La parte demandante que representaba a las hijas de Salomon, utilizó un recurso sacado de la ya obsoleta Imperial Copyright Act de 1911 por el cual a los 25 años de morir el autor material de la canción (Salomon) aún habiendo traspasado d x vida los derechos dla misma e independientemente de que estos fueran cedidos iwalmente, los derechos se reinvertirían al albacea de su herencia.Gracias a esto Abilen Music y Disney remuneraron cmo es debido a ls verdaderos propietarios d esta cancion
Solomon Linda a Zulu musician original 1939 song "Mbube" (Zulu for Lion) was recorded as the popular song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and later used in the 1994 movie "The Lion King."
So sad that the original creator Solomon Linda song "Mbube" (which Pete Seeger mispronunced "wimoweh") earned him less that one dollar!
The version by the Tokens became a worldwide phenomenon. The song has since earned millions for multiple artists.
His family was awarded royalties reverting back to 1987!
This is beautiful...those who talk about out of tune only understand western music. African music has up to 96 pitches per octave. western music has 12. That would limit your understanding of choice of pitch.....I love music history youtube is a great resource for finding gems like this. I love the token version and I also like to know the roots of where a great song comes from
Cruel and sad! But i thanks to you for show it to us. Now i will think in Solomon and his family every time that i've hear this song. From Costa Rica, central américa, thankyou grandmagrumpy!
thanks for your romantic support...but this shit is no where near the one with the actual lyrics and melodies that makes us happy...I'm not african so your tribal chants don't make me chill...I don't give a fuck...I only care for the lion to get a sleep tonight...fuck solomon
But why is everybody pissing on Disney? They used the song in The Lion King, yes. But that's 1994. The song was already very well known, thanks to The Weavers (1952), Miriam Makeba (1960), The Tokens (1961) and many others.
Disney just used a song about africa which everybody knew to feature 15 seconds as a joke in a movie. Disney earned millions with the movie, not with the song.
good on you, Someone has to defend truth. Where truth is recognised and acknowledged, it generally has the effect to prevent more blood from being spilled.
@fluffytom82 That song earned over 15 million dollars from it just being in the Lion King... You know how much Linda got? He got 3000$ added to his estate every year, and eventually his family got a settlement 60-70 somewhat years later.
So yes, that does kind of piss me off when someone else get accredited for something they didn't do.
@TheJenBong Oh for god's sake... It is sung for not even 30 seconds, out of tune as a joke because it is an african song in an african movie, they didn't even use it completely. If you want to shit on people, shit on Makeba or on the Tokens. THEY made the song popular without crediting Solomon Linda, not Disney. Disney used it BECAUSE it is a popular song. Do you credit Mozart every time you sing Twinkle Twinkle Littel Star? I don't think so...
@fluffytom82 Well I guess I'll shit on Lucy's record label/manager/people/whatever since they failed to ever get it copyrighted... But whatever..
And I never sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star... But the song itself was written by Ann and Jane Taylor, the melody came from Mozart's Ah vous dirai-je, Maman... Just a little fact.
@TheJenBong Well... if you look at it that way there's no problem with The Lion King either. In The Lion King they sing "awimoweh" but Solomon sang "uyimbube". So it's a different song and he shouldn't be credited :P
(just messing with ya, no offence! I just said Twinkle Twinkle since 99% of all english speakers have never heard of Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman and no matter which lyric you put on the melody, it stays the same song)
@TheJenBong Anyway, Disney has used the version of The Weavers, for which they did pay some royalties. And you have to be honnest, the song as we know it today only resembles remotely the one Solomon Linda recorded. If I hadn't read the comments to this video, I probably wouldn't even have recognised it...
@fluffytom82 What are you smoking? This is obviously the same song at the heart. Can you really not hear it? It's clear as a bell. If you are serious when you say "If I hadn't read the comments to this video, I probably wouldn't even have recognised it..." then I am shaking my head in disbelief.
@pyenapple There is a similarity with the "wimoweh" part and with the falsetto line ("oooooh ooh ooh ooh wiyawumoweh"), but that's only a small part of the song, the accompaniment. The melody onto which "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight" is sung is not in there.
@fluffytom82 Sincerely, i never "pissing" on Disney and certanly not by taking this melody at one of my favourite animations movie, but it doesn´t depend of how much money earned with the movie or the song, the real question is remuneratering whom is the real owner of the music, in that case 4 poor (nowadays not so) girls, who lived into misery and poverty. I´ve just put the reasons a little further down, but in spanish xD
1) Disney could have used any song, they just used a worldwide popular song about the jungle, they didn't "steal" anything
2) the movie didn't make so much money because of that song
3) Solomon SOLD the song, so it wasn't his anymore, nor his daughters'. Ok, some say he didn't get enough, others say it only became popular after other people made arrangements.
I looked for your Spanish comment but didn't see it... :(
So if my Spanish is still ok, you say that if someone sells his rights to a song, 25 years after his death his offspring gets these rights back? Very strange, never heard of it and it has never before been applied. Take John Lennon's music, for example. He's been dead for 30 years now, but the rights of his music are not his family's.
@fluffytom82 it's a little complex... when Solomon makes the song (1939) the Imp. Copyright Act was valid (this juridic british rule was obsolete since 1965, this is why all following affairs subsequent to that date which share their conditions with Salomon - Like John L's music - have no legal support)
In spite of all, the real bastards were Folkways and Ambilen Music, not Disney. But such as i said previously, you must pay whatever rights songs you use if it isn't yours
@tamadax If someone files a complaint now, current rules must be applied. One cannot be obliged to obey a law from 1939 which isn't valid anymore.
Anyway... YES, if you use music which isn't yours you have to pay for it. But Disney did pay for it, to Folkways/Abilene Music Publishers. The fact that they are now refuted as being "owner" of the right or not, is not Disney's problem. At the time the movie was made, Folkways was the official owner and Disney paid them.
@fluffytom82 that's the problem, at the time when the movie was made, Folkways wasn't the official owner of the song, because when Regina (Salomon´s wife) sold Folkways the rights of the song at 1992 in cocept to a new transfer of it to Ambilen Music by one dollar, this rights wasn't already of anyone of them. It was property of a testamentary administration since 1987 (25 years from Salomon dead)
@tamadax Solomon sold South Afrika and UK rights to Gallo Records. Gallo was later (in the 40's) incorporated into Folkways giving them all the rights to all their music. In the 50's, Solomon sold the worldwide rights to Folkways for $1000.
As I said, though the amounts are ridiculously small, he got paid for the rights to the song and in my eyes cannot claim anything.
It is like inventing a new lemonade, sell it for $5 to Coca Cola, see it make billions and than claim part of the earnings...
@fluffytom82 Gallo was never incorporated into folkways and no fucking way Solomon sold this rights to Folkways by 1000$, are you kidding me?? The only profit that solomon recived was ten shilings by selling Mbube rights to Gallo Record Company. Review your information sources
@tamadax Ok, small rectification: he didn't sell them for $1000, they offered him that money and he accepted. As far as I know, Solomon himself didn't "complain" anymore, and 10 years or so later he died.
His children/grandchildren now see how much money they could have gotten out of the song. That's why they complain. (without pointing fingers, I would probably do the same ^^)
@tamadax Everybody agrees that Solomon got scammed. It is a pity, but people get scammed all over the world, every day. We shouldn't cry over something that happened 72 years ago, and certainly not blaming a big company. Some of the comments here make it look like Disney is directly responsible for the fact that Solomon died in poverty. That's not true. He died in poverty because he sold his song for not enough money, that's all. If he was smarter, he could have earned a lot. Shit happens...
@fluffytom82 it´s a hard thinking line but... you have reason. Salomon was scammed as many other people along history in the world, and they will go on... fortunately (time to time) there´s some laws that, independently of someone intelligence, siliness or any quality, they make something so necessary as justice. The people who put down all responsability upon Disney may be could read a little before talking
@tattleboad Sometimes it could be helpful, yes. But this just stinks of "easy money making". Dozens of artists covered the song, they never started a law suit. But now a muli-million dollar company uses it, they smell the green bank notes and they start complaining.
Imagine your grandfather sold his car in 1960 for a small amount of money. That same car is worth a fortune now. Would you be whining to the buyer because he didn't pay enough at the time? I don't think so...
@tattleboad So everybody should try to break big companies just because they don't like them? That's kinda selfish, isn't it?
Don't forget that you have internet access thanks to those companies and Youtube wouldn't exist without them. You would still be growing your own vegetables in your garden and walk to school (without books of course, since editors are big companies as well) and half of your town would be unemployed.
@fluffytom82 no its not selfish for people who hate big companies to speak out against them. whether or not we'd be better off with companies or without them is meaningless and depends on your own interpretation
@tattleboad It actually isn't a matter of interpretation at all; large corporations are responsible for providing nearly every aspect of the daily lives of Westerners. No one really wants to destroy large corporations; protestors want to eradicate corruption and ill-gotten gains. Anyone who truly just wishes to undermine large corporations for the sake of it is little more than a scoundrel.
@fluffytom82 Not exactly. Intellectual property is different than a car. The family acted under the Charles Dickens provision. This allowed them to renegotiate the terms of royalties 25 years after the his death. Even if the creator made a mistake of producing a record with no royalties provisions.
Imagine if your grandfather wrote the Lord of the Rings, Superman, or created most of the Marvel characters? Properties ranking in millions but they made a bad deal. You wouldn't sue? They sure did!
@buddablz Many things factor in: shortsightedness of the creator, bad contract, or no idea the profit that a property can have in a new medium. The families of these creators don't need to suffer.
@buddablz But why didn't they do it before? Why did they wait until a company like Disney used the song? Right. Because they knew that they might get a shitload of money from Disney, and not from Makeba or The Weavers or anyone else. In my eyes they don't do it "out of respect" for Solomon Linda, but out of greed. Out of pure selfishness.
(cont.) If my grandfather would have created Superman and would have sold it to Marvel, I would be sad now because my grandfather has made a wrong choice. But I would not sue Marvel. They obtaines the character rightfully and it is not my job to alter my grandfather's decisions. That's called respect.
But hey, you americans sue Whirlpool because it isn't mentioned in the manual that you shouldn't put a cat in the washing machine. Your relation with the law is different than ours.
@fluffytom82 An idea is contagious and spreads wildly like a disease with its influence. It doesn't matter if you only brought up the germ of the idea. For example, explaining the concept of the Harvard Connection to a would be partner. You can't easily just say "eat it up for eternity" After a certain amount of years the rights can be challenged by the family and be totally within their right to do so. Many corporations have to renew copyrights to keep them from the public domain.
@buddablz Many corporations fight over ownership when it's time to reassess ownership. As was the case with Superman: in the 70s roughly 30+ years after his inception DC wanted to make a new arrangement with the creators. If they relinquish their control they could get the credit that they had been fighting for. But it's totally within the families rights' to challenge it again 30+ years later. DC did it first. With Linda's family, it's not about greed. They weren't aware they could do anything.
@buddablz They were proud of the song's influence but lived in poverty for decades. They never thought to challenge it. What brought their lawsuit was a dedicated lawyer and a Rolling Stone journalist who wanted to help his family. They're not sitting in a Bentley right now. The money was set up for a trust. The Charles Dickens provision wasn't made for an easy paycheck. It was to ensure the creator's family wouldn't live in poverty while companies rake in millions.
@buddablz Dickens provision which they have won wouldn't have been effective anytime prior to 1987. As for Disney, in the last 20 years who has brought the song to its highest impact in pop culturally relevancy? Ace Ventura? Disney was the largest target but that doesn't mean their the only one. Nobody reading an article is going to care about how much a pop folk group had to pay. I'm sure record companies have to pay out royalties as well. $15 million to settle the error and $3,000 a year.
@buddablz $3,000 a year isn't bad considering that the corporation makes way more than that. How much do the Tokens earn a year in royalties from the song to which they have the greater influence? Yeah, a whole lot more than $3,000 a year not counting the cash it took for Disney to gain the rights to use it. Lion King continues to print money on Broadway and 3D.
@fluffytom82 When you used a song in one of your movie you have to know who sung it for pay him . It's just logic , that's what everybody do. Yes they earned millions with the movie but the song is one of the famous moment of the movie !
@DjDonrt Quand tu utilises une chanson dans un film, une publicité, une exposition, un bal populaire, n'importe où ou comment, il faut payer celui qui possède les droits de cette chanson. Dans ce cas spécifique, Solomon Linda n'était pas propriétaire des droits mondiales. Disney a bien payé Folkways, le propriétaire de la chanson.
De plus, selon ton raisonnement, il faut exiger que tous les autres paient aussi (comme The Weavers, Yma Sumac, Miriam Makeba,...). C'est faux de ne viser que Disney.
@fluffytom82 Ah tu parles Français ? Loool . Le truc c'est que ses filles n'ont pas décidées d'un coup de porter plainte comme ça , certes disney ne savaient pas que la musique venait de lui donc dans un premier temps elles ont voulut négocier à l'amiable et disney leur a proposée qu'une maigre somme (alors que cette chanson a raportée des millions à plusieurs artistes) d'ailleurs disney n'était pas le seuk sur le banc des accusés , les maisons de disques etc étaient aussi comprises
@fluffytom82 c'est d'ailleurs pr ça que décision a été prises que désormais partout où passera la musique du lion sleep et ses dérivées la famille touchera automatiquement de l'argent dessus , donc les "sanctions" ne se sont pas appliqués seulement à Disney j'te rassure , Miriam Makeba elle est une artiste sud africaine , les sud africains sont assez patriotes entre eux donc je pense pas que le fait que elle ai repri la chanson aient pu les dérangées elles
Thank you all for the history to the song. I first heard it as the signature tune to a 50's black and white BBC TV long-running series. Everyone I knew was intrigued to learn who was singing this haunting but we did not have the internet in those days that we could interrogate. I walked out on a very expensive concert when the star for his finale, sang the 'pop' version with those awful "Lion sleeps..." words. I never, ever thought I would hear that original version again, Thank you! Thank you!
The story of this song illustrates that excellence is a combination of individual brilliance and building on the work of earlier generations.
Possibly influenced by much older Zulu songs, Soloman Linda laid down this melody and idea in 1939 South Africa. The musical historian Alan Lomax brought a recording to America, and subsequent generations of artists from the Weavers to the Tokens to Disney to other African artists have each reinvented their version.
You can say the disney version was inspired by this but they added significant new content to the song. Being said some small percentage of royalties is deserving and probably has a better chance of bettering society from the bottom up than the top down.
@LadyArtemis1975 No we should not say "death to Disney". Think of it another way. Perhaps they went about it wrong, taking the song without permission and using it for financial gain. That is wrong. But I feel in a way we should be grateful that happened. Because of that, small children all of the world have been blessed with hearing this beautiful ancient African music, that they otherwise would never have heard. It is because of that I have gained a love and admiration for African music. <3
The Lion Sleeps Tonight sounds NOTHING like this song. MOst of LST is original and it was that version which was featured briefly in The Lion KIng. BTW I love all the people complaining here have no problem when rappers steal Oh sorry, "sample" music from other songs for their rap songs.
@clevelandphil yeah, they pay royalties; ya know, give money to the holder of rights of the sample. This man got NOTHING. Are you stupid or something that you don't understand that? The Disney version of this song (despite your deaf ears that think they don't sound alike) made US$15 million alone. Do you think it is fair that this man - or his family - should not be paid for HIS music? You think it's fair that Disney should be paid the royalties for a song they stole?
1) Disney used a song that has been popular all around the world since the 1950's, they didn't "steal" it
2) this might be the oldest recording of the song, but if I understand correctly it is a traditional song from South Africa, so he doesn't have any right to royalties either
3) Disney does - as far as I know - NOT get royalties for this song, only for its use in the movie
4) the $15M is the money the song made with all covers and merchandising together (Makeba, The Tokens,...)
@jpenns Its a myth Miriam Makeba unintentionally helped spread that its a traditional song. There is no eveidence whatsoever of this songs existence before Solomon Linda.
@fluffytom82 Its a myth Miriam Makeba unintentionally helped spread that its a traditional song. There is no evidence whatsoever of this songs existence before Solomon Linda. He always maintained he created this melody and it was his own original compostion, although in the traditional zulu singing style.
@Kwekwe Anyway, this is only the "accompaniment". There is nothing of the melody to which "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight" is sung in this song... And I'm sure this "wimoweh" thingy has been used in 1.000 other songs.
@fluffytom82 The "Wimoweh" sound/chant originates from this song but yes I do agree with you there, although I feel this is a superb song in itsw own right, its only the last few bars of the song I recognise as being the origin of Lion Sleeps Tonight
@alvaskins The original melodic line is evident starting from 0:20 onwards. If you're waiting to hear the LYRICS, they weren't added till 1951. This is the original recording from 1939. (Duh.)
@alvaskins Sorry Alvaskins! Wrong "Reply" button! =)) That was supposed to be for clevelandphil, but in connection to YOUR comment. Wahahahaha, how embarassing =)) Must. Get. Used. To. This. =))
@alvaskins and @LadyArtemis1975... First of all... if you listen to the melody of this recording... you will clearly hear the melody of The Lion Sleeps Tonight... without words. If you don't hear it, you may want to get your hearing checked. Secondly... Disney had NOTHING to do with the Tokens version of the Lion Sleeps other than the fact that they used it for the Lion King.
My little boy likes this version. Of course he also likes the Nylons version, lol. Oh & he likes Pete Seger/Weavers, teh new christy Mintrels version... Ladysmith - & whichever version's matched up to that spongebob cartoon...come to think of it, I haven't found a version yet he won't sing along to...
What a soulful song...
Thank you for sharing this so the world can hear the ORIGINAL RECORDING that started it all...
I'm all for rule of law, but there are times when common human decency requires that it be transcended.
The heirs of Mr Linda shouldn't have had to sue. Disney should have voluntarily given them a big cut. That wouldn't have violated the company's duty to its shareholders. On the contrary, it would have been great PR.
Legal issues aside, I like Jimmy Cliff's version and this version the best!
I can't believe I never knew "the lion sleeps tonight" was based off of this. I don't like how the original meaning of the song is lost in the disney-ified version. I like this better. I think it's sad how Soloman Linda never held copyright to his own song. =( He could have lived the life of a very well off man seeing how much this song made.. sigh..
In another vid the person posting the vid says that this is actually a prayer for the return of Shaka Zulu, that he is the 'Sleeping Lion' and that the heartfelt singing is hope that he will return as he was such a great and mighty leader. I think that's awesome :)
@Hitman3310 indeed r.i.p, dont gewt me wrong, though i think that version is horrible, and a disgrace to the original.. its fu*king about a girl who walks around with no pants on.. yeah. a disgrace.
such a beautiful song.... solomon linda was an amazing artist of his time. its good to know that after nearly 72 years and countless of generations within that his original tune is still a popular amongst the various cultures of the world today. amazing
Well if he sold the song years earlier, what's the problem? It didn't really get popular until the 50's and the do woppers, and then when Disney used it. Without that it would have been forgotten Suddenly the folks want to renegotiate. It sounds like greed goes both ways.
@grandmagrumpy Take off your capitalist glasses for a moment and put yourself in the shoes of that family. Solomon Linda died of renal failure in '62, 1 year after The Tokens had a HUGE hit using HIS song. He didn't even get a gravestone until 18 years after his death! Much later, Disney made millions reusing it yet again. What looks to you as greed looks to the family of Solomon Linda as justice, I firmly believe. Stop seeing money as the key to everything, you'll understand more of the world.
@IamNowJMAN ""Mbube" was a major success for Linda and the Evening Birds, reportedly selling over 100,000 copies in South Africa by 1949. The recording was produced by Motsieloa at the Gallo Recording Studios, in Johannesburg. Linda sold the rights to Gallo Record Company for 10 shillings (less than $US 2) shortly after the recording was made, but under British laws then in effect, those rights should have reverted to Linda's heirs 25 years after his death in 1962." - wikipedia
@Andtimecandosomuch He. Solomon Ntsele, known by his clan name "Linda," was a man. Since the 2006 settlement, his heirs will be taken care of.
But yes, Mr. Linda died in 1962, a year after the Tokens made a #1 hit out of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." I can't help but wonder if he could have gotten better health care if he had gotten his royalties.
you are wrong about the tokens my friend , they were not the ones holding up money to the estate of the Late and great Solomon Linda , was and is Mr Wiesse who takes credit for the 10 words the lion sleeps tonight who gets all the money from this song and refuses to share any of it , he is the low life .
The original song brings tears to my eyes because it was a long journey for the group to get recognition and rights to the lion song. Its a song that can't be mastered by lyrics but experience in a region to demonstate repitition and technique. In others words its not merely lyrics, harmony, crescendo and descrendos but solely acoustic in accapela vocally. The marvles of creating sound without carved instruments but gift for immitation of sound representing something not a story.
Soloman Linda, you were a musical genius, and I thank Wikipedia and Youtube for educating me on the true history of this song. May your name be the one remembered with this song. RIP.
i always thought karl denver was the original singer to this.thanks for posting now i know who original singers are what terrific voices they have first time i have heard them.
@jonatha0n Ignorant shite. This vid is to pay homage to the original artist not to give props on whose version is better. Respect the orginals but enjoy the modern- without them none of todays would be where they are today
The story here is so ugly, and yet, one has to give credit. George Weiss was given this tune to "work" into a western-style acceptable pop piece and he did a great job with it, with the Tokens making this the monster it is today.
The real issue is that the money never went to Solomon or to his surviving sisters until a killer lawsuit against Disney finally forced "the Mouse' to pay up for the use of it in "The Lion KIng." His sisters finally got a check.
The original melody wasn't written by Solomon Linda. It was what could be considered a Zulu fok song. He did bring the song to the world though.
Arkraven51 2 weeks ago
what is important is not money! it is the creating aspect!
tattleboad 3 weeks ago
THANK YOU!
DamballaWedo 1 month ago
There can be only one... :))
TheCatch62 1 month ago
La parte demandante que representaba a las hijas de Salomon, utilizó un recurso sacado de la ya obsoleta Imperial Copyright Act de 1911 por el cual a los 25 años de morir el autor material de la canción (Salomon) aún habiendo traspasado d x vida los derechos dla misma e independientemente de que estos fueran cedidos iwalmente, los derechos se reinvertirían al albacea de su herencia.Gracias a esto Abilen Music y Disney remuneraron cmo es debido a ls verdaderos propietarios d esta cancion
tamadax 2 months ago
yep couldnt understand any of that sounds like alota mumbling
DennisV16 2 months ago
Solomon Linda a Zulu musician original 1939 song "Mbube" (Zulu for Lion) was recorded as the popular song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and later used in the 1994 movie "The Lion King."
So sad that the original creator Solomon Linda song "Mbube" (which Pete Seeger mispronunced "wimoweh") earned him less that one dollar!
The version by the Tokens became a worldwide phenomenon. The song has since earned millions for multiple artists.
His family was awarded royalties reverting back to 1987!
jaynelwells 2 months ago
Now that did blow my head off!!!! I felt the passion of the vocal....Quality tune...x
Livigirl456 2 months ago
This is beautiful...those who talk about out of tune only understand western music. African music has up to 96 pitches per octave. western music has 12. That would limit your understanding of choice of pitch.....I love music history youtube is a great resource for finding gems like this. I love the token version and I also like to know the roots of where a great song comes from
GoldtopRecordsLLC 2 months ago
great to hear his original!
jbdmed 3 months ago in playlist The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)
I like this original version better than the Tokens anyways in all honesty.
jepkofficial 3 months ago in playlist Liked
Cruel and sad! But i thanks to you for show it to us. Now i will think in Solomon and his family every time that i've hear this song. From Costa Rica, central américa, thankyou grandmagrumpy!
MrROYALGAR 3 months ago 3
thanks for your romantic support...but this shit is no where near the one with the actual lyrics and melodies that makes us happy...I'm not african so your tribal chants don't make me chill...I don't give a fuck...I only care for the lion to get a sleep tonight...fuck solomon
06drskull 3 months ago
@06drskull and if it weren't for this solomon linda, you won't even have lions sleeping tonight. grow up.
wthppl 3 months ago
@06drskull no, you go fuck your transexual mother
madscientistify 3 months ago
so great :)
MrDSCarminia 3 months ago
Ok ok, Solomon Linda wrote this song, we get it.
But why is everybody pissing on Disney? They used the song in The Lion King, yes. But that's 1994. The song was already very well known, thanks to The Weavers (1952), Miriam Makeba (1960), The Tokens (1961) and many others.
Disney just used a song about africa which everybody knew to feature 15 seconds as a joke in a movie. Disney earned millions with the movie, not with the song.
fluffytom82 4 months ago 2
@fluffytom82
good on you, Someone has to defend truth. Where truth is recognised and acknowledged, it generally has the effect to prevent more blood from being spilled.
stanibol 4 months ago 3
@fluffytom82 That song earned over 15 million dollars from it just being in the Lion King... You know how much Linda got? He got 3000$ added to his estate every year, and eventually his family got a settlement 60-70 somewhat years later.
So yes, that does kind of piss me off when someone else get accredited for something they didn't do.
TheJenBong 3 months ago
@TheJenBong Oh for god's sake... It is sung for not even 30 seconds, out of tune as a joke because it is an african song in an african movie, they didn't even use it completely. If you want to shit on people, shit on Makeba or on the Tokens. THEY made the song popular without crediting Solomon Linda, not Disney. Disney used it BECAUSE it is a popular song. Do you credit Mozart every time you sing Twinkle Twinkle Littel Star? I don't think so...
fluffytom82 3 months ago
@fluffytom82 Well I guess I'll shit on Lucy's record label/manager/people/whatever since they failed to ever get it copyrighted... But whatever..
And I never sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star... But the song itself was written by Ann and Jane Taylor, the melody came from Mozart's Ah vous dirai-je, Maman... Just a little fact.
TheJenBong 3 months ago
@TheJenBong Well... if you look at it that way there's no problem with The Lion King either. In The Lion King they sing "awimoweh" but Solomon sang "uyimbube". So it's a different song and he shouldn't be credited :P
(just messing with ya, no offence! I just said Twinkle Twinkle since 99% of all english speakers have never heard of Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman and no matter which lyric you put on the melody, it stays the same song)
fluffytom82 3 months ago
@TheJenBong Anyway, Disney has used the version of The Weavers, for which they did pay some royalties. And you have to be honnest, the song as we know it today only resembles remotely the one Solomon Linda recorded. If I hadn't read the comments to this video, I probably wouldn't even have recognised it...
fluffytom82 3 months ago
@fluffytom82 What are you smoking? This is obviously the same song at the heart. Can you really not hear it? It's clear as a bell. If you are serious when you say "If I hadn't read the comments to this video, I probably wouldn't even have recognised it..." then I am shaking my head in disbelief.
pyenapple 3 months ago
@pyenapple There is a similarity with the "wimoweh" part and with the falsetto line ("oooooh ooh ooh ooh wiyawumoweh"), but that's only a small part of the song, the accompaniment. The melody onto which "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight" is sung is not in there.
fluffytom82 3 months ago
@TheJenBong right an that has as much connection as this does to the tokens version
syngar99 3 months ago
@fluffytom82 Sincerely, i never "pissing" on Disney and certanly not by taking this melody at one of my favourite animations movie, but it doesn´t depend of how much money earned with the movie or the song, the real question is remuneratering whom is the real owner of the music, in that case 4 poor (nowadays not so) girls, who lived into misery and poverty. I´ve just put the reasons a little further down, but in spanish xD
tamadax 2 months ago
@tamadax My problem is that
1) Disney could have used any song, they just used a worldwide popular song about the jungle, they didn't "steal" anything
2) the movie didn't make so much money because of that song
3) Solomon SOLD the song, so it wasn't his anymore, nor his daughters'. Ok, some say he didn't get enough, others say it only became popular after other people made arrangements.
I looked for your Spanish comment but didn't see it... :(
fluffytom82 2 months ago
@tamadax Found it :)
So if my Spanish is still ok, you say that if someone sells his rights to a song, 25 years after his death his offspring gets these rights back? Very strange, never heard of it and it has never before been applied. Take John Lennon's music, for example. He's been dead for 30 years now, but the rights of his music are not his family's.
fluffytom82 2 months ago
@fluffytom82 it's a little complex... when Solomon makes the song (1939) the Imp. Copyright Act was valid (this juridic british rule was obsolete since 1965, this is why all following affairs subsequent to that date which share their conditions with Salomon - Like John L's music - have no legal support)
In spite of all, the real bastards were Folkways and Ambilen Music, not Disney. But such as i said previously, you must pay whatever rights songs you use if it isn't yours
tamadax 2 months ago
@tamadax If someone files a complaint now, current rules must be applied. One cannot be obliged to obey a law from 1939 which isn't valid anymore.
Anyway... YES, if you use music which isn't yours you have to pay for it. But Disney did pay for it, to Folkways/Abilene Music Publishers. The fact that they are now refuted as being "owner" of the right or not, is not Disney's problem. At the time the movie was made, Folkways was the official owner and Disney paid them.
fluffytom82 2 months ago
@fluffytom82 that's the problem, at the time when the movie was made, Folkways wasn't the official owner of the song, because when Regina (Salomon´s wife) sold Folkways the rights of the song at 1992 in cocept to a new transfer of it to Ambilen Music by one dollar, this rights wasn't already of anyone of them. It was property of a testamentary administration since 1987 (25 years from Salomon dead)
tamadax 2 months ago
@tamadax Solomon sold South Afrika and UK rights to Gallo Records. Gallo was later (in the 40's) incorporated into Folkways giving them all the rights to all their music. In the 50's, Solomon sold the worldwide rights to Folkways for $1000.
As I said, though the amounts are ridiculously small, he got paid for the rights to the song and in my eyes cannot claim anything.
It is like inventing a new lemonade, sell it for $5 to Coca Cola, see it make billions and than claim part of the earnings...
fluffytom82 2 months ago
@fluffytom82 Gallo was never incorporated into folkways and no fucking way Solomon sold this rights to Folkways by 1000$, are you kidding me?? The only profit that solomon recived was ten shilings by selling Mbube rights to Gallo Record Company. Review your information sources
tamadax 2 months ago
@tamadax Ok, small rectification: he didn't sell them for $1000, they offered him that money and he accepted. As far as I know, Solomon himself didn't "complain" anymore, and 10 years or so later he died.
His children/grandchildren now see how much money they could have gotten out of the song. That's why they complain. (without pointing fingers, I would probably do the same ^^)
fluffytom82 2 months ago
@tamadax Everybody agrees that Solomon got scammed. It is a pity, but people get scammed all over the world, every day. We shouldn't cry over something that happened 72 years ago, and certainly not blaming a big company. Some of the comments here make it look like Disney is directly responsible for the fact that Solomon died in poverty. That's not true. He died in poverty because he sold his song for not enough money, that's all. If he was smarter, he could have earned a lot. Shit happens...
fluffytom82 2 months ago
@fluffytom82 it´s a hard thinking line but... you have reason. Salomon was scammed as many other people along history in the world, and they will go on... fortunately (time to time) there´s some laws that, independently of someone intelligence, siliness or any quality, they make something so necessary as justice. The people who put down all responsability upon Disney may be could read a little before talking
and as you say... shit happens...
tamadax 2 months ago
@fluffytom82 just because thats the way it is, doesn't mean thats the way it ought to be. whining and crying are necessary sometimes
tattleboad 3 weeks ago
@tattleboad Sometimes it could be helpful, yes. But this just stinks of "easy money making". Dozens of artists covered the song, they never started a law suit. But now a muli-million dollar company uses it, they smell the green bank notes and they start complaining.
Imagine your grandfather sold his car in 1960 for a small amount of money. That same car is worth a fortune now. Would you be whining to the buyer because he didn't pay enough at the time? I don't think so...
fluffytom82 3 weeks ago
@fluffytom82 i don't care about a lawsuit or money, i just hate big corporations like disney, and sometimes people need to rail against them
tattleboad 3 weeks ago
@tattleboad So everybody should try to break big companies just because they don't like them? That's kinda selfish, isn't it?
Don't forget that you have internet access thanks to those companies and Youtube wouldn't exist without them. You would still be growing your own vegetables in your garden and walk to school (without books of course, since editors are big companies as well) and half of your town would be unemployed.
fluffytom82 3 weeks ago
@fluffytom82 no its not selfish for people who hate big companies to speak out against them. whether or not we'd be better off with companies or without them is meaningless and depends on your own interpretation
tattleboad 3 weeks ago
@tattleboad It actually isn't a matter of interpretation at all; large corporations are responsible for providing nearly every aspect of the daily lives of Westerners. No one really wants to destroy large corporations; protestors want to eradicate corruption and ill-gotten gains. Anyone who truly just wishes to undermine large corporations for the sake of it is little more than a scoundrel.
Cosuin 3 weeks ago
@Cosuin not everyone agrees on what good is, its as simple as that
tattleboad 3 weeks ago
@fluffytom82 Not exactly. Intellectual property is different than a car. The family acted under the Charles Dickens provision. This allowed them to renegotiate the terms of royalties 25 years after the his death. Even if the creator made a mistake of producing a record with no royalties provisions.
Imagine if your grandfather wrote the Lord of the Rings, Superman, or created most of the Marvel characters? Properties ranking in millions but they made a bad deal. You wouldn't sue? They sure did!
buddablz 3 weeks ago
@buddablz Many things factor in: shortsightedness of the creator, bad contract, or no idea the profit that a property can have in a new medium. The families of these creators don't need to suffer.
buddablz 3 weeks ago
@buddablz But why didn't they do it before? Why did they wait until a company like Disney used the song? Right. Because they knew that they might get a shitload of money from Disney, and not from Makeba or The Weavers or anyone else. In my eyes they don't do it "out of respect" for Solomon Linda, but out of greed. Out of pure selfishness.
fluffytom82 3 weeks ago
(cont.) If my grandfather would have created Superman and would have sold it to Marvel, I would be sad now because my grandfather has made a wrong choice. But I would not sue Marvel. They obtaines the character rightfully and it is not my job to alter my grandfather's decisions. That's called respect.
But hey, you americans sue Whirlpool because it isn't mentioned in the manual that you shouldn't put a cat in the washing machine. Your relation with the law is different than ours.
fluffytom82 3 weeks ago
@fluffytom82 An idea is contagious and spreads wildly like a disease with its influence. It doesn't matter if you only brought up the germ of the idea. For example, explaining the concept of the Harvard Connection to a would be partner. You can't easily just say "eat it up for eternity" After a certain amount of years the rights can be challenged by the family and be totally within their right to do so. Many corporations have to renew copyrights to keep them from the public domain.
buddablz 2 weeks ago
@buddablz Many corporations fight over ownership when it's time to reassess ownership. As was the case with Superman: in the 70s roughly 30+ years after his inception DC wanted to make a new arrangement with the creators. If they relinquish their control they could get the credit that they had been fighting for. But it's totally within the families rights' to challenge it again 30+ years later. DC did it first. With Linda's family, it's not about greed. They weren't aware they could do anything.
buddablz 2 weeks ago
@buddablz They were proud of the song's influence but lived in poverty for decades. They never thought to challenge it. What brought their lawsuit was a dedicated lawyer and a Rolling Stone journalist who wanted to help his family. They're not sitting in a Bentley right now. The money was set up for a trust. The Charles Dickens provision wasn't made for an easy paycheck. It was to ensure the creator's family wouldn't live in poverty while companies rake in millions.
buddablz 2 weeks ago
@buddablz Dickens provision which they have won wouldn't have been effective anytime prior to 1987. As for Disney, in the last 20 years who has brought the song to its highest impact in pop culturally relevancy? Ace Ventura? Disney was the largest target but that doesn't mean their the only one. Nobody reading an article is going to care about how much a pop folk group had to pay. I'm sure record companies have to pay out royalties as well. $15 million to settle the error and $3,000 a year.
buddablz 2 weeks ago
@buddablz $3,000 a year isn't bad considering that the corporation makes way more than that. How much do the Tokens earn a year in royalties from the song to which they have the greater influence? Yeah, a whole lot more than $3,000 a year not counting the cash it took for Disney to gain the rights to use it. Lion King continues to print money on Broadway and 3D.
buddablz 2 weeks ago
@fluffytom82 When you used a song in one of your movie you have to know who sung it for pay him . It's just logic , that's what everybody do. Yes they earned millions with the movie but the song is one of the famous moment of the movie !
DjDonrt 2 months ago
@DjDonrt Quand tu utilises une chanson dans un film, une publicité, une exposition, un bal populaire, n'importe où ou comment, il faut payer celui qui possède les droits de cette chanson. Dans ce cas spécifique, Solomon Linda n'était pas propriétaire des droits mondiales. Disney a bien payé Folkways, le propriétaire de la chanson.
De plus, selon ton raisonnement, il faut exiger que tous les autres paient aussi (comme The Weavers, Yma Sumac, Miriam Makeba,...). C'est faux de ne viser que Disney.
fluffytom82 2 months ago
@fluffytom82 Ah tu parles Français ? Loool . Le truc c'est que ses filles n'ont pas décidées d'un coup de porter plainte comme ça , certes disney ne savaient pas que la musique venait de lui donc dans un premier temps elles ont voulut négocier à l'amiable et disney leur a proposée qu'une maigre somme (alors que cette chanson a raportée des millions à plusieurs artistes) d'ailleurs disney n'était pas le seuk sur le banc des accusés , les maisons de disques etc étaient aussi comprises
DjDonrt 2 months ago
@fluffytom82 c'est d'ailleurs pr ça que décision a été prises que désormais partout où passera la musique du lion sleep et ses dérivées la famille touchera automatiquement de l'argent dessus , donc les "sanctions" ne se sont pas appliqués seulement à Disney j'te rassure , Miriam Makeba elle est une artiste sud africaine , les sud africains sont assez patriotes entre eux donc je pense pas que le fait que elle ai repri la chanson aient pu les dérangées elles
DjDonrt 2 months ago
@fluffytom82 (sorry for my english , i'm french)
DjDonrt 2 months ago
@DjDonrt that 's ok.. I'm dutch.. wha'ever
TheCatch62 1 month ago
if disney owns this, this world has no meaning anymore..
psykon 4 months ago 2
Thank you all for the history to the song. I first heard it as the signature tune to a 50's black and white BBC TV long-running series. Everyone I knew was intrigued to learn who was singing this haunting but we did not have the internet in those days that we could interrogate. I walked out on a very expensive concert when the star for his finale, sang the 'pop' version with those awful "Lion sleeps..." words. I never, ever thought I would hear that original version again, Thank you! Thank you!
Johnoftheway 5 months ago
The story of this song illustrates that excellence is a combination of individual brilliance and building on the work of earlier generations.
Possibly influenced by much older Zulu songs, Soloman Linda laid down this melody and idea in 1939 South Africa. The musical historian Alan Lomax brought a recording to America, and subsequent generations of artists from the Weavers to the Tokens to Disney to other African artists have each reinvented their version.
fortinbras47 5 months ago
brings tears to my eyes
tweepixie 5 months ago
Wonderful, thanks for posting! I loved hearing the original melodic line :D Truly, this song is a classic :) Sigh. I wish I had a lion... :P
NicoleTirona 5 months ago
You can say the disney version was inspired by this but they added significant new content to the song. Being said some small percentage of royalties is deserving and probably has a better chance of bettering society from the bottom up than the top down.
cifey 6 months ago
Please. My post here is just to pay my respect to Soloman.
tomsbumboy 7 months ago 32
@tomsbumboy : And you did, THANK YOU :)
NicoleTirona 5 months ago
excellent, thank you! Mama Africa rules!
buddyeagle 7 months ago
ganz links ist will smith
4DjRol4 7 months ago
Disney steals a lot of things i have thought that they were evil for most of my life. Possibly we should cry "DEATH TO DISNEY!!" ?
LadyArtemis1975 8 months ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
@LadyArtemis1975 If it wasn't for disney, I wouldn't even know this song up until now. Thank God disney used this. Beautiful song.
sniperal03 8 months ago
@LadyArtemis1975 No we should not say "death to Disney". Think of it another way. Perhaps they went about it wrong, taking the song without permission and using it for financial gain. That is wrong. But I feel in a way we should be grateful that happened. Because of that, small children all of the world have been blessed with hearing this beautiful ancient African music, that they otherwise would never have heard. It is because of that I have gained a love and admiration for African music. <3
S5ate99lit3e 5 months ago
@LadyArtemis1975 Too late! The last family connection to the Disney family,
Roy Disney, (Walt's nephew) died last December 2010. Now it is just
a Corporation bent on shoving people through the gates of the parks like
cattle. You can definitely tell a difference! At Disney World this July 2011
they kept hundreds of people waiting for hours in 90 degree heat while 3
trams to the parking lots slowly carried visitors out. Other trams sat there
unused, but the Corp won't spend money on drivers!
GooglFascists 2 months ago
@GooglFascists He's not the last link, theres plenty of disney family members still alive!
OneWingedSephiroth 2 months ago
The Lion Sleeps Tonight sounds NOTHING like this song. MOst of LST is original and it was that version which was featured briefly in The Lion KIng. BTW I love all the people complaining here have no problem when rappers steal Oh sorry, "sample" music from other songs for their rap songs.
clevelandphil 8 months ago
@clevelandphil yeah, they pay royalties; ya know, give money to the holder of rights of the sample. This man got NOTHING. Are you stupid or something that you don't understand that? The Disney version of this song (despite your deaf ears that think they don't sound alike) made US$15 million alone. Do you think it is fair that this man - or his family - should not be paid for HIS music? You think it's fair that Disney should be paid the royalties for a song they stole?
roller325 8 months ago 3
@roller325 The only thing The Lion King stole was from Kimba. That's it.
clevelandphil 8 months ago
@roller325
1) Disney used a song that has been popular all around the world since the 1950's, they didn't "steal" it
2) this might be the oldest recording of the song, but if I understand correctly it is a traditional song from South Africa, so he doesn't have any right to royalties either
3) Disney does - as far as I know - NOT get royalties for this song, only for its use in the movie
4) the $15M is the money the song made with all covers and merchandising together (Makeba, The Tokens,...)
fluffytom82 5 months ago
@fluffytom82
solomon linda wrote this song in the 20s
OrangeSaint420 5 months ago
@fluffytom82 No, it is not a traditional song, this was the first version of this song, ever.
jpenns 4 months ago
@jpenns Its a myth Miriam Makeba unintentionally helped spread that its a traditional song. There is no eveidence whatsoever of this songs existence before Solomon Linda.
Kwekwe 4 months ago in playlist musicas
@fluffytom82 "Mbube" was written in the 1920s by Solomon Linda...
gecko0prod0inc 4 months ago
@fluffytom82 Its a myth Miriam Makeba unintentionally helped spread that its a traditional song. There is no evidence whatsoever of this songs existence before Solomon Linda. He always maintained he created this melody and it was his own original compostion, although in the traditional zulu singing style.
Kwekwe 4 months ago in playlist musicas
@Kwekwe Anyway, this is only the "accompaniment". There is nothing of the melody to which "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight" is sung in this song... And I'm sure this "wimoweh" thingy has been used in 1.000 other songs.
fluffytom82 3 months ago
@fluffytom82 The "Wimoweh" sound/chant originates from this song but yes I do agree with you there, although I feel this is a superb song in itsw own right, its only the last few bars of the song I recognise as being the origin of Lion Sleeps Tonight
Kwekwe 3 months ago
@clevelandphil Are you deaf? I think you must be to say "The Lion Sleeps Tonight sounds NOTHING like this song".
alvaskins 7 months ago
@alvaskins The original melodic line is evident starting from 0:20 onwards. If you're waiting to hear the LYRICS, they weren't added till 1951. This is the original recording from 1939. (Duh.)
NicoleTirona 5 months ago
@NicoleTirona Really? ;)
alvaskins 5 months ago
@alvaskins Sorry Alvaskins! Wrong "Reply" button! =)) That was supposed to be for clevelandphil, but in connection to YOUR comment. Wahahahaha, how embarassing =)) Must. Get. Used. To. This. =))
NicoleTirona 5 months ago
@alvaskins and @LadyArtemis1975... First of all... if you listen to the melody of this recording... you will clearly hear the melody of The Lion Sleeps Tonight... without words. If you don't hear it, you may want to get your hearing checked. Secondly... Disney had NOTHING to do with the Tokens version of the Lion Sleeps other than the fact that they used it for the Lion King.
1FoolTooMany 5 months ago
@1FoolTooMany lol. That's what I said.
alvaskins 5 months ago
@clevelandphil
check the language; the song is about the king (lion) dying(sleeping)
and wimoweh is a corruption of the native word
12qw34er56rt 6 months ago
At 2'23" Solomon sings a high pitch melody which became The Tokens vocal intro.
A clear proof that he created about 96 percent of this worldfamous song. All the rest is later studio production.
zapspace 8 months ago 2
this is so beautiful and pure
TheWeamz 8 months ago
My little boy likes this version. Of course he also likes the Nylons version, lol. Oh & he likes Pete Seger/Weavers, teh new christy Mintrels version... Ladysmith - & whichever version's matched up to that spongebob cartoon...come to think of it, I haven't found a version yet he won't sing along to...
What a soulful song...
Thank you for sharing this so the world can hear the ORIGINAL RECORDING that started it all...
mythtree 8 months ago
I'm glad they wrote this song...However i think the tokens did a better version!
SlickJ360 9 months ago
Veces como esta, que la versión supera con creces la canción original...
unacanciontriste 9 months ago
I'm all for rule of law, but there are times when common human decency requires that it be transcended.
The heirs of Mr Linda shouldn't have had to sue. Disney should have voluntarily given them a big cut. That wouldn't have violated the company's duty to its shareholders. On the contrary, it would have been great PR.
Legal issues aside, I like Jimmy Cliff's version and this version the best!
blue222blue 10 months ago 2
i play this for my family & friends & they cant believe it. it is a rare beauty.
1954jer 10 months ago
They use it in "Coming to America" as well this version...Wow thnx for posting. I thought Disney originated this as well. Wow.
oladeusa 10 months ago
@oladeusa The song on "Coming to America" is the same song, but was done by ladysmith black mambazo.
MountainDewThursday 10 months ago
Like a train... I had never made that connection until I discovered this gem.
Thanks for posting! And screw you, Disney.
screwyou 10 months ago
I can't believe I never knew "the lion sleeps tonight" was based off of this. I don't like how the original meaning of the song is lost in the disney-ified version. I like this better. I think it's sad how Soloman Linda never held copyright to his own song. =( He could have lived the life of a very well off man seeing how much this song made.. sigh..
silentstarz16 11 months ago 3
@silentstarz16 In fact, Solomon Linda was very successful. George Weiss was not.
Zappamaniac 10 months ago
money makes the world go round or why else do u thing the world is round?!
spoiledkid999 11 months ago
george weiss is disgusting for what he did.
blackroseimmortal11 11 months ago 2
@blackroseimmortal11 what did he do?
spear9022 10 months ago
@spear9022 he claimed it was his own composition and added a few enlgish lyrics. so he got all the money. it isn't disney's fault. its george weisses
blackroseimmortal11 10 months ago
@blackroseimmortal11 what a bastard
spear9022 10 months ago
Wow! So different from the song everyone now knows! I just now learned of the original song myself, and thank goodness it's uploaded!
DJCandyManMike 11 months ago
B-E-A-utiful!
brillantegenio 11 months ago
the best cover of solomon linda's song was sung by his late daughter a truly beautiful song
MrMonkey1606 1 year ago
2:23 made history
01tnql 1 year ago 3
amazing
8nanagirl8 1 year ago
In another vid the person posting the vid says that this is actually a prayer for the return of Shaka Zulu, that he is the 'Sleeping Lion' and that the heartfelt singing is hope that he will return as he was such a great and mighty leader. I think that's awesome :)
TheNZNick 1 year ago
The Danish version "vimmersvej" maked by newly death Fleming Bamse,
R.I.P. to Bamse we miss you.
Hitman3310 1 year ago
@Hitman3310 indeed r.i.p, dont gewt me wrong, though i think that version is horrible, and a disgrace to the original.. its fu*king about a girl who walks around with no pants on.. yeah. a disgrace.
Arhtify 1 year ago
Damn that guy on the left looks tall
ElJefer 1 year ago
@ElJefer
Yes he does! And that's Solomon Linda himself.
DJCandyManMike 11 months ago
i dont know why but i get goosebumps when i listen to this!
01tnql 1 year ago
Wow, the original version of the song! Thanks for posting!
carapo66 1 year ago
so brilliant. I teared up a little bit
HowAboutSicilia 1 year ago
such a beautiful song.... solomon linda was an amazing artist of his time. its good to know that after nearly 72 years and countless of generations within that his original tune is still a popular amongst the various cultures of the world today. amazing
sxxxcq 1 year ago
i love this tune even more since i've heard these men sing it. i listen more to it than the 1 by the tokens & they did a great job too.
1954jer 1 year ago
Look what these few men created!!!!
highphlyer 1 year ago
fuckin' genius :)
D0TeK 1 year ago
The song speaks of real soul and character, What i see on the young men's faces are HOPE and Peace.. He didn't die rich, He died a legend.
debigrl 1 year ago
God Bless the African music! The beggining of a lot of the music we hear today.
pedro160374 1 year ago
He certainly didn't sell it to Disney, like all intellectual material it belongs to it's creator.
mreloid 1 year ago
Well if he sold the song years earlier, what's the problem? It didn't really get popular until the 50's and the do woppers, and then when Disney used it. Without that it would have been forgotten Suddenly the folks want to renegotiate. It sounds like greed goes both ways.
grandmagrumpy 1 year ago
@grandmagrumpy Take off your capitalist glasses for a moment and put yourself in the shoes of that family. Solomon Linda died of renal failure in '62, 1 year after The Tokens had a HUGE hit using HIS song. He didn't even get a gravestone until 18 years after his death! Much later, Disney made millions reusing it yet again. What looks to you as greed looks to the family of Solomon Linda as justice, I firmly believe. Stop seeing money as the key to everything, you'll understand more of the world.
pyenapple 1 year ago 93
@pyenapple
As the indians use to say "When food will be gone you won't be able to eat on money"
Hell0black 9 months ago 2
@pyenapple
I couldn't have said it better!
Babyhowdy233 4 months ago in playlist The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)
@pyenapple Danke für diese Aufnahme: Es ist das bekannteste Lied der Welt.
MisterDinomann 4 months ago
@pyenapple Very well said! I couldn't agree more,not put it better myself!
plopnod 3 months ago
@plopnod Cheers. :)
pyenapple 3 months ago
@pyenapple the token version is only nominally reminiscent of this. i am sorry it may be solomans song, but its nothing to write home about
syngar99 3 months ago in playlist The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)
@syngar99 So is your cock, but you are still proud of it, aren't you?
azynkron 3 months ago
@azynkron lol witty response, nothing like a personal attack as opposed to an actual point.
syngar99 3 months ago
@grandmagrumpy He didn't sell the song. I don't believe he got credit until much later, long after he was dead.
IamNowJMAN 1 year ago
@IamNowJMAN ""Mbube" was a major success for Linda and the Evening Birds, reportedly selling over 100,000 copies in South Africa by 1949. The recording was produced by Motsieloa at the Gallo Recording Studios, in Johannesburg. Linda sold the rights to Gallo Record Company for 10 shillings (less than $US 2) shortly after the recording was made, but under British laws then in effect, those rights should have reverted to Linda's heirs 25 years after his death in 1962." - wikipedia
leobold0612 1 year ago
@leobold0612 wow!
CopeTeleVision 1 year ago
Fucking brilliant!
Tomiitoz 1 year ago
I can't believe that she died in poverty whereas she created this beautiful and successful song ..
Andtimecandosomuch 1 year ago
@Andtimecandosomuch solomon linda was a man
SunshineIsDaShit 1 year ago
@Andtimecandosomuch He. Solomon Ntsele, known by his clan name "Linda," was a man. Since the 2006 settlement, his heirs will be taken care of.
But yes, Mr. Linda died in 1962, a year after the Tokens made a #1 hit out of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." I can't help but wonder if he could have gotten better health care if he had gotten his royalties.
ImperialistRunningDo 1 year ago
This is SO FREEKIN COOL!!!!!!! I LOOOOVE THIS and Ladysmith Black Mambazo
yarekhunt 1 year ago
This is SO FREEKIN COOL!!!!!!!
yarekhunt 1 year ago
you are wrong about the tokens my friend , they were not the ones holding up money to the estate of the Late and great Solomon Linda , was and is Mr Wiesse who takes credit for the 10 words the lion sleeps tonight who gets all the money from this song and refuses to share any of it , he is the low life .
truck87654321 1 year ago 2
The original song brings tears to my eyes because it was a long journey for the group to get recognition and rights to the lion song. Its a song that can't be mastered by lyrics but experience in a region to demonstate repitition and technique. In others words its not merely lyrics, harmony, crescendo and descrendos but solely acoustic in accapela vocally. The marvles of creating sound without carved instruments but gift for immitation of sound representing something not a story.
zjones1222 1 year ago
Pay Attention. Pay Money. And pay with a piece of your Soul to this!
Arschkratzer 1 year ago
Wow wee - Thank you Mr. Linda - God Bless you
earthmumlic 1 year ago
hear this. no, better yet, LISTEN to this. and recognize the roots of musical harmony. it's from within. no vocal teacher can teach it to you.
justasilly1 1 year ago
Soloman Linda, you were a musical genius, and I thank Wikipedia and Youtube for educating me on the true history of this song. May your name be the one remembered with this song. RIP.
Soda008 1 year ago
His song is world famous and he died poor. Cruelty of life. Solomon Linda RIP.
Clnization 1 year ago 3
aaww dude this is the piece whut i allways lookin for. fuck the tokens faggs
missgefick 1 year ago
Screw Disney, Nazi sympathizing Bastard!
mattjohnkearney 1 year ago
If the tokens hadn't sang this song no one would of heard of it .
mrmalcolmgn 1 year ago
@mrmalcolmgn The Tokens were not the first to popularize this song.
imhotep1 1 year ago 2
yahoo brought me here
electrodinobot 1 year ago
@superjackslash.. i do know wat is real music.. i like this song but at first i didn't becuase i didn't heard it all... and i'm not an idiot..
jonatha0n 1 year ago
i always thought karl denver was the original singer to this.thanks for posting now i know who original singers are what terrific voices they have first time i have heard them.
PETROBETS 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
a i still think that the version of the tokens is better to this shit..
jonatha0n 1 year ago
@jonatha0n Ignorant shite. This vid is to pay homage to the original artist not to give props on whose version is better. Respect the orginals but enjoy the modern- without them none of todays would be where they are today
peacebuntou 1 year ago
@jonatha0n . It just shows that you are not a real music lover! Idiot!
SuperJackslash 1 year ago
Wow, and I never knew the Tokens ripped the song off.
gotch09 1 year ago
@gotch09 Tokens got it from The Weavers.
woodfold 1 year ago
better than any hip-hop sample!!!!!!!!
svendiamond 1 year ago
amazing, thx for uploading :)
TheSitara 1 year ago
hahaha der erste sieht aus wie will smith xD
LinkinPark1712 1 year ago
There is a great BBC podcast documentary that talks about the evolution of this song. Either way Solomon Linda died in poverty.
bikeni 1 year ago
wow, what a find to hear the original by the songwriter and his group, just great great great
songwriter77 1 year ago
The story here is so ugly, and yet, one has to give credit. George Weiss was given this tune to "work" into a western-style acceptable pop piece and he did a great job with it, with the Tokens making this the monster it is today.
The real issue is that the money never went to Solomon or to his surviving sisters until a killer lawsuit against Disney finally forced "the Mouse' to pay up for the use of it in "The Lion KIng." His sisters finally got a check.
LFinn98 1 year ago