The Tokens
| Company type | Music group, Production team |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn , United States |
| Products | Music recordings, music production |
The Tokens were a Brooklyn-based American doo-wop group and music production team. Throughout the 1960s, they achieved four top 40 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, most famously with their 1961 number-one hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", which was an adaptation of Solomon Linda’s 1939 song "Mbube" from South Africa. The ensemble also played a key role in launching the career of founding member Neil Sedaka before he embarked on a solo path.
History
Originating in 1955 at Brooklyn’s Abraham Lincoln High School under the name the Linc-Tones, the founding members were Neil Sedaka, Hank Medress, Eddie Rabkin, and Cynthia Zolotin. In 1956, Jay Siegel replaced Rabkin, coinciding with the release of their debut single "While I Dream", which gained regional popularity in New York. Distinguished by original compositions mostly penned by Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, they set themselves apart from standard cover bands. Zolotin departed the group in 1957.
After a brief period recording as the Tokens and the Coins, Sedaka exited in 1958 to pursue solo endeavors. In 1959, Siegel and Medress recorded three singles under the side project named Darrell & the Oxfords. The group officially adopted the name the Tokens in 1960 following the addition of brothers Mitch and Philip Margo.
Their Warwick Records release "Tonight I Fell In Love" climbed to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1961, earning them a spot on American Bandstand. This visibility led to further recording contracts, culminating in their RCA Victor rendition of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", which topped Billboard for three consecutive weeks and reached No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart. Both singles surpassed one million sales and received gold disc awards.
From 1962 through 1970, the Tokens scored nine additional Hot 100 hits, sustaining their prominence amid the British Invasion. Jay Siegel served as lead vocalist on all these tracks, including "I Hear Trumpets Blow" (1966) and "Portrait of My Love" (1967). Starting in 1963, they expanded into production with their company Bright Tunes and launched their own label, B.T. Puppy Records, overseeing acts like the Chiffons, Randy & the Rainbows, and the Happenings.
In 1968, they released an experimental single titled "Animal" intended for an album named Intercourse, which Warner Bros. declined to release due to its unconventional style; only 200 copies were privately pressed via B.T. Puppy in 1971. In 1972, Siegel contributed backing vocals to Robert John’s re-recording of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," which reached No. 3 on Billboard and earned gold certification.
Beginning in 1970, Hank Medress produced for Dawn featuring Tony Orlando at Bell Records; Orlando’s lead vocal on "Candida" became a Top 3 hit. Medress departed from the Tokens in 1973; thereafter, Siegel formed Cross Country with Mitch and Philip Margo, achieving moderate acclaim with a cover of "In the Midnight Hour". The Tokens reunited sporadically throughout the mid-1970s for television appearances and recorded "A Victim of Gravity" for ABC's Schoolhouse Rock series in 1978.
Mitch and Philip Margo continued performing alongside new members such as Jay Leslie, Mike Johnson, and Noah Margo (Philip’s son), occasionally joined by Mitch’s sons Damien and Ari Margo—highlighting a familial approach to maintaining the band’s legacy.
Jay Siegel leads his own iteration of the Tokens, which until 2022 included bass vocalist Bill Reid—known for his backing vocals on early hits like Curtis Lee's "Pretty Little Angel Eyes". John "Jay" Traynor, original lead singer of Jay & the Americans, performed with Siegel's Tokens until his passing in 2014. Present members include Kurt Yaghjian, noted for Broadway and film work, alongside orthopedic surgeon Gabriel Dassa who also sings with a cappella group Classic Sounds.
In 2000, both factions reunited for a PBS special titled Doo Wop 51. The passing of former members Hank Medress (2007), John "Jay" Traynor (2014), Mitch Margo (2017), Philip Margo (2021), and Bill Reid (2022) represents significant losses to the group's enduring heritage.
Claims regarding "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
Many years after not being credited for their role in creating "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", the group initiated legal action to obtain a share of the publishing rights. However, the lawsuit was dismissed on the grounds of the statute of limitations. The Tokens assert that they contributed to the original 1961 composition, although their record label has not acknowledged this assertion.
Band name ownership
On October 19, 2009, Phil and Mitch Margo filed a lawsuit in Manhattan seeking ownership of the 'Tokens' name, alleging that Henry Medress had proposed it. Meanwhile, in a separate case in California, Siegel claimed that an album titled Neil Sedaka and the Tokens had previously been issued by Siegel, Medress, and Sedaka. Sedaka's official discography confirms two albums released in 1958: Neil Sedaka and the Tokens and Neil Sedaka and the Tokens and Coins. Since departing from the group, Sedaka and Siegel have maintained a close relationship.
Albums
| Year | Album | US |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Neil Sedaka and the Tokens | — |
| Neil Sedaka and the Tokens and Coins | — | |
| 1961 | The Lion Sleeps Tonight | 54 |
| 1962 | We the Tokens Sing Folk | — |
| 1964 | Wheels | — |
| 1966 | I Hear Trumpets Blow | 148 |
| The Tokens Again | — | |
| 1967 | Back to Back | 134 |
| It's a Happening World | — | |
| 1970 | Greatest Moments (In a Girl's Life) | — |
| 1971 | Both Sides Now | — |
| December 5 | — | |
| InterCourse | — | |
| 1973 | Cross Country | — |
| 1988 | Re-Doo-Wopp | — |
| 1993 | Oldies Are Now | — |
| 1996 | Tonight the Lion Dances | — |
| 1999 | Unscrewed | — |
| "—" indicates albums that did not enter the charts. | ||
- Additional information
Singles
| Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where noted |
Chart rankings | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | CAN | UK | ||||
| 1956 | "I Love My Baby" b/w "While I Dream"A |
— | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
- |
| "Tonight I Fell in Love" b/w "I'll Always Love You" |
"15" | "—" | "12" | "—" | "" | ||
| "When I Go to Sleep at Night" b/w "Dry Your Eyes" (from The Tokens Again) |
"—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "Non-album singles" | ||
| "Sincerely" b/w "When Summer Is Through" |
"—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "Non-album singles" | ||
| "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" b/w "Tina" |
"1" | "7" | "1" | "11" |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight' |
- | |
| "B'wa Nina (Pretty Girl)" b/w "Weeping River" |
"55" | "—" | "—" | "—" |
We the Tokens Sing Folk' |
- | |
| "Big Boat" b/w "The Riddle" |
"—" | "—" | "26" | "—" |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight' |
- | |
| "La Bamba" b/w "A Token of Love" (Non-album track) |
"85" | "—" | "—" | "—" |
We the Tokens Sing Folk' | ||
- AReached No. 39 on the WMGM chart
Production work
Beyond their roles as performers and recording artists, the Tokens also made a name for themselves as record producers. Among their significant production credits are:
- He's So Fine and One Fine Day performed by the Chiffons
- Denise by Randy & the Rainbows
- See You in September, I Got Rhythm, and Go Away Little Girl recorded by the Happenings
- Candida, Knock Three Times, and Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree produced for Tony Orlando and Dawn
Awards and recognition
In 2004, the Tokens were honored with induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Earlier, in 1998, they earned a Guinness World Record for delivering performances of The Star-Spangled Banner at every one of the 30 Major League Baseball venues located throughout the United States and Canada.