to make it a smash hit, and it held the number one spot on the charts for three weeks. The Weavers recorded it as Wimoweh before the Tokens picked up on it and recorded their own spirited version of the song for RCA in 1961. There are indications that the song originated with Solomon Linda, who wrote it as Mbube and had a hit with it on Gallotone Records in South Africa, in 1939. The Lion Sleeps Tonight, also known as Wimoweh, is a Zulu song that had been sung by a tribe in South Africa. But it was their next effort that became one of the most successful songs by any group in the 60's - The Lion Sleeps Tonight. They appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. The group recorded Tonight I Fell In Love on Warwick and it was successful, reaching number 15 on the charts early in 1961.

The lineup for the Tokens included Siegel and Medress and brothers Mitch and Phil Margo. Another group was formed called Darrell & the Oxfords in the late 50's, which eventually evolved into the Tokens in 1960. In 1958 Zolitin and Sedaka left the group Ian Kay took Sedaka's place briefly, and Sedaka went on to write and/or record numerous top ten songs throughout the 60's and 70's. In 1956 Jay Siegel was brought in to replace Rabkin and the group recorded its first song for the Melba label. Original members were Neil Sedaka, Hank Medress, Eddie Rabkin and Cynthia Zolitin.