The group was formed in 1955 at Brooklyn's Abraham Lincoln High School, and was known first as The Linc-Tones. Originally featuring members Neil Sedaka, Hank Medress, Eddie Rabkin, and Cynthia Zolotin, Rabkin was replaced by Jay Siegel in 1956, and the band recorded its first single, "While I Dream" that same year. In 1957 Sedaka and Zolotin left the band, leaving only Siegel and Medress, who would recruit two additional band members and record the single "Picture in My Wallet" as Darrell & the Oxfords. Finally establishing its most famous name and crew, the band became known as the Tokens in 1960 after they recruited the 13-year-old multi-instrumentalist and first tenor Mitch Margo and his baritone brother Phil Margo.
In early 1961, the Tokens released a single for Warwick Records titled "Tonight I Fell In Love," which scored No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned the group an opportunity to perform on the television program American Bandstand. The popularity that the band garnered as a result of this performance brought it new recording opportunities, culminating in its cover of Solomon Linda's "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" for RCA Victor Records. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it remained for three weeks. The same track peaked at No. 11 in the UK Singles Chart. Both "Tonight I Fell in Love" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" sold more than 1 million copies, and were awarded gold discs.
From 1962 to 1970, the group released nine more songs that scored the Top 100. Jay Siegel was the lead vocalist on all the Tokens' hits including "I Hear Trumpets Blow" (1966) and "Portrait of My Love" (1967). Beginning in 1963, The Tokens also began serving as record producers for other artists, such as the Chiffons, Randy & the Rainbows and the Happenings. Their production company was called Bright Tunes and they also created their own record company, B.T. (Bright Tunes) Puppy Records. In 1972, Jay Siegel did background vocals for a re-recording of Lion Sleeps Tonight with Robert John as the lead vocalist. This version hit #3 on the charts, and was awarded a Gold disc.
In 1970, Hank Medress began producing an act for Bell Records, Dawn, which featured the former teen-idol Tony Orlando. It was as a favor to Medress that Orlando sang the lead on the first record, "Candida", which became a Top 3 hit.
In 1973, Medress ended his relationship with the group and Siegel teamed with the Margo Brothers to form the group Cross Country, which would have some success with its cover version of "In the Midnight Hour." The Tokens reunited during 1975 for occasional weeks as singing regulars on the Adam Wade hosted game show Musical Chairs and in 1978 recorded a song for ABC's Schoolhouse Rock named "A Victim of Gravity".
Brothers Mitch and Philip Margo continue to perform with new members Jay Leslie, Mike Johnson and Noah Margo (one of Margo's sons) playing drums. Mitch Margo's sons, Damien Margo and Ari Margo, also make occasional guest performances with the band, exemplifying Phil Margo's saying that "If you hang around long enough you can grow your own band."
Siegel continues to perform with his own version of The Tokens as well, featuring bass singer Bill Reid and, more recently, John "Jay" Traynor, the original lead singer (before Jay Black) of Jay & the Americans and the Mystics. Siegel's son is also part of the group as keyboardist and occasional vocalist. (John "Jay" Traynor died January 2, 2014, of liver cancer at a hospital in Tampa, Florida.)
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; Rezzonico had replaced Richie Grasso during the 1990s.
Mitch Margo died on November 24, 2017, aged 70.
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.
On October 19, 2009, Phil and Mitch Margo filed suit in Manhattan for the rights to the Tokens name. They claim in their filing that Henry Medress suggested the name. In a competing suit filed in California by Siegel, he claims Siegel, Medress and Sedaka released an album named Neil Sedaka and the Tokens previously.[9] On Sedaka's own website, there is a listing in his discography catalog for a 1958 release of Neil Sedaka and the Tokens as well as a second album, also during 1958, named Neil Sedaka and the Tokens and Coins.
As well as being performing and recording artists The Tokens were also record producers. Here are some of the records they produced:
"He's So Fine" by the Chiffons
"One Fine Day" by The Chiffons
"Denise" by Randy & the Rainbows
"See You In September" by the Happenings
"I Got Rhythm" by the Happenings
"Go Away Little Girl" by the Happenings
"Candida" by Tony Orlando and Dawn
"Knock Three Times" by Tony Orlando and Dawn
"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" by Tony Orlando and Dawn
Awards and recognition
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.
Band members
Classic lineup
Original Tokens
Jay Siegel – Lead singer
Mitch Margo
Neil Sedaka
Phil Margo
Hank Medress
Joe Venneri – Guitar
Current groups
Jay Siegel's Tokens
Jay Siegel (original lead vocalist)
Bill Reid
Kurt “Frenchy” Yahjian (replaced Jay Traynor after his passing January 2, 2014)
The Margo Brothers' Tokens
Mitch Margo – Lead Vocals, Guitar (died November 2017)
Phil Margo – Vocals, Percussion
Jay Leslie – Vocals, Horns
Mike Johnson – Vocals, Keyboard
Noah Margo – Drums
Ari Margo – Guest Performer, Vocals
Damien Margo – Guest Performer, Vocals, Drums
Portrait of My Love
The Tokens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A portrait of my love
For nobody can paint a dream
You will never see
A portrait of my love
For miracles are never seen
Anyone who sees her
Soon forget the Mona Lisa
And he would need the glow of dawn
That paints the skies above
To try and paint a portait of my love
Anyone who sees her
Soon forget the Mona Lisa
It would take I know, a Michaelangelo
And he would need the glow of dawn
That paints the skies above
To try and paint a portait of my love
To try and paint a portait of my love
Love
Love
The Tokens' "Portrait of My Love" is a romantic and poetic song about how the love interest is so perfect and beautiful that no one could ever paint a proper portrait of her. The romantic nature of the song is accentuated by the lyrical phrasings, with lines like "miracles are never seen" and "he would need the glow of dawn that paints the skies above." The song also makes a reference to the Mona Lisa, implying that the love interest is even more worthy of admiration than da Vinci's iconic painting.
The opening lines of the song immediately set the tone for the theme of the song. The song lyrics describe how it's impossible for anyone to ever paint a portrait of the subject's love, as nobody can paint a dream, and miracles are never seen. The song drives home the point that the love interest is so beautiful and perfect that not even the greatest painters could depict her accurately.
The second stanza repeats the earlier assertion that the love interest is more noteworthy than the Mona Lisa, followed by the acknowledgement that it would take Michaelangelo and the light of dawn to create a suitable portrait. At the end of the song, the singer repeats the phrase "to try and paint a portrait of my love" to emphasize the idea that despite the impossibility of actually creating a proper portrait, they will continue to try.
Line by Line Meaning
There could never be
It is impossible
A portrait of my love
To capture the essence of my love in a painting
For nobody can paint a dream
Dreams are intangible and cannot be depicted through art
You will never see
It will never exist
For miracles are never seen
It would require a miracle to depict my love in its entirety
Anyone who sees her
Those who have seen her
Soon forget the Mona Lisa
Would forget about the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci
It would take I know, a Michaelangelo
It would require an artist of Michelangelo's caliber
And he would need the glow of dawn
Michelangelo would need the illuminating light of dawn
That paints the skies above
The beauty of the sky at dawn
To try and paint a portrait of my love
To attempt to capture the essence of my love in a painting
To try and paint a portrait of my love
To try and capture my love in a painting
Love
The overwhelming feeling of affection towards someone or something
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Cyril Ornadel, Norman Newell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
raiderdanCA
This piece is proof that THE TOKENS were vastly underrated ... there are many versions of this song, but this version is by far my favorite... great vocals ... !
Jonathan Schult
47 years hence and I still get goose bumps listening to this!! One of those "should've been a smash" records which only limped into the top 40, but a classic nonetheless.
Kenneth Ridout
Very beachboy ish can't be bad
Nick Madness
Thank you so much beatandpop for uploading this masterpiece.
It's not easy to find this actual 45 version.
The Tokens do an absolutely amazing job here. 👍
I remember as a kid watching The Tokens on several different TV shows before they had this hit in 1967. I've always dug them.
Their cover of "Portrait Of My Love" is by far and away the best version. One of my favorite songs of all time (that is when The TOKENS do it).
It got some airplay here in the New York City area, but it really should have been played more, and it should have peaked a lot higher than #36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Tokens should be appreciated a lot more! 😃
Kenneth Ridout
A Classic
burbank133
The best rendition of this song!!! Great harmony!!!!
Joseph Curiale
Beautiful song, beautiful arrangement.
amsedelm
A true gem of a tune. Just beautiful. Great memories.
IcemanE52
I dedicate this song to my wife for our upcoming 33rd anniversary!
Michael Lazzeri
A classic rendition, never equaled ! ------------------MJL, 74 y/o