![]() The Tokens' publisher wants to cut TRO out of the profits. ![]() 1989: The initial copyright for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is ready to expire. 1961: TRO allows The Tokens' publisher to use the song in exchange for 50% of the publishing royalties of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." 1952: Gallo trades US copyright of "Mbube" to the Weavers' publisher The Richmond Organization (TRO) (Howie Richmond and Al Brackman) for the right to distribute "Wimoweh" in South Africa. How did it change hands from that point? - 1939: Linda is paid one pound and Gallo Records owns the recording. In 1939, before entering the studio, Solomon Linda "owned" the song. If you're discussing how the original artist basically made no money from his own song and died in poverty, your pretentious factor moves up to an 8, but we commend you for giving props to Solomon Linda.Mbube - by Solomon Linda and The Evening Birds, 1938 - Form: Intro, Bass, AABBAABB'AA'B''B''A'A''CBcoda - Voices: piano, guitar, banjo, SAT and 3 Bass singers - Timbre: generally raspy to some degree in all voices - Rhythm: duple, but complex timing - Other: complex variations in each iteration Wimoweh - by The Weavers - Form: band (Intro AABBCCBB'AA)//vocalists (Intro AABBAA'CCBBcoda) - Voices: horns, drums, strings, bass//piano bass, banjo, guitar? (chordal backing), horns - Timbre: moves from horns to strings to piano to folk to brass with chorus - Rhythm: short-long-short-short ("a-wii-mo-we") - Other: sung in vocables and not Zulu language, melody different from original, dynamics drop in middle, soprano yodelling, C melody is repeated The Lion Sleeps Tonight - by The Tokens (1961) - Form: CCIntroIntroCC'AA'CC'AA'DDCC'B'A'CC - Voices: vocals, drums, bass, soprano, 5-man vocals, saxophone - Timbre: tiny drumstick sound, voices tend towards bel canto, soprano is clearer, female soprano is operatic - Rhythm: keeps Weavers' rhythm - Other: lyrics (English, orientalist) added, 'exotic' drum timbres (rimshots, dull thud), vocables (E-dee-dee-dee beginning: a-we-ma-we), saxophone adds a new melody, yodelling If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10. And finally, remember Marcel the monkey from Friends? He was a fan of this jam.And here's The Weaver's version of the song, " Wimoweh," recorded in 1952.Because we think it's important to give credit where credit is due, here's Solomon Linda's " Mbube," recorded in 1939 with his group, The Evening Birds.You might be re-labeled as "the boring cousin who kept interrupting The Lion King," but she'll probably thank you someday.ĭon't hold us to that. So next time your little cousin has a Disney movie night, give her a history lesson on where the song came from. Most people assume the song originated with the movie and are unaware of its rich history. And…no, that's probably it, just The Lion King. So where does that leave us? Well, the line is a reference to the original Zulu song, where the word "uyimbube" is used-it translates to "you're a lion." The producers liked their sound, had "Wimoweh" rewritten with English lyrics, and called it "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." In 1961, a group named The Tokens were looking for a record label, and they auditioned with "Wimoweh". Pete Seeger got a hold of it and recorded it under the title "Wimoweh" with his group, The Weavers, giving no credit to Linda or The Evening Birds. The word mbube means "lion" in Zulu, and The Evening Birds had the idea for the song while they were chasing away lions from their families' cattle.Īround 1948, Gallo Record Company, where "Mbube" was recorded, sent the track to the U.S. In 1939, South African singer Solomon Linda recorded the song "Mbube" with his group, The Evening Birds. To really understand this line, we have to know the history behind the song. This line is from the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by The Tokens from the album The Lion Sleeps Tonight (1961). ![]() Life Nature Dreams The Tokens The Lion Sleeps Tonight Power Experience Strength Music Context
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