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{{short description|1939 song by Solomon Linda}}
{{short description|1939 song by Solomon Linda}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox song
{{Infobox song
Line 22: Line 21:
*Albert Stanton
*Albert Stanton
| year = 1961
| year = 1961
| misc = {{External music video|header=Audio|1={{YouTube|OQlByoPdG6c|The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) (Audio)}}}}
| misc = {{External music video|header=Audio|1={{YouTube|OQlByoPdG6c|The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) (Audio)}}
}}
}}
⚫
}}
"'''The Lion Sleeps Tonight'''" is a song originally written and recorded by [[Solomon Linda]]<ref name="In the Jungle">{{Cite news|last=Malan|first=Rian|author-link=Rian Malan|title=In the Jungle|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214102148/http://reprints.longform.org/in-the-jungle|url=http://reprints.longform.org/in-the-jungle|archive-date=14 Feb 2020|website=Longform.org|publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]|year=2000|access-date=5 Mar 2022|df=dmy-all}}</ref> under the title "'''Mbube'''"<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-12-29|title=Seeking justice for Lion Sleeps Tonight composer|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55333535|access-date=2021-01-04}}</ref> for the South African [[Gallo Record Company]] in 1939. Linda's original was written in [[Zulu language|Zulu]], while the English version's lyrics were written by [[George David Weiss]].
"'''The Lion Sleeps Tonight'''" is a song originally written and first recorded in 1939 by [[Solomon Linda]]<ref name="In the Jungle">{{Cite news|last=Malan|first=Rian|author-link=Rian Malan|title=In the Jungle|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214102148/http://reprints.longform.org/in-the-jungle|url=http://reprints.longform.org/in-the-jungle|archive-date=14 Feb 2020|website=Longform.org|publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]|year=2000|access-date=5 Mar 2022|df=dmy-all}}</ref> under the title "'''Mbube'''",<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-12-29|title=Seeking justice for Lion Sleeps Tonight composer|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55333535|access-date=2021-01-04}}</ref> through South African [[Gallo Record Company]]. In 1961, a version adapted into English by the [[doo-wop]] group [[the Tokens]] became a number-one hit in the United States. It earned millions in [[royalties]] from cover versions and film licensing. Lyrics of Linda's original version were written in [[Zulu language|Zulu]], while those from the Tokens' adaptation were written by [[George David Weiss]].


The song has been adapted and [[cover version|covered]] internationally by many pop and folk artists. It was recorded as "'''Wimoweh'''" by [[the Weavers]] in November 1951, and published by [[Folkways Music Publishers]] in December 1951.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Library of Congress. Copyright Office.|url=http://archive.org/details/catalogofcopyri365libr|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries 1952 Published Music Jan-Dec 3D Ser Vol 6 Pt 5A|date=1952|publisher=U.S. Govt. Print. Off.|others=United States Copyright Office|language=English}}</ref> Artists who have recorded various versions of the song include [[R.E.M.]], [[NSYNC]], [[Henri Salvador]], [[Karl Denver]], [[Jimmy Dorsey]], [[Yma Sumac]], [[Noro Morales]], [[Miriam Makeba]], and [[the Kingston Trio]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/cashbox13unse_32|title=Cash Box|date=1952-05-17|publisher=Cash Box Pub. Co.|last=William and Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center}}</ref>
The song has been adapted and [[cover version|covered]] internationally by many [[Pop music|pop]] and [[Folk music|folk]] artists. It was first recorded in the United States by [[the Weavers]] in November 1951, and published under the title "'''Wimoweh'''" by a branch of [[Folkways Records]] in December of the same year.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Library of Congress. Copyright Office.|url=http://archive.org/details/catalogofcopyri365libr|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries 1952 Published Music Jan-Dec 3D Ser Vol 6 Pt 5A|date=1952|publisher=U.S. Govt. Print. Off.|others=United States Copyright Office|language=English}}</ref> The pop group [[Tight Fit]] made a cover of the song in 1982, reaching [[List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1980s|number one hit in the UK]]. Other artists who have recorded various versions of the song include [[R.E.M.]], [[NSYNC]], [[Henri Salvador]], [[Karl Denver]], [[Jimmy Dorsey]], [[Yma Sumac]], [[Noro Morales]], [[Roy Zimmerman (satirist)|Roy Zimmerman]], [[Miriam Makeba]], and [[The Kingston Trio]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/cashbox13unse_32|title=Cash Box|date=1952-05-17|publisher=Cash Box Pub. Co.|last=William and Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center}}</ref> The song is in the [[Key (music)|key]] of [[F major]].

In 1961, a version adapted into English with the title "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the [[doo-wop]] group [[The Tokens]] became a number-one hit in the United States. It went on to earn millions in [[royalties]] from cover versions and film licensing. The pop group [[Tight Fit]] had a [[List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1980s|number one hit in the UK]] with the song in 1982. This song is written and composed in the [[Key (music)|key]] of [[F major]].


==History==
==History==
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| title = "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (The Tokens)
| title = "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (The Tokens)
}}
}}
"Mbube" ([[Zulu language|Zulu]] for "lion") was written by [[Solomon Linda]],<ref name="FRITH">Frith, Simon, [https://books.google.com/books?id=bxsUdjSnGZcC ''Popular Music: critical concepts in media and cultural studies, Volume 4''], London: Routledge, 2004. {{ISBN|978-0-415-33270-5}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=bxsUdjSnGZcC&pg=PA271 p. 271]</ref> a South African [[Zulu people|Zulu]] singer, who worked for the [[Gallo Record Company]] in [[Johannesburg]] as a [[cleaner]] and record packer. He spent his weekends performing with the Evening Birds, a musical ensemble, and it was at Gallo Records, under the direction of producer Griffiths Motsieloa, that Linda and his fellow musicians recorded several songs, including "Mbube", which incorporated a [[call and response (music)|call-response]] pattern common among many [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]n [[ethnic group]]s, including the Zulu.
The original song title was "Mbube" (the [[Zulu language|Zulu]] word for "lion") and was written and first recorded in 1939 by [[Solomon Linda]],<ref name="FRITH">Frith, Simon, [https://books.google.com/books?id=bxsUdjSnGZcC ''Popular Music: critical concepts in media and cultural studies, Volume 4''], London: Routledge, 2004. {{ISBN|978-0-415-33270-5}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=bxsUdjSnGZcC&pg=PA271 p. 271]</ref> a [[South Africa]]n [[Zulu people|Zulu]] singer, who worked for the [[Gallo Record Company]] in [[Johannesburg]] as a cleaner and record packer. He spent his weekends performing with his musical ensemble, "The Evening Birds", and it was at this [[record label]], under the direction of producer "Griffiths Motsieloa", that Linda and his fellow musicians recorded several songs, including "Mbube", which incorporated a [[Call and response (music)|call and response]] pattern common among many [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]n [[ethnic group]]s, including the Zulu.


⚫
According to journalist [[Rian Malan]]: "'Mbube' wasn't the most remarkable tune, but there was something terribly compelling about the underlying chant, a dense meshing of low male voices above which Solomon yodeled and howled for two exhilarating minutes, occasionally making it up as he went along. The third take was the great one, but it achieved immortality only in its dying seconds, when Solly took a deep breath, opened his mouth and improvised the melody..."
According to journalist [[Rian Malan]]:


⚫
Issued as a 78-rpm [[phonograph record]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Cad|first=Saint|title=Top 10 Famous Songs With Unknown Originals|date=31 July 2012|url=http://listverse.com/2012/07/31/top-10-famous-songs-with-unknown-originals/ |publisher=listverse.com|access-date=21 June 2013}}</ref> and marketed to black audiences, "Mbube" became a hit and Linda a star throughout South Africa. By 1948, the song had sold over 100,000 copies in Africa and among black South African immigrants in Great Britain. Linda's song also gave the name to a style of African [[a cappella]] music that evolved into ''[[Isicathamiya]]'' (also called ''[[Mbube (genre)|Mbube music]]''), popularized by the group [[Ladysmith Black Mambazo]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Frith |first=Simon | author-link = Simon Frith|title=Popular music: critical concepts in media and cultural studies, Volume 4 |location=London |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-415-33270-5}}</ref>
⚫
<blockquote>"Mbube" wasn't the most remarkable tune, but there was something compelling about the underlying chant, a dense meshing of low male voices above which Solomon yodelled and howled for two exhilarating minutes, improvising occasionally. The third take was the best, achieving immortality when Solly took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and improvised the [[melody]] that the world now associates with these words:


⚫
In 1949 [[Alan Lomax]], then working as folk music director for [[Decca Records]], brought Solomon Linda's 78-rpm recording to the attention of his friend [[Pete Seeger]], leader of the [[folk music|folk]] group [[The Weavers]]. In November 1951, after having performed the song for at least a year in their concerts, The Weavers recorded an adapted version with brass, string orchestra and chorus and released it as a 78-rpm single titled "Wimoweh", a mishearing of the original song's chorus of "''Uyimbube''" ("You are a lion" in Zulu). Their version contained the chanting chorus "Wimoweh" and Linda's improvised line. The Weavers credited the song as "[[Oral tradition]]", with arrangement by "Paul Campbell", later found to be a pseudonym used by The Weavers in order to claim royalties.<ref name=hutcheon>David Hutcheon, "The Story Behind the Song: The Lion Sleeps Tonight", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo '60s]]'', #9, 2017, pp. 18-19</ref> It reached ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s top ten and became a staple of The Weavers' live repertoire, achieving further exposure on their best-selling ''[[The Weavers at Carnegie Hall]]'' [[LP record|LP album]], recorded in 1955 and released in 1957.
<blockquote><poem>In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.<ref name="In the Jungle" /></poem></blockquote></blockquote>


⚫
[[Exotica]] singer [[Yma Sumac]] covered the song, for which [[Juilliard School]]-trained songwriter [[George David Weiss]] brought in [[soprano]] [[Anita Darian]] to let her perform before, during and after the [[soprano saxophone]] solo in such version, issued in 1952 on [[Capitol Records]].<ref name=pc18>{{cite web |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19768/m1/ |title=Show 18&nbsp;— ''Blowin' in the Wind: Pop discovers folk music''. [Part 1&#93; |work=[[Pop Chronicles]] |publisher=[[University of North Texas|UNT]] Digital Library |date=18 May 1969 |access-date=24 September 2010}}</ref> The song was recorded extensively by other folk revival groups such as [[the Kingston Trio]], who released it in 1958.
⚫
Issued by Gallo as a 78-rpm [[phonograph record]] in 1939,<ref>{{cite web|last=Cad|first=Saint|title=Top 10 Famous Songs With Unknown Originals|date=31 July 2012|url=http://listverse.com/2012/07/31/top-10-famous-songs-with-unknown-originals/ |publisher=listverse.com|access-date=21 June 2013}}</ref> and marketed to black audiences, "Mbube" became a hit and Linda a star throughout [[South Africa]]. By 1948, the song had sold over 100,000 copies in Africa and among black South African immigrants in Great Britain. Linda's song also gave the name to [[Mbube (genre)|a style]] of African [[a cappella]] music that evolved into ''[[isicathamiya]]'' (also called ''mbube''), popularized by [[Ladysmith Black Mambazo]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Frith |first=Simon | author-link = Simon Frith|title=Popular music: critical concepts in media and cultural studies, Volume 4 |location=London |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-415-33270-5}}</ref>


[[Miriam Makeba]] also covered the song in 1960, with the original title "Mbube" and giving writing credits to "J. Linda".<ref name=hutcheon /> In 1961, two [[RCA Records]] producers, [[Hugo Peretti]] and [[Luigi Creatore]], hired Weiss to arrange a [[Doo-wop]] and [[Rhythm and blues]] cover of "Wimoweh" for the B-side of a 45-rpm single called "Tina", sung by group [[The Tokens]]. Weiss wrote the English lines "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, The lion sleeps tonight..." and "Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling...".<ref>{{citation |last=Laing |first=Dave |date=2010-08-24 |title=George David Weiss obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/aug/24/george-david-weiss |access-date=2024-05-21 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was issued by RCA in that year, and it rocketed to number one on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. Weiss' "Abilene Music, Inc." was the publisher of this arrangement, and listed "Albert Stanton" (a pseudonym for "Al Brackman", the business partner of [[Pete Seeger]]'s music publisher, [[Howie Richmond]]) as one of the song's writers or arrangers.<ref>{{citation |last=Malan |first=Rian |page=74 |title=The Lion Sleeps Tonight |date=2013-02-01 |publisher=Grove Press UK |isbn=978-1-61185-994-2 |language=en}}</ref>
⚫
In 1949, [[Alan Lomax]], then working as folk music director for [[Decca Records]], brought Solomon Linda's 78 recording to the attention of his friend [[Pete Seeger]] of the [[folk music|folk]] group [[The Weavers]]. In November 1951, after having performed the song for at least a year in their concerts, The Weavers recorded an adapted version with brass and string orchestra and chorus and released it as a 78 single titled "Wimoweh", a mishearing of the original song's chorus of "''Uyimbube''" ("You are a lion" in [[Zulu language|Zulu]]). Their version contained the chanting chorus "Wimoweh" and Linda's improvised melodic line. The Weavers credited the song as "Traditional", with arrangement by "Paul Campbell", later found to be a pseudonym used by the Weavers in order to claim royalties.<ref name=hutcheon>David Hutcheon, "The Story Behind the Song: The Lion Sleeps Tonight", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo '60s]]'', #9, 2017, pp. 18-19</ref> It reached ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s top ten and became a staple of The Weavers' live repertoire, achieving further exposure on their best-selling ''[[The Weavers at Carnegie Hall]]'' [[LP record|LP album]], recorded in 1955 and issued in 1957. The song was also covered extensively by other folk revival groups such as [[The Kingston Trio]], and [[exotica]] singer [[Yma Sumac]]. However, [[Miriam Makeba]], in 1960, recorded the same song as "Mbube", with the writing credit given to "J. Linda".<ref name=hutcheon />


⚫
== Copyright issues ==
In 1961, two [[RCA Records]] producers, [[Hugo Peretti]] and [[Luigi Creatore]], hired [[Juilliard School|Juilliard]]-trained musician and [[lyricist]] [[George David Weiss]] to arrange a [[Doo-wop]] and [[Rhythm & blues]] cover of "Wimoweh" for the B-side of a 45-rpm single called "Tina", sung by group [[The Tokens]]. Weiss wrote the English lines "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, The lion sleeps tonight&nbsp;..." and "Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling&nbsp;..."{{fact|date=June 2023}}
⚫
Social historian Ronald D. Cohen writes: "[[Howie Richmond]] copyrighted many songs originally in the public domain but now slightly revised to satisfy Decca and also to reap profits".<ref>{{cite book |first=Ronald D. |last=Cohen |title=Rainbow Quest: the Folk Music Revival and American Society |url=https://archive.org/details/rainbowquestfolk00cohe |url-access=registration |location=Amherst |publisher=[[University of Massachusetts Press]] |year=2002 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rainbowquestfolk00cohe/page/71 71]}}</ref> Howie Richmond's claim of author's copyright could secure both the songwriter's royalties and his company's publishing share of the song earnings.<ref name="In the Jungle" />


⚫
Although [[Solomon Linda]] was listed as a performer on the record itself, [[the Weavers]] thought they had recorded a [[Oral tradition|traditional]] Zulu song. Their managers, the publisher, and their attorneys knew otherwise because they had been contacted by — and had reached an agreement with — Eric Gallo of [[Gallo Record Company]] in [[South Africa]]. The Americans maintained, however, that South African copyrights were not valid because South Africa was not a signatory to U.S. copyright law.<ref name="In the Jungle" /> In the 1950s, after Linda's authorship was made clear, [[Pete Seeger]] sent $1000 to the South African artist. The folk singer also said he instructed ''TRO/Folkways'' to henceforth pay his share of authors' earnings to Linda. Seeger apparently trusted his publisher's word of honor and either saw no need, or was unable, to make sure these instructions to be carried out.<ref name="In the Jungle" />
⚫
Weiss also brought in [[soprano]] [[Anita Darian]] to [[reprise]] Yma Sumac's version, before, during and after the [[soprano saxophone]] [[solo (music)|solo]].<ref name=pc18>{{cite web |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19768/m1/ |title=Show 18&nbsp;— ''Blowin' in the Wind: Pop discovers folk music''. [Part 1&#93; |work=[[Pop Chronicles]] |publisher=[[University of North Texas|UNT]] Digital Library |date=18 May 1969 |access-date=24 September 2010}}</ref> "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was issued by RCA in 1961, and it rocketed to number one on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. Weiss's Abilene Music Inc. was the publisher of this arrangement, and listed "Albert Stanton" (a [[pseudonym]] for Al Brackman, the business partner of [[Pete Seeger]]'s music publisher, [[Howie Richmond]]) as one of the song's writers or arrangers.{{fact|date=June 2023}}


⚫
In 2000, South African journalist [[Rian Malan]] wrote a feature article for ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' in which he recounted Linda's story and estimated that the song had earned $15 million for its use in the [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] 1994 movie ''[[The Lion King]]'' alone. The piece prompted filmmaker [[François Verster]] to create the [[Emmy Award|Emmy]]-winning documentary ''[[A Lion's Trail]]'', released in 2002, which tells Linda's story while incidentally exposing the workings of the multi-million dollar corporate music publishing industry.<ref>"National Television Academy Presents 27th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards" (press release), 25 September 2006.</ref> In 2003 a CGI animation French TV series, [[Pat & Stan]], features protagonists, a brown hippopotamus and a yellow dog, singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". It marked the two's debut appearance and was the pilot episode to [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s shorts and the sketch of the same name.
⚫
==Copyright issues==
⚫
Social historian Ronald D. Cohen writes, "Howie Richmond copyrighted many songs originally in the public domain but now slightly revised to satisfy Decca and also to reap profits."<ref>{{cite book |first=Ronald D. |last=Cohen |title=Rainbow Quest: the Folk Music Revival and American Society |url=https://archive.org/details/rainbowquestfolk00cohe |url-access=registration |location=Amherst |publisher=[[University of Massachusetts Press]] |year=2002 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rainbowquestfolk00cohe/page/71 71]}}</ref> Howie Richmond's claim of author's copyright could secure both the songwriter's royalties and his company's publishing share of the song's earnings.<ref name="In the Jungle" />


⚫
In July 2004, as a result of the publicity generated by Malan's article and the subsequent documentary, the song became the subject of a lawsuit between Linda's estate and Disney, claiming that the latter owed $1.6 million in royalties for the use of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in the film and [[The Lion King (musical)|musical stage]] productions of ''The Lion King''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.3rdearmusic.com/forum/forumaug04/mbube_mmouse.html |title=3rd Ear Music Forum - Mbube - Mickey Mouse Under House Arrest in SAfrica? |website=3rdearmusic.com |access-date=29 March 2014}}</ref> At the same time, the ''Richmond Organization'' began to pay $3,000 annually to the Linda's estate. In February 2006, the South African singer's descendants reached a legal settlement with ''Abilene Music Publishers'', who held the worldwide rights and had licensed the song to Disney, to place the earnings of the song in a trust.<ref>{{cite news |title=Penniless singer's family sue Disney for Lion King royalties |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1475434/Penniless-singers-family-sue-Disney-for-Lion-King-royalties.html |first=David |last=Blair |date=30 October 2004 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=1 July 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=It's a Lawsuit, a Mighty Lawsuit |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,995466,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515085439/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,995466,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 May 2007 |date=25 October 2004 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=14 February 2007}}</ref>
⚫
Although Linda was listed as a performer on the record itself, the Weavers thought they had recorded a [[Oral tradition|traditional]] Zulu song. Their managers, publisher, and their attorneys knew otherwise because they had been contacted by— and had reached an agreement with— Eric Gallo of Gallo Records in South Africa. The Americans maintained, however, that South African copyrights were not valid because South Africa was not a signatory to U.S. copyright law.<ref name="In the Jungle" /> In the 1950s, after Linda's authorship was made clear, Seeger sent Linda $1000. Seeger also said he instructed TRO/Folkways to henceforth pay his share of authors' earnings to Linda. The folksinger apparently trusted his publisher's word of honor and either saw no need, or was unable to make sure these instructions were carried out.<ref name="In the Jungle" />


⚫
In 2012, "Mbube" fell into the public domain, owing to the [[copyright law of South Africa]], while "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is still in copyright. The copyright issues were also treated in the 2019 movie ''[[ReMastered: The Lion's Share]]''.<ref>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9046576/ {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}</ref>
⚫
In 2000, South African journalist [[Rian Malan]] wrote a feature article for ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine in which he recounted Linda's story and estimated that the song had earned $15 million for its use in the [[Disney]] movie ''[[The Lion King]]'' alone. The piece prompted filmmaker [[François Verster]] to create the [[Emmy Award|Emmy]]-winning documentary ''[[A Lion's Trail]]'', that told Linda's story while incidentally exposing the workings of the multi-million dollar corporate music publishing industry.<ref>"National Television Academy Presents 27th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards" (press release), 25 September 2006.</ref>
In 2003 a CGI animation was released with [[Pat & Stan]] singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." It marked the two's debut appearance and was the pilot episode to [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s shorts and the TV series sketch of the same name.

⚫
In July 2004, as a result of the publicity generated by Malan's article and the subsequent documentary, the song became the subject of a lawsuit between Linda's estate and [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]], claiming that Disney owed $1.6 million in royalties for the use of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in the film and [[The Lion King (musical)|musical stage]] productions of ''[[The Lion King]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.3rdearmusic.com/forum/forumaug04/mbube_mmouse.html |title=3rd Ear Music Forum - Mbube - Mickey Mouse Under House Arrest in SAfrica? |website=3rdearmusic.com |access-date=29 March 2014}}</ref> At the same time, the Richmond Organization began to pay $3,000 annually into Linda's estate. In February 2006, Linda's descendants reached a legal settlement with Abilene Music Publishers, who held the worldwide rights and had licensed the song to Disney, to place the earnings of the song in a trust.<ref>{{cite news |title=Penniless singer's family sue Disney for Lion King royalties |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1475434/Penniless-singers-family-sue-Disney-for-Lion-King-royalties.html |first=David |last=Blair |date=30 October 2004 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=1 July 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=It's a Lawsuit, a Mighty Lawsuit |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,995466,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515085439/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,995466,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 May 2007 |date=25 October 2004 |website=Time.com |access-date=14 February 2007}}</ref>

⚫
The copyright issues were updated in the 2018 TV movie, "Remastered: The Lion's Share".<ref>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9046576/ {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}</ref>

In 2012, "Mbube" fell into the public domain, owing to the [[copyright law of South Africa]]. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", however, is still in copyright.


==Selected list of recorded versions==
==Selected list of recorded versions==
{{Multiple issues|section=yes|
{{Excessive examples|section|date=July 2017}}
{{More citations needed|section|date=May 2019}}
⚫
}}
{{Infobox song
{{Infobox song
| name = Mbube
| name = Mbube
Line 102: Line 89:
==="Mbube"===
==="Mbube"===
* 1939 [[Solomon Linda]] and the Evening Birds
* 1939 [[Solomon Linda]] and the Evening Birds
* 1939 Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds (take 2) featured in the first [[Cry, the Beloved Country (1951 film)|film adaptation]] of ''[[Cry, the Beloved Country]]''<ref>{{Citation|title=Solomon Linda, Evening Birds - Mbube (take 2, rare)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qng3wUZ_ZM0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/qng3wUZ_ZM0| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-09-01}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Earliest Wimoweh Mbube Lion Sleeps Tonight ? '51|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60uIgNea_OU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/60uIgNea_OU| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-09-01}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* 1939 Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds (take 2) featured in the first [[Cry, the Beloved Country (1951 film)|film adaptation]] of ''[[Cry, the Beloved Country]]''<ref>{{Citation|title=Solomon Linda, Evening Birds - Mbube (take 2, rare)| date=23 August 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qng3wUZ_ZM0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/qng3wUZ_ZM0| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-09-01}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Earliest Wimoweh Mbube Lion Sleeps Tonight ? '51| date=14 September 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60uIgNea_OU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/60uIgNea_OU| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-09-01}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* 1960 [[Miriam Makeba]], on ''[[Miriam Makeba (album)|Miriam Makeba]]''
* 1960 [[Miriam Makeba]], on the ''[[Miriam Makeba (album)|Miriam Makeba]]'' album
* 1988 [[Ladysmith Black Mambazo]], as "Mbube", during opening sequence of movie ''[[Coming to America#Production|Coming to America]]'' (but not on the soundtrack album)
* 1988 [[Ladysmith Black Mambazo]], during opening sequence of movie ''[[Coming to America#Production|Coming to America]]'', but not on the soundtrack album
* 1991 The Elite Swingsters Featuring Dolly Rathebe, as "Mbube" on ''Woza!''
* 1991 [[Dolly Rathebe]] & the Elite Swingsters, on the ''Woza!'' album
* 1994 Ladysmith Black Mambazo, as "Mbube (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)", on ''Gift of the Tortoise''
* 1994 Ladysmith Black Mambazo, as "Mbube (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)", on the ''Gift of the Tortoise'' album
* 1996 [[Soweto String Quartet]], as "Imbube" on ''Renaissance''
* 1996 [[Soweto String Quartet]], as "Imbube", on the ''Renaissance'' album
* 2005 [[Soweto Gospel Choir]], as "Imbube" on ''Blessed''
* 2005 [[Soweto Gospel Choir]], as "Imbube", on the ''Blessed'' album
* 2006 Ladysmith Black Mambazo, as "Mbube", on ''Long Walk to Freedom''
* 2006 Ladysmith Black Mambazo, on the ''Long Walk to Freedom'' album
* 2007 CH2 and [[Soweto String Quartet]], as "Imbube" on ''Pap & Paella''
* 2007 CH2 and Soweto String Quartet, as "Imbube", on the ''Pap & Paella'' album
* 2010 [[Angélique Kidjo]], as "Mbube" on ''Õÿö''
* 2010 [[Angélique Kidjo]], on the ''Õÿö'' album
* 2019 [[Lebo M]], on the soundtrack of the computer-animated remake of ''[[The Lion King (2019 film)|The Lion King]]''
* 2019 [[Lebo M]], on the soundtrack album of the animated remake of ''[[The Lion King (2019 film)|The Lion King]]'' film
* 2020 [[Mahotella Queens]], BokkieULT, Cuebur, as "Mbube 2020"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55333535|title=Seeking justice for Lion Sleeps Tonight composer|work=BBC News|date=29 December 2020}}</ref>
* 2020 [[Mahotella Queens]] featuring "Bokkie ULT" & "Cuebur", as "Mbube 2020"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55333535|title=Seeking justice for Lion Sleeps Tonight composer|work=BBC News|date=29 December 2020}}</ref>


==="Wimoweh"===
==="Wimoweh"===
* 1952: [[The Weavers]]: US No. 6
* 1952: [[The Weavers]], US No. 6
* 1952: [[Jimmy Dorsey]]
* 1952: [[Jimmy Dorsey]]
* 1952: [[Yma Sumac]]
* 1952: [[Yma Sumac]]
* 1957: [[The Weavers]], live.
* 1957: [[The Weavers]], live version
* 1957: [[The Georgetown Chimes]] on album ''Under the Tree with the Georgetown Chimes''
* 1957: [[The Georgetown Chimes]], on the ''Under the Tree with the Georgetown Chimes'' album
* 1959: [[Bill Hayes (actor)|Bill Hayes]] (on Kapp Records)
* 1959: [[Bill Hayes (actor)|Bill Hayes]] (on Kapp Records)
* 1959: [[The Kingston Trio]]
* 1959: [[The Kingston Trio]]
* 1961: [[Karl Denver]]: UK No. 4<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/9792/karl-denver/ |title=Karl Denver |work=The Official Charts Company }}</ref>
* 1961: [[Karl Denver]], UK No. 4<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/9792/karl-denver/ |title=Karl Denver |work=The Official Charts Company }}</ref>
* 1962: [[Bert Kaempfert]] on album [[A Swingin' Safari]], (on [[Polydor Records]]). Done mostly as an instrumental save for the "Wimoweh" chorus.
* 1962: [[Bert Kaempfert]], on the [[A Swingin' Safari (album)|A Swingin' Safari]] album, (on [[Polydor Records]]); made mostly as an instrumental save for the "Wimoweh" chorus.
* 1962: [[Hugh Masekela]] on ''[[Trumpet Africaine]]''
* 1962: [[Hugh Masekela]], on the ''[[Trumpet Africaine]]'' album
* 1964: [[Glen Campbell]] on ''[[The Astounding 12-String Guitar of Glen Campbell]]''
* 1964: [[Glen Campbell]], on ''[[The Astounding 12-String Guitar of Glen Campbell]]'' album
* 1964: [[Chet Atkins]]
* 1964: [[Chet Atkins]]
* 1971: [[Rumplestiltskin]] on ''Black Magician''
* 1971: [[Rumplestiltskin]], on the ''Black Magician'' album
* 1975: [[Bamses Venner]]
* 1975: [[Bamses Venner]]
* 1993: [[Nanci Griffith]] with [[Odetta]], on ''[[Other Voices, Other Rooms (Nanci Griffith album)|Other Voices, Other Rooms]]''
* 1993: [[Nanci Griffith]] featuring [[Odetta]], on the ''[[Other Voices, Other Rooms (Nanci Griffith album)|Other Voices, Other Rooms]]'' album
* 1994: [[Roger Whittaker]], on ''Roger Whittaker Live!''
* 1994: [[Roger Whittaker]], on the ''Roger Whittaker Live!'' album
* 1994: [[Manu Dibango]] and [[Ladysmith Black Mambazo]], on ''Waka Afrika''
* 1994: [[Manu Dibango]] featuring [[Ladysmith Black Mambazo]], on the ''Waka Afrika'' album
* 1998: [[Pete Seeger]] on ''For Kids And Just Plain Folks''
* 1998: [[Pete Seeger]], on the ''For Kids And Just Plain Folks'' album
* 1999: [[Desmond Dekker]] on ''Halfway To Paradise''
* 1999: [[Desmond Dekker]], on the ''Halfway To Paradise'' album


==="The Lion Sleeps Tonight"===
==="The Lion Sleeps Tonight"===
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| next_year = 1982
| next_year = 1982
}}
}}
* 1961: [[The Tokens]]: US No. 1, UK No. 11, [[CHUM Chart|Canada]] No. 1<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/61-12-11-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - December 11, 1961}}</ref>
* 1961: [[The Tokens]], US No. 1, UK No. 11, [[CHUM Chart|Canada]] No. 1<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/61-12-11-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - December 11, 1961}}</ref>
* 1962: [[Henri Salvador]] – in [[French language|French]] as "Le lion est mort ce soir" ("The Lion Died Tonight") FR No. 1
* 1962: [[Henri Salvador]], FR No. 1, as "Le lion est mort ce soir", a [[French language|French]] version whose title means "The Lion Died Tonight"
* 1965: [[The New Christy Minstrels]]
* 1965: [[The New Christy Minstrels]]
* 1965: The Shangaans, on "Jungle Drums"
* 1965: The Shangaans, on the ''Jungle Drums'' album
* 1966: The Townsmen, No. 70 Canada<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.8245.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - October 10, 1966}}</ref>
* 1966: The Townsmen, Canada No. 70<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.8245.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - October 10, 1966}}</ref>
* 1967: The Hounds
* 1967: The Hounds
* 1968: [[The Tremeloes]], on ''Silence Is Golden''
* 1968: [[The Tremeloes]], on the ''Silence Is Golden'' album
* 1971: [[Eric Donaldson]]
* 1971: [[Eric Donaldson]]
* 1972: [[Robert John]]: US No. 3, [[Music recording sales certification|gold record]] / Can No. 15<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.7602.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - March 11, 1972}}</ref>
* 1972: [[Robert John]], US No. 3, [[Music recording sales certification|gold record]] / Canada No. 15<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.7602.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - March 11, 1972}}</ref>
* 1972: [[David Newman (composer)|Dave Newman]]: UK No. 34
* 1972: [[David Newman (composer)|Dave Newman]], UK No. 34
* 1974: [[Ras Michael]] and the Sons of Negus, as "Rise Jah Jah Children (The Lion Sleeps)"
* 1974: [[Ras Michael]] and the Sons of Negus, as "Rise Jah Jah Children (The Lion Sleeps)"
* 1975: [[Brian Eno]], on single, later on ''Working Backwards: 1983-1973'' and ''Eno Box II: Vocal''
* 1975: [[Brian Eno]], on the ''Working Backwards: 1983-1973'' and ''Eno Box II: Vocal'' albums
* 1976: [[Dove (band)|Dove]]<ref name="McFarlane">{{cite book | last1 = McFarlane | first1 = Ian | authorlink1 = Ian McFarlane | title = [[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]] | chapter = Encyclopedia entry for 'Dove' | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040803181404/http://www.whammo.com.au:80/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=291 | chapter-url = http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=291 | year = 1999 | publisher = [[Allen & Unwin]] | location = [[St Leonards, New South Wales|St Leonards, NSW]] | archive-date = 3 August 2004 | isbn = 1-86508-072-1 }}</ref>
* 1976: [[Dove (band)|Dove]]<ref name="McFarlane">{{cite book | last1 = McFarlane | first1 = Ian | authorlink1 = Ian McFarlane | title = [[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]] | chapter = Encyclopedia entry for 'Dove' | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040803181404/http://www.whammo.com.au:80/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=291 | chapter-url = http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=291 | year = 1999 | publisher = [[Allen & Unwin]] | location = [[St Leonards, New South Wales|St Leonards, NSW]] | archive-date = 3 August 2004 | isbn = 1-86508-072-1 }}</ref>
* 1979: [[The Stylistics]]
* 1979: [[The Stylistics]]
* 1980: [[Passengers (Italian band)|Passengers]]
* 1980: [[Passengers (Italian band)|Passengers]]
* 1982: [[Tight Fit]]: UK No. 1,<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
* 1982: [[Tight Fit]], UK No. 1, on the ''[[Tight Fit (album)|Tight Fit]]'' album:<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
| first= David
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| last= Roberts
Line 230: Line 217:
| location= London
| location= London
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| page= 406}}</ref> This version has sold over a million copies in the UK.<ref name="guardian nov2012">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/04/uk-million-selling-singles-full-list |title=UK's million-selling singles: the full list |first= Ami |last=Sedghi |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 November 2012 |access-date=4 November 2012 }}</ref>
| page= 406}}</ref> the record sold over a million copies in the UK<ref name="guardian nov2012">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/04/uk-million-selling-singles-full-list |title=UK's million-selling singles: the full list |first= Ami |last=Sedghi |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 November 2012 |access-date=4 November 2012 }}</ref>
* 1982: [[The Nylons]] No. 91 Canada<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0655.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - April 5, 1986}}</ref>
* 1982: [[The Nylons]], Canada No. 91<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0655.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - April 5, 1986}}</ref>
* 1982: [[Maria Conchita Alonso]]
* 1982: [[Maria Conchita Alonso]]
* 1990: [[Ladysmith Black Mambazo]] with [[The Mint Juleps]], on [[Spike Lee & Company: Do It a Cappella]] PBS documentary and album
* 1990: [[Ladysmith Black Mambazo]] featuring [[The Mint Juleps]], on the [[Spike Lee & Company: Do It a Cappella]] PBS documentary and album
* 1991: Hotline & P.J. Powers, on ''The Best Of''
* 1991: P.J. Powers featuring Hotline, on ''The Best Of'' compilation album
* 1991: [[Big Daddy (band)|Big Daddy]], mashed up with "[[Welcome to the Jungle]]"
* 1991: [[Big Daddy (band)|Big Daddy]], mashed up with "[[Welcome to the Jungle]]"
* 1992: Talisman, on ''A Capella''
* 1992: Talisman, on the ''A Capella'' album
* 1992: [[They Might Be Giants]] with [[Laura Cantrell]], interpolated into "[[The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)]]"
* 1992: [[They Might Be Giants]] featuring [[Laura Cantrell]], interpolated into "[[The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)]]"
* 1993: [[Pow woW]]: FR No. 1, cover of Salvador's version.
* 1993: [[Pow woW]], FR No. 1, cover of Salvador's version
* 1993: [[R.E.M.]]: B-side of "[[The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite]]" and on ''[[The Automatic Box]]'' (Disc 3).
* 1993: [[R.E.M.]], B-side of "[[The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite]]" and on ''[[The Automatic Box]]'' (Disc 3) album
* 1993: [[The Nylons]]
* 1993: The Nylons, re-issue on ''The Best Of'' compilation album
* 1993: [[Streetnix]], on the ''Listen'' album
* 1994: [[Dennis Marcellino]]
* 1994: [[Dennis Marcellino]]
* 1994: [[Tonic Sol-Fa]]
* 1994: [[Tonic Sol-Fa]]
* 1995: [[Lebo M]] for ''[[Rhythm of the Pride Lands]]'', an album with songs inspired by the music of ''[[The Lion King]]''
* 1995: [[Lebo M]], in the ''[[Rhythm of the Pride Lands]]'' album, an LP with songs inspired by the music of ''[[The Lion King]]'' film
* 1997: [[Barbados (band)|Barbados]]
* 1997: [[Barbados (band)|Barbados]]
* 1997: [['N Sync]]: B-side of "[[For the Girl Who Has Everything (song)|For the Girl Who Has Everything]]"
* 1997: [['N Sync]], B-side of "[[For the Girl Who Has Everything (song)|For the Girl Who Has Everything]]"
* 1998: [[The Undertones]], on ''8 Degrees and Rising''
* 1998: Undertones (not [[The Undertones]]), on the ''8 Degrees and Rising'' album
⚫
* 2001: [[Baha Men]] featuring [[Imani Coppola]], sampled the chorus in the song "[[You All Dat]]" on the ''[[Who Let the Dogs Out (album)|Who Let the Dogs Out]]'' album
* 1990s: [[Streetnix]]
⚫
* 2001: [[Baha Men]] featuring [[Imani Coppola]], sampled the chorus in the song "[[You All Dat]]" on ''[[Who Let the Dogs Out (album)|Who Let the Dogs Out]]''
* 2001: [[Rockapella]]
* 2001: [[Rockapella]]
* 2002: [[Mango Groove]], on ''Eat a Mango''
* 2002: [[Mango Groove]], on the ''Eat a Mango'' album
* 2004: [[Daniel Küblböck]]
* 2004: [[Daniel Küblböck]]
* 2005: [[The Mavericks]]
* 2005: [[The Mavericks]]
*2006: [[VeggieTales]] characters, on ''Bob and Larry Sing the 70s''
* 2006: ''[[VeggieTales]]'' characters, on the ''Bob and Larry Sing the 70s'' album
* 2009: [[Melo-M]], on ''Around the World''
* 2009: [[Melo-M]], on the ''Around the World'' album
* 2010: Cool Down Cafe featuring [[Gerard Joling]], on ''Goud''
* 2010: [[Gerard Joling]] featuring Cool Down Café, on the ''Goud'' album
* 2014: [[Billy Joel]] and [[Jimmy Fallon]], on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]]''<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2021-05-15|date=21 March 2014|title=Jimmy Fallon and Billy Joel Sing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"|url=https://time.com/33613/icymi-billy-joel-and-jimmy-fallon-sing-the-lion-sleeps-tonight/|website=Time Magazine}}</ref>
* 2014: [[Billy Joel]] and [[Jimmy Fallon]], on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]]'' album<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2021-05-15|date=21 March 2014|title=Jimmy Fallon and Billy Joel Sing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"|url=https://time.com/33613/icymi-billy-joel-and-jimmy-fallon-sing-the-lion-sleeps-tonight/|website=Time Magazine}}</ref>
* 2015: [[Justin Fletcher]] as Gail Force on ''[[Gigglebiz]]''
* 2015: [[Justin Fletcher]], as Gail Force character on ''[[Gigglebiz]]'' children tv show
* 2016: [[Tight Fit]] new production Rainforest Radio Edit on ''Together'' ([[Almighty Records|Almighty]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almightyrecords.com/product/ALMYCD102/|title=Tight Fit — Together — Almighty Records|website=Almightyrecords.com|access-date=21 March 2018}}</ref>
* 2016: Tight Fit, "Rainforest Radio Edit" re-issue on the ''Together'' album (on [[Almighty Records]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almightyrecords.com/product/ALMYCD102/|title=Tight Fit — Together — Almighty Records|website=Almightyrecords.com|access-date=21 March 2018}}</ref>
* 2019: [[Billy Eichner]] and [[Seth Rogen]], on ''[[The Lion King (2019 film)|The Lion King]]'' film and soundtrack
* 2019: [[Billy Eichner]] and [[Seth Rogen]], on ''[[The Lion King (2019 film)|The Lion King]]'' remake film and soundtrack album
* 2019: [[Wiese (music producer)]]
* 2019: [[Wiese (music producer)|Wiese]]
* 2024: [[Voiceplay]] ft. J. None (acapella), available on Youtube<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-01-25|title=Voiceplay ft. J. None sing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZh3D1ndNKY|website=Youtube}}</ref> with a very creative setting and animal animations
* 2024: Voiceplay featuring J. None, [[A cappella]] version<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-01-25|title=Voiceplay ft. J. None sing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZh3D1ndNKY|website=Youtube|date=19 January 2024 }}</ref> with a very creative setting and animal digital representation
* 2024: The Fun Foundation released a version called "Nature's Symphony" on their debut album "Key Concepts, Pt.1"<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-07-11|title=The Fun Foundation - Nature's Symphony"|url=https://open.spotify.com/intl-es/track/2RqCBKwQgX1xh0tvym6ENq?si=c2a53a9102ab4e2b|website=Spotify}}</ref>


== Charted singles ==
== Charted singles ==
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{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
!Chart (1961–62)
!Chart (1961–1962)
!Peak<br />position
!Peak<br />position
|-
|-
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|}
|}
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}

=== Certifications ===
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by The Tokens}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Gold|type=single|artist=The Tokens|title=The Lion Sleeps|relyear=1961|certyear=1962}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}


=== Robert John ===
=== Robert John ===
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{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
!Chart (1971–72)
!Chart (1971–1972)
!Peak<br />position
!Peak<br />position
|-
|-
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|}
|}
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}

=== Certifications ===
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by Robert John}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Gold|type=single|artist=Robert John|title=The Lion Sleeps Tonight|relyear=1972|certyear=1972}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}


=== Tight Fit ===
=== Tight Fit ===
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|}
|}
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}

=== Certifications ===
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by Tight Fit}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|award=Gold|type=single|id=7091-1121-1|artist=Tight Fit|title=The Lion Sleeps Tonight|relyear=1982|certyear=1982}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}


=== R.E.M. ===
=== R.E.M. ===
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{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}
{{stack end}}
{{stack end}}

==See also==
*[[Township music]]


==References==
==References==
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* [https://afropop.org/audio-programs/the-money-show "The Money Show"] 6 May 2021 episode of ''[[Afropop Worldwide]]'', which includes a history of "Mbube"/"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
* [https://afropop.org/audio-programs/the-money-show "The Money Show"] 6 May 2021 episode of ''[[Afropop Worldwide]]'', which includes a history of "Mbube"/"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e8EIiOwHZQ Video comparing "Mbube" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" on VYIMBVBE's YouTube tribute channel]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e8EIiOwHZQ Video comparing "Mbube" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" on VYIMBVBE's YouTube tribute channel]
*[https://performingsongwriter.com/lion-sleeps-tonight/ The Story of Solomon Linda and the Lion Sleeps Tonight]
*


{{Miriam Makeba}}
{{Miriam Makeba}}
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[[Category:European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles]]
[[Category:European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles]]
[[Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles]]
[[Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles]]
[[Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:UK singles chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Robert John songs]]
[[Category:Robert John songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Hugo & Luigi]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Hugo & Luigi]]
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[[Category:The Tokens songs]]
[[Category:The Tokens songs]]
[[Category:Internet memes introduced in 2019]]
[[Category:Internet memes introduced in 2019]]
[[Category:Lions in popular culture]]
[[Category:Songs about lions]]
[[Category:Yodeling songs]]

Revision as of 03:12, 17 December 2024

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
Single by the Tokens
from the album The Lion Sleeps Tonight
A-side"Tina"
Released1961
Recorded1961
Genre
Length2:41
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)
Audio
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) (Audio) on YouTube

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song originally written and first recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda[2] under the title "Mbube",[3] through South African Gallo Record Company. In 1961, a version adapted into English by the doo-wop group the Tokens became a number-one hit in the United States. It earned millions in royalties from cover versions and film licensing. Lyrics of Linda's original version were written in Zulu, while those from the Tokens' adaptation were written by George David Weiss.

The song has been adapted and covered internationally by many pop and folk artists. It was first recorded in the United States by the Weavers in November 1951, and published under the title "Wimoweh" by a branch of Folkways Records in December of the same year.[4] The pop group Tight Fit made a cover of the song in 1982, reaching number one hit in the UK. Other artists who have recorded various versions of the song include R.E.M., NSYNC, Henri Salvador, Karl Denver, Jimmy Dorsey, Yma Sumac, Noro Morales, Roy Zimmerman, Miriam Makeba, and The Kingston Trio.[5] The song is in the key of F major.

History

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (The Tokens)
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The original song title was "Mbube" (the Zulu word for "lion") and was written and first recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda,[6] a South African Zulu singer, who worked for the Gallo Record Company in Johannesburg as a cleaner and record packer. He spent his weekends performing with his musical ensemble, "The Evening Birds", and it was at this record label, under the direction of producer "Griffiths Motsieloa", that Linda and his fellow musicians recorded several songs, including "Mbube", which incorporated a call and response pattern common among many Sub-Saharan African ethnic groups, including the Zulu.

According to journalist Rian Malan: "'Mbube' wasn't the most remarkable tune, but there was something terribly compelling about the underlying chant, a dense meshing of low male voices above which Solomon yodeled and howled for two exhilarating minutes, occasionally making it up as he went along. The third take was the great one, but it achieved immortality only in its dying seconds, when Solly took a deep breath, opened his mouth and improvised the melody..."

Issued as a 78-rpm phonograph record[7] and marketed to black audiences, "Mbube" became a hit and Linda a star throughout South Africa. By 1948, the song had sold over 100,000 copies in Africa and among black South African immigrants in Great Britain. Linda's song also gave the name to a style of African a cappella music that evolved into Isicathamiya (also called Mbube music), popularized by the group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.[8]

In 1949 Alan Lomax, then working as folk music director for Decca Records, brought Solomon Linda's 78-rpm recording to the attention of his friend Pete Seeger, leader of the folk group The Weavers. In November 1951, after having performed the song for at least a year in their concerts, The Weavers recorded an adapted version with brass, string orchestra and chorus and released it as a 78-rpm single titled "Wimoweh", a mishearing of the original song's chorus of "Uyimbube" ("You are a lion" in Zulu). Their version contained the chanting chorus "Wimoweh" and Linda's improvised line. The Weavers credited the song as "Oral tradition", with arrangement by "Paul Campbell", later found to be a pseudonym used by The Weavers in order to claim royalties.[9] It reached Billboard's top ten and became a staple of The Weavers' live repertoire, achieving further exposure on their best-selling The Weavers at Carnegie Hall LP album, recorded in 1955 and released in 1957.

Exotica singer Yma Sumac covered the song, for which Juilliard School-trained songwriter George David Weiss brought in soprano Anita Darian to let her perform before, during and after the soprano saxophone solo in such version, issued in 1952 on Capitol Records.[10] The song was recorded extensively by other folk revival groups such as the Kingston Trio, who released it in 1958.

Miriam Makeba also covered the song in 1960, with the original title "Mbube" and giving writing credits to "J. Linda".[9] In 1961, two RCA Records producers, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, hired Weiss to arrange a Doo-wop and Rhythm and blues cover of "Wimoweh" for the B-side of a 45-rpm single called "Tina", sung by group The Tokens. Weiss wrote the English lines "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, The lion sleeps tonight..." and "Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling...".[11] "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was issued by RCA in that year, and it rocketed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Weiss' "Abilene Music, Inc." was the publisher of this arrangement, and listed "Albert Stanton" (a pseudonym for "Al Brackman", the business partner of Pete Seeger's music publisher, Howie Richmond) as one of the song's writers or arrangers.[12]

Social historian Ronald D. Cohen writes: "Howie Richmond copyrighted many songs originally in the public domain but now slightly revised to satisfy Decca and also to reap profits".[13] Howie Richmond's claim of author's copyright could secure both the songwriter's royalties and his company's publishing share of the song earnings.[2]

Although Solomon Linda was listed as a performer on the record itself, the Weavers thought they had recorded a traditional Zulu song. Their managers, the publisher, and their attorneys knew otherwise because they had been contacted by — and had reached an agreement with — Eric Gallo of Gallo Record Company in South Africa. The Americans maintained, however, that South African copyrights were not valid because South Africa was not a signatory to U.S. copyright law.[2] In the 1950s, after Linda's authorship was made clear, Pete Seeger sent $1000 to the South African artist. The folk singer also said he instructed TRO/Folkways to henceforth pay his share of authors' earnings to Linda. Seeger apparently trusted his publisher's word of honor and either saw no need, or was unable, to make sure these instructions to be carried out.[2]

In 2000, South African journalist Rian Malan wrote a feature article for Rolling Stone in which he recounted Linda's story and estimated that the song had earned $15 million for its use in the Disney 1994 movie The Lion King alone. The piece prompted filmmaker François Verster to create the Emmy-winning documentary A Lion's Trail, released in 2002, which tells Linda's story while incidentally exposing the workings of the multi-million dollar corporate music publishing industry.[14] In 2003 a CGI animation French TV series, Pat & Stan, features protagonists, a brown hippopotamus and a yellow dog, singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". It marked the two's debut appearance and was the pilot episode to ITV's shorts and the sketch of the same name.

In July 2004, as a result of the publicity generated by Malan's article and the subsequent documentary, the song became the subject of a lawsuit between Linda's estate and Disney, claiming that the latter owed $1.6 million in royalties for the use of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in the film and musical stage productions of The Lion King.[15] At the same time, the Richmond Organization began to pay $3,000 annually to the Linda's estate. In February 2006, the South African singer's descendants reached a legal settlement with Abilene Music Publishers, who held the worldwide rights and had licensed the song to Disney, to place the earnings of the song in a trust.[16][17]

In 2012, "Mbube" fell into the public domain, owing to the copyright law of South Africa, while "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is still in copyright. The copyright issues were also treated in the 2019 movie ReMastered: The Lion's Share.[18]

Selected list of recorded versions

"Mbube"
Single by Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds
B-side"Ngi Hambiki"
Released1939
Recordedc. 1939
StudioGallo Recording Studios
Genre
Length2:44
LabelGallo Record Company
Songwriter(s)
Audio
Mbube (Audio) on YouTube

The song has been recorded by numerous artists, and is a standard that has become a part of popular culture.

"Mbube"

"Wimoweh"

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
Single by Robert John
from the album Robert John
B-side"Janet"
ReleasedDecember 1971
Genre
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Hank Medress and Dave Appell
Robert John singles chronology
"When the Party Is Over"
(1970) 		"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
(1971) 		"Hushabye"
(1972)
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
Single by Tight Fit
from the album Tight Fit
B-side"Rhythm, Movement And Throbbing"
ReleasedJanuary 1982
Recorded1981
GenrePop
Length3:18
LabelJive
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Tim Friese-Greene[24]
Tight Fit singles chronology
"Back to the Sixties Part II"
(1981) 		"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
(1982) 		"Fantasy Island"
(1982)

Charted singles

The Tokens

Certifications

Certifications for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by The Tokens
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[44] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Robert John

Certifications

Certifications for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by Robert John
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[55] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Tight Fit

Certifications

Certifications for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by Tight Fit
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[74] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

R.E.M.

See also

References

  1. ^ Stanley, Bob (2022). "Revival: Trad Jazz and Folk". Let's Do It - The Birth of Pop Music: A History. New York: Pegasus Books. p. 477.
  2. ^ a b c d Malan, Rian (2000). "In the Jungle". Longform.org. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Seeking justice for Lion Sleeps Tonight composer". BBC News. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  4. ^ Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1952). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1952 Published Music Jan-Dec 3D Ser Vol 6 Pt 5A. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
  5. ^ William and Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center (17 May 1952). Cash Box. Cash Box Pub. Co.
  6. ^ Frith, Simon, Popular Music: critical concepts in media and cultural studies, Volume 4, London: Routledge, 2004. ISBN 978-0-415-33270-5. p. 271
  7. ^ Cad, Saint (31 July 2012). "Top 10 Famous Songs With Unknown Originals". listverse.com. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  8. ^ Frith, Simon (2004). Popular music: critical concepts in media and cultural studies, Volume 4. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-33270-5.
  9. ^ a b David Hutcheon, "The Story Behind the Song: The Lion Sleeps Tonight", Mojo '60s, #9, 2017, pp. 18-19
  10. ^ "Show 18 — Blowin' in the Wind: Pop discovers folk music. [Part 1]". Pop Chronicles. UNT Digital Library. 18 May 1969. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
  11. ^ Laing, Dave (24 August 2010), "George David Weiss obituary", The Guardian, ISSN 0261-3077, retrieved 21 May 2024
  12. ^ Malan, Rian (1 February 2013), The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Grove Press UK, p. 74, ISBN 978-1-61185-994-2
  13. ^ Cohen, Ronald D. (2002). Rainbow Quest: the Folk Music Revival and American Society. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press. p. 71.
  14. ^ "National Television Academy Presents 27th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards" (press release), 25 September 2006.
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  16. ^ Blair, David (30 October 2004). "Penniless singer's family sue Disney for Lion King royalties". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  17. ^ "It's a Lawsuit, a Mighty Lawsuit". Time. 25 October 2004. Archived from the original on 15 May 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2007.
  18. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9046576/ [user-generated source]
  19. ^ Solomon Linda, Evening Birds - Mbube (take 2, rare), 23 August 2021, archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved 1 September 2021
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