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American male doo wop vocal group

The Tokens were an American doo wop band and record production company group from Brooklyn, New York City. The group has had four top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, all in the 1960s, their biggest being the chart topping 1961 hit single "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" borrowed heavily from the 1939 song "Mbube" by South African singer Solomon Linda. They are also known for having Neil Sedaka as an original member, before he pursued a solo career.

The band was formed in 1955 at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, New York, and was known first as the Linc Tones, The original members were Neil Sedaka, Hank Medress, Eddie Rabkin, and Cynthia Zolotin; however, Rabkin was replaced in 1956 by Jay Siegel. In the same year the band recorded its first single, "While I Dream", with Sedaka on lead vocals; the song was a local hit in New York. Sedaka and Howard Greenfield wrote much of the group's early material. They were unusual among teen vocal groups of the time because they were not a cover band. In 1957, Zolotin left the band. Briefly recording as the Tokens and the Coins, Sedaka left the group in 1958 to launch his solo career. Siegel and Medress then recorded three singles under a side project for Roulette Records, Darrell & the Oxfords in 1959, with two other musicians who never joined the band. Both "Tonight I Fell in Love" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" sold more than one million copies, and were awarded gold discs. From 1962 to 1970, the group released nine more songs that made the Hot 100. In the middle of the British Invasion and the height of Beatlemania, they were one of the few american groups still finding success on popular radio. Jay Siegel was the lead vocalist on all the Tokens' hits including "I Hear Trumpets Blow" (1966) and "Portrait of My Love" (1967). Brothers Mitch and Philip Margo continued to perform with new members Jay Leslie, Mike Johnson, and Noah Margo (one of Phil Margo's sons) who played drums. Mitch Margo's sons, Damien Margo and Ari Margo, also made occasional guest performances with the band, exemplifying Phil Margo's saying: "If you hang around long enough you can grow your own band". Siegel continues to perform with his own version of the Tokens. Until 2022 Siegel's Tokens performed featuring bass singer Bill Reid, who had previously sang background with The Halos and had featured on some early '60's top hits including Curtis Lee's "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" as well as Barry Mann's "Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)". Siegel brought in John "Jay" Traynor, the original lead singer (before Jay Black) of Jay & the Americans and the Mystics who sang with Siegel's Tokens until 2014. Siegel's son was also part of the group as keyboardist and occasional vocalist. The current members of Jay Siegel's Tokens are Kurt "Frenchie" Yaghjian and Gabriel Dassa. Yaghjian appeared in the original Broadway cast of Jesus Christ Superstar and the film version of Hair. Dassa is an orthopedic surgeon and sings with the a cappella group Classic Sounds. Jay Siegel's Tokens and the Margo brothers reunited in 2000 to perform on the PBS special Doo Wop 51. At the time, Siegel's Tokens were Siegel, Reid and Eddy Rezzonico, who had replaced Richie Grasso during the 1990s. Former band member Hank Medress died of lung cancer on June 18, 2007, at his Manhattan home, aged 68. John "Jay" Traynor died of liver cancer on January 2, 2014, at a hospital in Tampa, Florida, aged 70. Mitch Margo died of natural causes on November 24, 2017, at Studio City, California, also aged 70. Philip Margo died of a stroke on November 13, 2021, at a hospital in Los Angeles, aged 79. Bass singer Bill Reid of Jay Siegel's Tokens suffered a heart attack on April 11, 2022, and died shortly afterwards.

Decades after not receiving any publishing credit for their specific original musical composition part of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", the band began a lawsuit in order to regain some of these publishing rights. The case was dismissed due to the statute of limitations. To this day, the Tokens claim that some of the original musical composition of the 1961 song was created by them, even though they have not been awarded this status by their record company.

Year Titles (A side, B side)Both sides from same album except where indicated Chart positions AlbumUSUS R&B 1956 "I Love My Baby"b/w "While I Dream" A — — — —Non album tracks 1961"Tonight I Fell in Love"b/w "I'll Always Love You" 15 — — —"When I Go to Sleep at Night"b/w "Dry Your Eyes" (from The Tokens Again) — — — —Non album tracks"Sincerely"b/w "When Summer Is Through" — — — —"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"b/w "Tina" 1 7 10 11The Lion Sleeps Tonight 1962"B'wa Nina (Pretty Girl)"b/w "Weeping River" 55 — — —We the Tokens Sing Folk"Big Boat"b/w "The Riddle" — — 26 —The Lion Sleeps Tonight"La Bamba"b/w "A Token of Love" (Non album track) 85 — — —We the Tokens Sing Folk"Dream Angel Goodnight"b/w "I'll Do My Crying Tomorrow" — — — —Non album tracks"A Bird Flies Out of Sight"b/w "Wishing" (Non album track) — — — —We the Tokens Sing Folk 1963"Tonight I Met an Angel"b/w "Hindi Lullaby" (from The Lion Sleeps Tonight) — — — —Non album track"Hear the Bells"b/w "A B C 1 2 3" 94 — — —The Tokens Again"Please Write"b/w "I'll Always Love You" — — 90 —Non album tracks 1964"Let's Go to the Drag Strip"b/w "Two Cars" — — — —Wheels"Swing"b/w "A Girl Named Arlene" (Non album track) — — — —I Hear Trumpets Blow"Remember Last Summer"b/w "Strange Strange Feeling"Shown as by The Four Winds — — — —Non album tracks"He's in Town"b/w "Oh Kathy" (from The Greatest Moments with the Tokens) 43 — 20 —I Hear Trumpets Blow"You're My Girl"b/w "Havin' Fun" (Non album track) — — — —The Greatest Moments with the Tokens1965"Nobody But You"b/w "Mr. Cupid (Don't You Call On Me)" (Non album track) — — 90 —"Sylvie Sleepin'"b/w "A Message to the World" (Non album track) — — — —I Hear Trumpets Blow"Only My Friend"b/w "Cattle Call" — — — —Non album tracks"The Bells of St. Mary"b/w "Just One Smile" — — 68 —"The Three Bells"b/w "A Message to the World" (Non album track) — — — —I Hear Trumpets Blow 1966"I Hear Trumpets Blow"b/w "Don't Cry, Sing Along with the Music" 30 — 86 —"Great Moments in a Girl's Life"b/w "Breezy" (Non album track) — — — —The Greatest Moments with the Tokens 1967"Green Plant"b/w "Saloogy" (from I Hear Trumpets Blow) — — — —Non album track"Portrait of My Love"b/w "She Comes and Goes" 36 — 20 —Portrait of My Love"It's a Happening World"b/w "How Nice" 69 — — —"Ain't That Peculiar"b/w "Bye, Bye, Bye" (from It's a Happening World) — — — —Non album tracks1968"Till"b/w "Poor Man" (from It's a Happening World) — — — —"Needles of Evergreen"b/w "Mister Snail" — — — —"Animal"b/w "Bathroom Wall" — — — —"The Banana Boat Song"b/w "Grandfather" (from It's a Happening World) — — 48 —"Some People Sleep"b/w "The World Is Full of Wonderful Things" (Non album track) — — — —Both Sides Now 1969 "Get a Job"b/w "Please Say You Want Me" — — 18 —Non album tracks"Go Away Little Girl"/"Young Girl"b/w "I Want to Make Love to You" — — — —"End of the World"b/w "I Could Be" — — — —"She Lets Her Hair Down (Early in the Morning)"Cb/w "Oh to Get Away" (Non album track) 61 — 43 —Both Sides Now1970 "Let It Ride"b/w "One Face in the Crowd"Shown as by The Four Winds — — 12 —Non album tracks"Don't Worry Baby"b/w "Some People Sleep" 95 — 67 —Both Sides Now"Both Sides Now"b/w "I Could See Me (Dancin' with You)" (from December 5) — — — —"Groovin' on the Sunshine"/"Sesame Street"b/w "Listen to the Words (Listen to the Music)" — — 82 —Non album tracks 1972"I Like to Throw My Head Back and Sing (That Good Ole Rock and Roll)"b/w "You and Me" — — — —1973"Rock and Roll Music"b/w "Just a Thought" (from Cross Country)Shown as by Cross Country — — — —"In the Midnight Hour"b/w "A Smile Song"Shown as by Cross Country 30 — 88 —Cross Country"Tastes So Good to Me"b/w "A Ball Song"Shown as by Cross Country — — — — 1974"Penny Whistle Band"b/w "Lord Can't Sing a Solo" — — — —Non album tracks 1977"Dear Judy"b/w "Come Softly to Me"Shown as by The 4 Winds — — — — 1988 "Re Doo Wopp"b/w "I'm Through with You" — — — —Re Doo Wopp 1994"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (re release) 51 — — —The Lion Sleeps Tonight (1994 CD reissue)1996 "Only in My Dreams" (CD single) — — — —Tonight, The Lion Dances"Save the Last Dance for Me"b/w "Suavito" — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. APeaked at No. 39 on the WMGM chart
CPeaked at No. 27 on RPM Adult Contemporary chart

The Tokens were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1998, the Tokens were mentioned by the Guinness World Records for performing "The Star Spangled Banner" at all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums in the United States and Canada.