Who Sang The Song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight?" And I Hate To Add

[ChiciB1]

A-wing-oh-whack! Not very appropriate, but I recall some of the words from way back when. And when is also something I don't know!

But THE LION DOES SLEEP TONIGHT, and joins his brothers who also did so much for this country! But in the end, it was TEDDY who did the most! We lost the others way too soon, as we did with many other of our LIBERAL LEADERS!!

I'm PROUD to call myself one of them!

[mak3cats]

1. I believe it was Robert John...

...if you're talking about the recording made in the early 70's. (I had the 45.)

RIP, Senator...

[ChiciB1]

2. I Think It Was Even Earlier... Guess I Need To Google... n/t

[Berry Cool]

24. I know The Tokens had the most popular version

but I myself am partial to Robert John's. And The Nylons.

[Howardx]

3. the version you hear most often

was by the tokens 1961

[onenote]

4. there are many versions -- most famous is probably the one by the Tokens

from 1961

[NYCGirl]

5. The "wing-o-wack" is actually, "Wimoweh"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_Sleeps_Tonight

Alan Lomax brought the song to the attention of Pete Seeger of the folk group The Weavers. It was on one of several records Lomax lent to Seeger.<1> After having performed the song for at least a year in their concerts, in November, 1951, the Weavers recorded their version entitled "Wimoweh", a mishearing of the original song's chorus of 'uyimbube' (meaning "you're a lion"). Pete Seeger had made some of his own additions to the melody. The song was credited exclusively to Paul Campbell, a fictitious entity used by Harry Richmond to copyright material in the public domain.

Pete Seeger explains in one recording, "it refers to an old legend down there, their last king , who was known as Shaka The Lion. Legend says, Shaka The Lion didn't die when Europeans took over our country; he simply went to sleep, and he'll wake up some day." (See "Senzenina / Wimoweh" on Seeger's With Voices Together We Sing (Live).) cf. sleeping hero

It was published by Folkways, a subsidiary of Richmond/TRO. Their 1952 version, arranged by Gordon Jenkins, became a top-twenty hit in the U.S., and their live 1957 recording turned it into a folk music staple. This version was covered in 1959 by The Kingston Trio.

New lyrics to the song were written by George David Weiss, Luigi Creatore, and Hugo Peretti, based very loosely upon the meaning of the original song. The Tokens' 1961 cover of this version rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and still receives fairly frequent replay on many American oldies radio stations. In the UK, an up-tempo, yodel-dominated rendering was a top-ten hit for Karl Denver and his Trio. In 1971, Robert John also recorded this version, and it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Since then, "Wimoweh" / "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" has remained popular and frequently covered.

[ChiciB1]

6. Yeah, I Just Checked That Out At Google... It Was The Tokens, But It

seems the Kingston Trio also sang it at The Hungry I too! Sounded like wing-o-whack to me, but your are correct! Wimoweh is African and sounds MUCH better!

[MarjorieG]

21. That's the group I grew up listening to, 'coffee house' Hungry I.

Beat (beatnick/fol singer generation) Nick Reynolds sounds familiar.

[ChiciB1]

22. Very Early Memory Of Kingston Trio... Joan Baez Was An Early Popular

singer even before the GREAT Bob Dylan! I heard about the Hungry I, but I'm more "hippie" but do know about the Beatnik culture!

So much back then seems simplistic compared to what is going on now. Viet Nam was my FIRST foray into REAL activism! We could sure use some of that NOW!

[bain_sidhe]

7. According to wikipedia, it's an African song from 1939

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_Sleeps_Tonight

And supposedly, it commemorates the passing of the last great Zulu King, known as "Shaka the Lion."

More appropriate than you (or I) knew!

You should read the entry, but here's the relevant excerpt:

"Mbube" (Zulu for "lion") was first recorded by its writer, Solomon Linda, and his group, The Evening Birds, in 1939. Gallo Record Company paid Linda a single fee for the recording and no royalties. "Mbube" became a hit throughout South Africa and sold about 100,000 copies during the 1940s. The song became so popular that Mbube lent its name to a style of African a cappella music, though the style has since been mostly replaced by isicathamiya (a softer version).

Alan Lomax brought the song to the attention of Pete Seeger of the folk group The Weavers. It was on one of several records Lomax lent to Seeger.<1> After having performed the song for at least a year in their concerts, in November, 1951, the Weavers recorded their version entitled "Wimoweh", a mishearing of the original song's chorus of 'uyimbube' (meaning "you're a lion"). Pete Seeger had made some of his own additions to the melody. The song was credited exclusively to Paul Campbell, a fictitious entity used by Harry Richmond to copyright material in the public domain.

Pete Seeger explains in one recording, "it refers to an old legend down there, their last king , who was known as Shaka The Lion. Legend says, Shaka The Lion didn't die when Europeans took over our country; he simply went to sleep, and he'll wake up some day." (See "Senzenina / Wimoweh" on Seeger's With Voices Together We Sing (Live).) cf. sleeping hero

[ChiciB1]

10. Given Your Discription... It's Seems Very Appropriate... The Last King

of sorts! The LION Sleeps Tonight, and so he does!

[Berry Cool]

25. It took many years before Solomon Linda was finally given songwriting credit

for this song--one of the most popular songs to this day and used so many places--and his family began getting royalties for it. Prior to that, for many years, it was assumed or believed to be an ancient folk song in the public domain.

Sadly, Solomon Linda died before he saw that day come. At least his descendants will always be able to receive royalties from it.

[Jakes Progress]

8. South African song "Mbube"

brought to American audiences with a Pete Seeger rewrite for the group he was in, The Weavers. They had a huge influence on almost all of the folk groups of the sixties. They recorded it as Wemoweh.

If you like documentaries and music, watch "Wasn't That a Time".

[ChiciB1]

9. Music Is My Xanax! Where Do I Look For It?? n/t

[bain_sidhe]

16. Links to mp3s

The original Solomon Linda song "Mbube"
http://www.fridayfishwrap.com/wimoweh/mbube.mp3

The Pete Seeger/Weavers song (mostly just a translation):
http://www.fridayfishwrap.com/wimoweh/wimoweh_yma.mp3

The Tokens hit cover (mostly different lyrics):
http://www.fridayfishwrap.com/wimoweh/thelionsleepstonight1.mp3

All these came from this site:
http://www.southafrica.info/about/arts/mbube-210206.htm

Plus, the original lyrics:
http://songsforteaching.homestead.com/PWMMbube.html

[ChiciB1]

18. Thanks So Much... Will Check Them Out! n/t

[ChiciB1]

20. Good To See That Solomon Linda's Family FINALLY Got True Credit!

All those links are very, very INTERESTING! Didn't know the song's origins, but am amazed by it's longevity!

And now, we can once again sing...

[bain_sidhe]

23. And also sadly appropriate...

Mr. Linda didn't live to see that done, either.

[IndianaGreen]

26. Thanks for the link

I remember the song and, as I recall, the original lyrics had something to do about apartheid.

[ChiciB1]

13. You Know, I Saw A "Doc" With Seeger In It Not So Long Ago... Didn't

know he was that old! He sure influenced the 60's & 70's, but I think the documentary was about The Grateful Dead!

Not trying to push my post, just interested! But it does apply to Ted Kennedy as the LION Of The Senate!!

[dipsydoodle]

15. Wiki here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_Sleeps_Tonight

[parasearchers]

11. Marilyn Mason

Course I could be wrong

[parasearchers]

12. The Tokens

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LBmUwi6mEo

[ChiciB1]

14. Thanks! Didn't See That... n/t

[ChiciB1]

17. I Now Hear The "Wimoweh" That Sounded Different To Me! Short Song, But

it has enough in it to make me remember "Teddy" in it!

[asdjrocky]

19. The Tokens.