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The Tokens' unlikely blend of doo wop and what was, in folk circles, termed "ethnic music," resulted in one enormous and enduring hit: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)." After that, it was all downhill for the group during their RCA tenure -- the biggest of their followup hits reached a modest number 55 on the charts. Wimoweh: The Best of the Tokens rounds up all six of their chart entries, some of which -- like "B'Wanina (Pretty Girl)" and "La Bamba" -- repeated the "Wimoweh" formula. When those failed, the Tokens returned to straightforward doo wop material ("Tonight I Met an Angel"), covers of other vocal groups' hits ("Sincerely," "A Thousand Miles Away"), and, finally, Beach Boys-style car songs ("My Friend's Car"). The anthology also compiles a number of choice cuts and oddities that fall in-between, from the gorgeous "Somewhere There's a Girl" to the weirdly insulting love song "You're Nothing But a Girl." There's a "Little Darlin'" retread titled "Dry Your Eyes" and several songs with "night" or "tonight" in the title in apparent reference to the group's first two hits. Wimoweh: The Best of the Tokens also includes three previously unreleased songs for collectors. For those who couldn't get enough of the Tokens, several additional recordings from their RCA period were made available the same year on a budget collection, The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
© Greg Adams /TiVo
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Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - George David Weiss, Lyricist - George David Weiss, Arranger - George David Weiss, Composer - Stanton, Composer - Stanton, Lyricist - Hugo Peretti, Composer - Hugo Peretti, Lyricist - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - Sammy Lowe, Arranger - The Tokens, Performer - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Luigi Creatore, Composer - Luigi Creatore, Lyricist - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) Originally Recorded 1961. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Lawrence Weiss, Composer - Lawrence Weiss, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Hugo Peretti, Composer - Hugo Peretti, Lyricist - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Luigi Creatore, Composer - Luigi Creatore, Lyricist - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
Originally Recorded 1962. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - Hank Medress, Arranger - Phil Margo, Arranger - J. Siegel, Arranger - The Tokens, Performer - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Traditional, Composer - Traditional, Lyricist - Mitch Margo, Arranger - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) Released prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer - The Tokens, Vocal - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Bob Gibson, Composer - Bob Gibson, Lyricist - Orchestra, Performer - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer
Originally Recorded 1963. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Margo, Composer - Margo, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Ralph Siegel, Composer - Ralph Siegel, Lyricist - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Medress, Lyricist - Medress, Composer - Margoo, Composer - Margoo, Lyricist - Howard, Composer - Howard, Lyricist - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Hockaday, Composer - Hockaday, Lyricist - Alan Lorber, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
Originally Recorded 1963. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Margo, Composer - Margo, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Mixing Engineer - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Ralph Siegel, Composer - Ralph Siegel, Lyricist - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Medress, Lyricist - Medress, Composer - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - Margoo, Composer - Margoo, Lyricist - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Orchestra, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P)1994 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer - The Tokens, Vocal - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Harvey Fuqua, Composer - Harvey Fuqua, Lyricist - Alan Freed, Composer - Alan Freed, Lyricist - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Margo, Composer - Margo, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Mixing Engineer - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Medress, Composer - Medress, Lyricist - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Orchestra, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) 1994 BMG Music
Denilson Miller, Composer - Denilson Miller, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - Shepherd, Composer - Shepherd, Lyricist - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Orchestra, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
Originally Recorded 1963. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Margo, Composer - Margo, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Medress, Composer - Medress, Lyricist - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Orchestra, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) Released prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Margo, Composer - Margo, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Mixing Engineer - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - John Kay, Composer - John Kay, Lyricist - Ralph Siegel, Composer - Ralph Siegel, Lyricist - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Medress, Lyricist - Medress, Composer - Richard Wolfe, Conductor - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Orchestra, Performer - George Nader, Composer - George Nader, Lyricist - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) 1994 BMG Music
Howard Greenfield, Composer - Howard Greenfield, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Mixing Engineer - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Neil Sedaka, Composer - Neil Sedaka, Lyricist - Orchestra, Performer - Alan Lorber, Conductor - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) 1994 BMG Music
Margo, Composer - Margo, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Mixing Engineer - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Ralph Siegel, Composer - Ralph Siegel, Lyricist - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Medress, Lyricist - Medress, Composer - Richard Wolfe, Conductor - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Kalina, Composer - Kalina, Lyricist - Orchestra, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) 1994 BMG Music
Margo, Composer - Margo, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Ralph Siegel, Composer - Ralph Siegel, Lyricist - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Medress, Lyricist - Medress, Composer - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - Margoo, Composer - Margoo, Lyricist - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Kalina, Composer - Kalina, Lyricist - Orchestra, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
Originally Recorded 1963. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Dennis Ferrante, Mixing Engineer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer - William Nobles, Composer - William Nobles, Lyricist - The Tokens, Vocal - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Orchestra, Performer - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer
Originally Recorded 1963. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Margo, Composer - Margo, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Medress, Composer - Medress, Lyricist - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Orchestra, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
Originally Recorded 1961. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Jay Newland, Mixing Engineer - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Ellie Greenwich, Composer - Ellie Greenwich, Lyricist - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - Jeff Barry, Composer - Jeff Barry, Lyricist - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Orchestra, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) 1994 BMG Music
Margo, Composer - Margo, Lyricist - Artie Butler, Conductor - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Ralph Siegel, Composer - Ralph Siegel, Lyricist - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Medress, Lyricist - Medress, Composer - Margoo, Composer - Margoo, Lyricist - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Orchestra, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) Released prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Margo, Composer - Margo, Lyricist - Artie Butler, Conductor - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Ralph Siegel, Composer - Ralph Siegel, Lyricist - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Medress, Lyricist - Medress, Composer - Margoo, Composer - Margoo, Lyricist - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Orchestra, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) Released prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Margo, Composer - Margo, Lyricist - Jay Newland, Mixing Engineer - Jay Newland, Re-Mastering Engineer - Ralph Siegel, Composer - Ralph Siegel, Lyricist - Hugo & Luigi, Producer - Medress, Lyricist - Medress, Composer - Sammy Lowe, Conductor - Margoo, Composer - Margoo, Lyricist - The Tokens, Vocal - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Orchestra, Performer - Dennis Ferrante, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) 1994 BMG Music
Album review
The Tokens' unlikely blend of doo wop and what was, in folk circles, termed "ethnic music," resulted in one enormous and enduring hit: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)." After that, it was all downhill for the group during their RCA tenure -- the biggest of their followup hits reached a modest number 55 on the charts. Wimoweh: The Best of the Tokens rounds up all six of their chart entries, some of which -- like "B'Wanina (Pretty Girl)" and "La Bamba" -- repeated the "Wimoweh" formula. When those failed, the Tokens returned to straightforward doo wop material ("Tonight I Met an Angel"), covers of other vocal groups' hits ("Sincerely," "A Thousand Miles Away"), and, finally, Beach Boys-style car songs ("My Friend's Car"). The anthology also compiles a number of choice cuts and oddities that fall in-between, from the gorgeous "Somewhere There's a Girl" to the weirdly insulting love song "You're Nothing But a Girl." There's a "Little Darlin'" retread titled "Dry Your Eyes" and several songs with "night" or "tonight" in the title in apparent reference to the group's first two hits. Wimoweh: The Best of the Tokens also includes three previously unreleased songs for collectors. For those who couldn't get enough of the Tokens, several additional recordings from their RCA period were made available the same year on a budget collection, The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
© Greg Adams /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 20 track(s)
- Total length: 00:46:30
- Main artists: The Tokens
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: RCA Records Label
- Genre: Pop/Rock
(P) 1994 BMG Entertainment
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