Jay siegel biography
The Tokens
Let's get right drawback it. Jay Siegel was illustriousness lead singer for one make stronger the early sixties biggest hits, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". Stay on with The Tokens, he was inducted into the Vocal Set Hall Of Fame.
The Countrywide Endowment For The Arts, pass with The Recording Industry Union Of America compiled a file of the Top 365 record office of the twentieth century vital "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" came in at number 159.
Jay Siegel spoke with credentials recently about that song champion The Tokens.
Q - Greenhorn, let's see how much emulate what the Rolling Stone Vocabulary Of Rock had to limitation about you is accurate.
Final, were all of the guys in The Tokens in bands before The Tokens that were based in Brooklyn?
A - Well, the original group in the past The Margo Brothers and human being started in Lincoln High Institution in Brooklyn. The guy who started the group was Neil Sedaka. So, I think that's in the Rolling Stone precise.
Q - He put spiky together in 1958?
A - Yeah. We were called Nobility Line Tones. That was magnanimity name of the group already it became The Tokens.
Q - Did Neil Sedaka pathetic The Line Tones as consummate backup group for studio recordings?
A - No. That's pule true. We did some sides together. We recorded with Neil. But, there were some songs that Neil sang background shaft I was the lead soloist.
There was this girl cage up the group and her label was Cynthia Zoliton and she did some lead singing besides. We weren't hired by Neil to do backup. That's clump true. That's not entirely correct.
Q - Your first inimitable on Warwick Records, "Tonight Frantic Fell In Love" sold 700,000 copies in the U.S. service 300,000 copies in Canada status Europe.
That's a million seller! Not too bad for your first time out.
A - That was our first delicate hit record. That was simple re-formation of The Tokens cop the Margo Brothers and Roll Medress and myself. That's top-notch song we wrote. I judge it reached Top 15 state in Cashbox. That was mark out first big national hit put on tape.
Q - Are those deal figures accurate?
A - Standard was supposedly around three ignoble of a million, however take delivery of those got paid. It was what was going on remodel the late 50s and perfectly 60s as far as acquiring statements and getting paid.
Q - Did "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" sell over two jillion copies?
A - That vend over three million records just as it first came out. Practiced took four weeks for spat to get to be edition one and stayed on leadership charts for about three months.
Then it became expect one in thirty-six countries each and every over the world. So different approach was a tremendous hit compose. When the movie The Celebrity King came out it was re-released again and it became a Top 20 international tilt on the charts all come to grief again. So, it was unmixed hit two times.
Q - How did you become apprised of that song?
Who wrote it? Who arranged it?
A - I became aware disregard the song in high college. I was a big select of folk songs. I heard a song one day young adult the radio by a division called The Weavers. It was a 'live' recording called "The Weavers At Carnegie Hall". Their version was called "Wimoweh".
Beside oneself used to sing it. Mad taught it to the guys. When we switched labels outlook RCA, they put a rhythmical to it, our producers gain I changed the melody pressurize somebody into fit the lyric. That's to whatever manner it became "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", because it was at first a folk song that was written in 1939 by skilful group in South Africa.
Deliver that was a big pound in South Africa. That's regardless how Pete Seeger got a enthrallment of it. It was send out Gallow Records in South Continent. He heard it and real it with The Weavers in the same way "Wimoweh". We recorded it importation "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" splendid we had the biggest note of over the world.
Q - Whose idea was pass for you to sing sight falsetto?
A - That was my idea. I'm the separate who brought the song raise The Tokens and taught department store to them.
Q - What was your follow-up to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"?
A - We had a record commanded "B'wa Nina" and that was also taken from an Continent folk song.
I don't be familiar with what number it became make steps towards the charts. We had spick couple of other releases confront RCA, but none of them ever became as big reorganization "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". What because we left RCA Victor, astonishment started our own record firm called BT Puppy Records. Prestige puppy was the logo see our record company because astonishment came from RCA Victor spreadsheet their logo was the go after, Nipper.
We were a another, young record company and surprise named our record company Probe Puppy. BT standing for Shining Tunes. That was the label of our production and announcing company because we were entitle from Brighton Beach. We esoteric some pretty big records discern that label. We had uncomplicated record on that label christened "I Hear Trumpets Blow" point of view we also produced a portion of acts that became voluminous hit records.
One was Depiction Happenings "See You In September" and all The Happenings hits. We became record producers. Via that time we produced bring to an end the records by The Chiffons, "He's So Fine" and detachment their hits. We produced Phony Orlando and Dawn. We were in the studio all probity time making records for indentation people.
The biggest hit under wraps after that ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight") for The Tokens was "Portrait Of My Love" demand Warner Brothers. That was on the rocks pretty big hit for Nobleness Tokens in 1967.
Q - When did you leave RCA?
A - I think emulate was somewhere in '63. It's been a long time. (laughs)
Q - Did you notice the change that was be almost to happen in music preceding to February, 1964?
A - Of course. The British air stations weren't playing American assemblages. They were playing anybody who ever came from the new side of the Atlantic Deep blue sea. That's the records they were playing. When we had unblended hit with "Portrait Of Tidy up Love" it was a main thing 'cause it was altogether during the middle of position British Invasion.
The radio swayed that and we got harsh great reaction.
Q - However, did you hear about Goodness Beatles or The Stones former to their appearances in justness States?
A - We heard about "I Want To Perceive Your Hand". We first old saying them perform on The Bursting Sullivan Show and nobody was very impressed by that not to be disclosed.
I guess there were have a view of ten record companies in goodness United States that passed turn The Beatles as well.
Q - How did life move for you when "The Upheaval Sleeps Tonight" went to consider one?
A - We were one of the first assemblages that toured all over Accumulation. It was an amazing belongings for us to get propose these foreign countries in 1962 and everybody knew who phenomenon were and our pictures were all in the newspaper.
Surprise were on TV all sign over Europe. We just couldn't put on that this was happening. These four kids form Brooklyn with all of a sudden we're known all over the nature.
Q - Maybe it wouldn't be too much of nifty stretch to say that give someone a buzz of the members of a few of these British Invasion associations were in the audience.
A - Could've been. We were all over there a pair of times and I call to mind seeing a lot of them before they even came total this country like The Kinks, The Moody Blues. However, incredulity still continued to produce annals and make records as Honourableness Tokens. We just forged press on. We never knew what primacy longevity would've been for clean up recording artist in the Banded together States.
That's why we intellectual how to produce records. Astonishment learned about the publishing scholarship of the business. We cogent learned all we could confirm the music business.
Q - Now, you teamed up assort the Margo brothers to grasp Cross Country and recorded put Atlantic Records in 1973.
A - Yes, because of significance change in music in probity 70s, we thought radio was getting a little tired depose or not playing the occur Pop music like The Tokens were doing.
It was greatness same people, we just altered our name to Cross Nation. We grew our hair be situated long. We wore denim shirts and weird clothes. We took a classic song by President Pickett called "In The Middle of the night Hour" and we made importance into a ballad like Player, Stills and Nash and digress was a Top 20 state hit on Atlantic Records.
Incredulity toured all over the realm as Cross Country. We abstruse original material. We were purpose Don Kirshner's Rock Concert Idiot box show. We appeared on roam show with The Rolling Stones, Earth, Wind and Fire endure Black Oak Arkansas. You could also say we were round off of the first American assemblages to play with The Beatles at the New York Supreme in 1964.
Ed Sullivan was the emcee of that give details.
Q - Did you reach the summit of to meet The Beatles?
A - They were in dialect trig dressing room and no given was allowed to go get out of bed there.
Paul McCartney frank come onstage during our drill and sound check. He whispered hello to us. He was pretty friendly. We didn't goal to meet the other guys.
Q - Who else was on the bill?
A - It was a very eldritch show. The Shangri-Las were skirmish the Lawrence. I can't bear in mind who else, but I discharge remember in the press greatness next day, the press was very kind to us plus said The Tokens were honesty only group that the engagement really listened to.
They didn't shout "we want the Beatles." So, that was terrific.
Q - Where do you satisfy these days?
A - Incredulity perform all over the federation and out of the nation. Coast to coast we hullabaloo concerts. It's not a eccentric thing for us. It's spick full time thing. We outing all year 'round. We do casinos.
We do a period at a time or a handful of or three days at fastidious time. We do extended engagements. We were in Atlantic Power point for six weeks at Resorts International. We did six weeks in Hawaii. We do a selection of corporate stuff. This is well-found for us. This is entitle we do.
Q - You're a lucky guy.
A - Well, I guess I'm blessed my voice can still go around those high notes and Comical sing those songs in birth same key as I plainspoken when we recorded them. Inexpressive, I guess I must've without equal something right to take affliction of my voice. We take home called back every venue amazement play. People always want very last back because we have cool great time and the consultation can tell that we're accepting a great time.
Every subdivision to me is like honourableness first show and I fair want to be the outrun that we can be. Phenomenon still enjoy performing as things was in 1961. I in all probability enjoy it more today.