![]() ![]() In 1994, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was included in the movie The Lion King, which resulted in $15 million more in sales. The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens 1961 Meanwhile, the success of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" kicked off a dramatic battle between various rights holders of the original tune -none of whom had creative input, but as the various rights to the song had been sold and resold, everyone wanted a piece of the action. However, Seeger simply sent checks as he received the money, and after the funds were filtered through a charitable trust and a South African lawyer who did not keep records, the Linda family only received small pittances every so often. When Seeger learned of Solomon Linda, he arranged for his songwriting royalties to go to Linda's family. ![]() His wife and six children could not afford a headstone for his grave for many years afterward. ![]() Meanwhile, Solomon Linda died in South Africa in poverty in 1962. The Tokens recorded the song as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in 1961, which became the biggest hit version of the song so far (there have been many other cover versions). Seeger thought the original tune was a folk song, with no original author. Pete Seeger got a scratchy copy of the tune in 1949 and rewrote it as "Wimoweh," a song recorded by his band The Weavers in 1952 and in 1955. "Wimoweh" by The Weavers and the Gordon Jenkins Orchestra 1952 Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds played music locally for years and received some acclaim for the song's later worldwide success -but no money. His singing group, the Evening Birds, recorded a song he made up on the spot called "Mbube." As was the custom at the time, he sold the song to the recording studio for about ten shillings. In 1939, Solomon Linda was a young Zulu herdsman and singer who had moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, to make his fortune. "Mbube" by Solomon Linda And The Evening Birds 1939 ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |