The tokens today
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The Tokens
American male doo-wop vocal group
This article is about a doo-wop vocal group. For the 19th-century gift book, see The Token. For the 2016 country music album, see The Token (album).
The Tokens | |
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The Tokens in 1967 | |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, US |
| Genres | Doo-wop, pop |
| Years active | 1955–1978, 1998–2000 |
| Labels | Warwick, RCA Victor, Victor Records, RCA Camden, JVC, HMV, B.T. Puppy Records |
| Members | Jay Siegel's Tokens: Jay Siegel Gabriel Dassa Kurt Yahjian The Margo's Tokens: Jay Leslie Mike Johnson Noah Margo Ari Margo Damien Margo |
| Past members | Neil Sedaka Eddie Rabkin Cynthia Zolotin Joe Venneri Brute Force Hank Medress Richie Grasso Bobby Love Jay Traynor Mitch Margo Bill Reid |
The Tokens were an American doo-wopband and record production company group from Brooklyn, New York City.[1] The group has had four top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, all in the 1960s, their biggest being the chart-topping 1961 hit single "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", which borrowed heavily from the 1939 song "Mbube" by South African singer Solom
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The Tokens are an American male doo-wop-style vocal group and record production company group from Brooklyn, New York. They are known best for their chart-topping 1961 single, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
The group was formed in 1955 at Brooklyn's Abraham Lincoln High School, and was known first as The Linc-Tones. Originally featuring members Neil Sedaka, Hank Medress, Eddie Rabkin, and Cynthia Zolotin, Rabkin was replaced by Jay Siegel in 1956, and the band recorded its first single, "While I Dream" that same year. In 1957 Sedaka and Zolotin left the band, leaving only Siegel and Medress, who would recruit two additional band members and record the single "Picture in My Wallet" as Darrell & the Oxfords. Finally establishing its most famous name and crew, the band became known as the Tokens in 1960 after they recruited the 13-year-old multi-instrumentalist and first tenor Mitch Margo and his baritone brother Phil Margo.
In early 1961, the Tokens released a single for Warwick Records titled "Tonight I Fell In Love," which scored No.
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“The multitalented Jay Siegel is best known for his soaring falsetto on the classic mega-hit, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” ”
Born in Brighton Beach, New York, a lifelong friendship with Neil Sedaka began when both attended Lincoln High School in Brooklyn where in 1955, Sedaka formed The Linc-Tones singing group. A year later, Siegel joined the Linc-Tones and the group name was changed to The Tokens. Siegel and Sedaka and fellow Tokens Cynthia Zolitan and Hank Medress then recorded "While I Dream" and "I Love My Baby" for Melba Records. As The Tokens, they performed together on their first television show, The Ted Steele Dance Time.
In 1958 Sedaka left The Tokens to begin his amazing solo career. Siegel joined Warren Schwartz, Fred Kalkstein and Hank Medress to form Darrell and the Oxfords. Together they recorded the regional hit, "Picture in my Wallet".
A reformed Tokens group emerged in 1961 with Mitch and Phil Margo joining Medress and Siegel. The group quickly attained prominence with the hit song, "Tonight I Fell In Love."
In October 1961, they recorded what has be
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