The Tokens initially felt embarrassed by “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and tried to persuade producers not to release it. Despite their concerns that the song sounded dated and uncool, RCA producers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore believed its novelty appeal could make it a hit, and it went on to top the charts for three weeks.

The Brooklyn doo-wop group, including brothers Philip and Mitch Margo, recorded a reworking of Solomon Linda’s 1939 song “Mbube”, popularised in the “Wimoweh” tradition. Following their earlier success with “Tonight I Fell in Love”, the young group had signed a three-year RCA deal; their supposedly embarrassing recording ultimately sold about 3.5 million copies and generated substantial royalties and licensing income.