![]() ![]() Baltimore was chosen for the last stop of the tour because it was in that city where Francis Scott Key composed “The Star Spangled Banner” while witnessing the British attack on Fort McHenry.Ĭ/oPhil Margo140 South Almont Drive Beverly Hills, California 90211-2505 Phone/Fax (310) / The Tokens received recognition from the Guinness Book of World Records. That date was also the 2,632nd and final day of Cal Ripkin’s remarkable consecutive game streak. Leading off thirty major league games through the summer with their harmonic, a-capella renditions of “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Oh Canada,” The Tokens concluded their record- setting stadium tour on September 19th at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore when the Orioles played the New York Yankees. This motivated the classic vocal group to embark on their now historic “ANTHEM “98″ TOUR.” It began at Chicago’s venerable Wrigley Field on Apwhere the Chicago Cubs hosted the Montreal Expos. Baseball coverage rarely televises the anthem in favor of going to a commercial. In 1998 The Tokens came to the conclusion that although the national anthem opens every game in US professional sports, they believed it was being over- looked and disregarded these days both in exposure and in meaning. They were also the first group to play their own instrument tracks for recording sessions. True rock pioneers, they were among the first to successfully use the falsetto lead voice, a sound that would later influence groups from the Four Seasons and the Beach Boys to Led Zeppelin and Rush. THE TOKENS’ other hits include “Tonight I fell In Love,” “I Hear Trumpets Blow,” and “Portrait Of My Love.” They have also produced many number one recordings for groups such as THE CHIFFONS (He’s So Fine & One Fine Day), THE HAPPENINGS (See You In September & I Got Rhythm) and TONY ORLANDO AND DAWN (Knock Three Times & Tie A Yellow Ribbon). In a survey conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Record Industry Association of America The Tokens’ classic recording of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” placed 159th in the top 365 records of ALL TIME. To date it has sold 15 million copies throughout the world. The song (originally a Zulu folk song called “Mbube” Anglicized to “Wimoweh”) soared up the charts to become the number one hit in the nation. Margo is survived by his wife, three children and eight grandchildren.In 1961 THE TOKENS, four boys from Brooklyn, recorded “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” on the RCA label. Later in their career, The Tokens split into two separate groups, one led by Siegel and another by the two Margo brothers. In 1994 it was also famously covered in The Lion King. In 2006, Linda’s family won a lawsuit against the publishers of the song for not properly being compensated for the track’s success. The track’s big break came in 1982 when a cover by Tight Fit went to Number One in the UK singles chart for three weeks. It was then brought to the Western world by Pete Seeger in 1952, before a decade later The Tokens turned it into a pop song. The band’s most famous song came with ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’, a song originally written and recorded in 1939 by Zulu singer Solomon Linda. ![]() Margo was born in Brooklyn in 1942 and formed The Tokens in the late 1950s with his younger brother Mitch Margo, Jay Siegel and Hank Medress. Posted by The Tokens on Sunday, November 14, 2021Īdding that Margo passed away while “surrounded by his beloved family,” The Tokens said: “He loved the space program, Hallmark movies and salt-water taffy but he loved family most of all.” ![]() The Lion Sleeps…With a final roar we announce the passing of our incredible lion, Philip Margo. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |