The Lion Sleeps Tonight
The Lion Sleeps Tonight is the title of one of several artists to million-seller brought the song that composed by South African Solomon Linda in 1939 and Linda 's Original Evening Birds Mbube was sung as in the same year of Solomon. In various cover versions (including Wimoweh ) it changed hands several times songs.
Genesis
The idea for the song came on the African Solomon Linda in pursuit of lions who had attacked cattle herds. His singing group Evening Birds in 1938 was discovered by a talent scout and put through to the studio of Eric Gallo to Johannesburg. In August 1939, he took over as Solomon Linda 's Original Evening Birds two pieces with them, including the developed under the effect of the lions persecution song as Mbube ( "lion" in the language of IsiZulu ), a simple song, which built on only three chords. The Evening Birds sang in the occupation of Solomon Linda (soprano), Gilbert Madondo (Alt ), Boy Sibiya (tenor ), Gideon Mkhize / Samuel Mlangeni / Sikhakhane Owen (bass) and were ecstatic with their a cappella singing until the third take of guitar, banjo and piano accompanied. As a music producer acted Griffith Motsieloa. The master was sent to England, where the singles were pressed and sent back to South Africa.
Publication and success
The single Mbube / Ngi Hambiki was released in September 1939 on Gallo's own record label Gallo Records (GE 829 ), was that without the benefit of the author Solomon Linda filed a copyright. The reason was that Linda had sold his copyright for 10 shillings to Eric Gallo, who left the rights to his music publishing company Gallo Music Publishing SA. The record label Gallo Records was the largest label in South Africa. Mbube was a big hit and put more than 100,000 copies around. Mbube was the starting point of the same South African vocal shape and the style of music isicathamiya.
First cover version
Inspired by the local successes sent about 1949 the record company Gallo Records a copy to the distribution partner Decca Records in the United States, however, the initially showed no interest. When the folk singer Pete Seeger was made in 1951 by the ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax on the song carefully, Seeger wrote the title Wimoweh under the pseudonym Paul Campbell an English text and took him with his support group The Weavers on October 25, 1951 at Decca Studio " Pythian Temple " in New York with producer Milt Gabler. However, it was at Wimoweh a hearing defect from the Zulu word " Uyimbube " ( " he is a lion " ), which is pronounced similarly as Wimoweh. The vast instrumental recording in the big band style by the orchestra Sammy Lowe was charged with " Wimoweh " vocal performances of the Weavers on the single Wimoweh / Old Paint ( Decca 27928 ) published in November 1951 and reached down to rank 14 of the U.S. charts. The Weavers Wimoweh sold by 200000-1 million copies. Seeger had learned from the African roots of his hits and wanted the Royaltys forward to Gallo Records, however, feared that they would not arrive in Solomon Linda. Instead, Seeger sent him a check for $ 1000.
Other cover versions
There are at least 150 cover versions: Jimmy Dorsey grabbed Wimoweh be the first to (recorded on February 4, 1952). A live version of the Weavers followed on their LP The Weavers at Carnegie Hall (24 December 1955 published in April 1957), Pete Seeger brought as a soloist, the American Favorite Ballads Vol 3 LP on Folkways Records with Wimoweh out (produced by Moses Asch, FA 2322, 1959). The Kingston Trio took him for the LP Live From the Hungry i ( August 15 and 16 1958 at the Hungry i, San Francisco, January 1959 ), which penetrated up to rank 2 on the LP charts. Miriam Makeba recorded the song several times ( the first time May 11, 1960 with the Chad Mitchell Trio).
When the tokens were looking for a new record label, they sang before Wimoweh the music producers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, who proposed a new text. With the help of George David Weiss - who arranged for Doris Day and Peggy Lee - and Albert Stanton was born on July 21, 1961 based on the original Coda at the third take the idea for the hook line " In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. " drums imitated African jungle rhythms, Jay Siegel sang falsetto lead. During the counter- melody of the saxophone, the high voice of opera soprano Anita Darian is heard. In this form it was believed to have created a new composition and reported it to the music publisher Abilene Music. Under the title The Lion Sleeps Tonight the group appeared less attractive title as a B- side by Tina on October 17, 1961. Immediately received the B-side more airplay, eventually reaching the first rank of Pophitparade, where it remained for 3 weeks. With over six million copies sold, it was one of the most successful hits of the year 1961.
Karl Denver brought below the title Wimoweh ranked 4th in England ( December 1961 ). More versions under this item submitted by Terry Lightfoot, Chris Barber, Hugh Masekela (LP Trumpet Africaine; May 1963 ) and Manu Dibango.
The German text under the title The lion sleeps tonight is by Kurt Feltz, sung by Frenchman Henri Salvador ( March 1962, # 23). It was followed by the New Christy Minstrels (LP Wanderin ' Minstrels, October 1965 ). At Robert Johns single- version ( November 1971 ) were listed on the label next to the title The Lion Sleeps Tonight Mbube and also Wimomweh and all composers ( " Linda, Peretti, Creatore, Weiss, Stanton, Campbell "). He recorded on rank 3 on the charts, became a million-seller and received the gold record on December 15, 1971. More versions come from Panama Francis, Sammy Lowe and The Nylons.
The Walt Disney Company took over for her film production The Lion King ( U.S. Premiere: June 15, 1994 ) the Evergreen as film music. Another number -one hit landed Tight Fit in January 1982. WoW Pow reached with the French version Le lion est mort ce soir fourth place of the French singles chart ( October 1992 ). The token - hit is ranked 159 of the Songs of the Century. More versions under the title The Lion Sleeps Tonight originate from Michel Godard and Dr. Michael White.
Copyright issues
Linda Solomon ( Solomon Tsele, * 1909 in Ladysmith ) passed away on October 8, 1962, leaving his three daughters had cash of $ 25. He had sold his copyrights to Mbube for publication in the music publishing Gallo Music Publishing SA and thus formally no legal claim as a composer of the song. Wimoweh and its subsequent adaptation of The Lion Sleeps Tonight had different composers and music publishers. Wimoweh was written by Paul Campbell, that guards Pete Seeger hidden; Music publishing was the Howard Richmond and Al Brackman belonging The Richmond Organization TRO / Folkways Music. The Lion Sleeps Tonight again contained as an author specified Peretti / Creatore / Weiss / Stanton and Abilene Music as a music publisher. On January 1, 1992 this song was in the U.S. a copyright extension in favor of Weiss / Creatore / Peretti under the condition to assign 10% of the authors revenues to South Africa.
The music magazine Rolling Stone published in May 2000 by the South African journalist Rian Malan an article about the Song History and got the ball rolling. The item was introduced by the sentence that initially a Zulu man made magic and then the white man's money. In 2001 the South African lawyer Hanro Friedrich along with Owen Dean representation of the three daughters in copyright litigation. 2003 discovered the lawyers that a clause in the South African Imperial Copyright Act of 1911 allowed return rights to his heirs 25 years after the author's death; That would have been 1987. In September 2004, a South African court ruled in this sense.
2005 declared the music publisher Folkways Music Publishers, that he will be left all royalties the Heirs Linda. Finally, sued Linda's daughters Abilene Music 2004 at a compensation of $ 1.5 million in February 2006 and reached an out -of-court settlement under which the heirs received 25 % of the received and future royalties since 1987. The bonuses alone are estimated from the soundtrack to $ 15 million, in total they should amount to $ 72 million. Disney paid $ 1.25 million from the film proceeds to the heirs.