The Lion Sleeps Tonight -video by the Tokens

internet ^ | 4/19/2020 | The Tokens

[sodpoodle]

I hope this works - had computer problems all day.

[sodpoodle]

Put a little music in your life;)

[Fungi]

Holy cow, octogenarians posing as a rock band.

[Buttons12]

Almost makes me wish I’d been born 50 years sooner.
Almost.

[sodpoodle]

video from 2014. They might be old = but they are good.

Miss all of the great singers we enjoyed in the 50’s through the 90’s. Tom Petty, Glen Campbell, Sinatra, Elvis, John Denver, David Bowie. Many more, of course - their songs had melodies and great lyrics.

Dwight Yoakum is a great one - he should get more attention.

[stylin19a]

thanx...there’s a joke in here somewhere but dang if I can find it.

Siegel.. nice pipes.

I always thought The Tokens were a one hit wonder....but i was wrong...
(the pre-Tokens were “The Linc Tones” which included Neil Sedaka)

the Tokens had this do-wop song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRe753rvhpc

[Fiji Hill]

The original recording:

Mbube (it's morning)--Solomon Linda & the Evening Birds (1939)

Another hit version:

Wimoweh--Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra, with the Weavers (1952)

[jazusamo]

That was great music by The Tokens 60 years ago and it still is.

Thanks for posting.

[Fungi]

True, the big band era was probably the best for music in America. It was real music.

[vg0va3]

My mother had this 8 track when I was 6. I just texted it her and told her this reminds me of her and her powder blue Monte Carlo. That sing and Tossin’ and Turnin’ by Bobby Lewis

Thanks. Needed that

[Lazamataz]

Unfortunately, the magic is lost because it is painfully obvious they are lip-synching.

[Fiji Hill]

In the summer of 1964, this one made it into the Top 40 on KRLA (Southern California's rock blaster at 1110 kilocycles, not the conservative chatterbox of today, with the same call letters, at 870 kcs.). Note that they have moved away from their doo-wop roots and sound more like the Beach Boys.

He's In Town--The Tokens (1964)

[Fiji Hill]

I believe this is real and that they are not lip-synching.

[Fungi]

That is what I perceived, I could be wrong.

[Lazamataz]

I dunno. It’s hard for 80+ year-olds to keep their 20-year-old voices.

[LouieFisk]

“I believe this is real and that they are not lip-synching.”
—
Yup, you can tell by how they wrap it up, if nothing else. Also, they likely wouldn’t have the full compliment of performers for a lip sync. e.g. Kelley DeFade the female super-suprano, who is a “hired gun” singer and not part of the group.
https://duq.edu/academics/faculty/kelley-defade

[LouieFisk]

“It’s hard for 80+ year-olds to keep their 20-year-old voices.”
—
The lead singer sings it in the same, original key as the recording - or at least we was not too many years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M40mBIKkc4

[Revel]

Get ready to be blown away by a bunch of old guys(And a Gal):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGl5ReYunoY

No Joke!

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

“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 Zulu.

[Lazamataz]

Unfortunately, listening to the original recording and comparing it to this video, it is also another case of lip-synching. There are certain trills that this video replicates perfectly to that original recording.

[Revel]

No its real. I think the op(Bing?) version audio is a bit out of sink. Try the youtube version I just posted. It is in sync.