On this date in 1961, THE TOKENS released the single THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT, a song with a fascinating and complex history spanning continents and decades (Oct 17, 1961) This doo-wop adaptation of a Zulu hunting song would go on to become a global phenomenon, topping the Billboard charts and sparking a legacy of covers, controversy, and eventual legal battles. The journey of this melody began in 1939 when Solomon Linda, a Zulu singer working as a cleaner for Gallo Record Company in Johannesburg

"LION SLEEPS TONIGHT" Our modern day version of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” takes its roots from South Africa. The earliest versions of the song have been handed down from generation to generation. Solomon Linda took the song, “Mbube” which means lion, and recorded his version in 1939. This South African release was highly successful as over time the record sold over one hundred thousand copies. It made it’s way to the US and revisions soon followed, most notably the translation and addition of En