HERE & THERE COLUMN 7-24-12

                                      "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

  Jay Siegel and The Tokens singing of the popular sixties hit The Lion Sleeps Tonight" proved to be the show stopper which definitely electrified the audience at the July 14 NY Doo Wop Extravaganza at the Bethel Woods Center For The Arts.

  The Doo Wop crowd really got into this song and sang along as Siegel and The Tokens harmonized beautifully this song which was one of the early sixties biggest hits.

  Siegel of course was the lead singer for The Tokens and they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame. 

  The National Endowment For The Arts, along with The Recording Industry Association of America compiled a list of the Top 365 records of the twentieth century and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" came in at number 159. 

  The Tokens also became well known when they did some recordings with the great Neil Sedaka who at the time of the recordings sang background while Jay Siegel was the lead singer.

  The Tokens first single on Warwick Records, "Tonight I Fell In Love" became a million seller with 700,000 sold copies in the United States and 300,000 copies in Canada and Europe. 

  "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" sold over three million records when it first came out and in four weeks to got to be number one and stayed on the chart for about three months and then it became number one in thirty-six countries all over the world. 

  Siegel and The Tokens lit up the Bethel Woods crowd with this song and many were heard singing this song at the shows end while walking to their cars. 

  Other popular songs sang by these Doo Wop groups who still maintain excellent singing qualities and beautiful harmony included The Excellents and their Brooklyn National Anthem "Coney Island Baby", Linda Jansen and "Till", The Marcels and "Blue Moon", The Elegants and "Little Star", adding that they "don't sing two fast songs in a row unless its at a medical convention", The Tymes and "So In Love" and The Duprees "You Belong To Me".

  Doo Wop songs feature both fast beats as frequently as slow ones and after the outstanding Bethel Woods show it can easily be seen how doo-wop groups played a significant role in ushering in the rock and roll era.

  Great show Bethel Woods, thank you for bringing this era back to Sullivan County. 

   

                                       

Photo Identification

Jay Siegel of The Tokens singing the popular hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".