In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle

Absolutely fascinating story about the origins of one of my favorite songs, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" appears in today's New York Times. The main theme -- ah wimoweh ah wimoweh -- was written in 1939 and recorded shortly later by a group of impoverished beer hall singers in Africa.

The song netted them very little but stuck in the heads of many folkies who loved old melodies. Pete Seeger and The Kingsman recorded bastardized versions and then a doo-wop version was recorded in the early sixties by The Tokens with a new title: The Lion Sleeps Tonight. It was a huge hit and was re-recorded in several languages and then redone for Disney's The Lion King.

The rest of the story is sadly familiar to anyone who likes a pop music story. The composer died penniless with several children after signing away the song's rights for mere dollars. His children, the ones who survived, are now suiing for rayalties, which could easily reach into the millions.

Great story, nice graphics and some neat audio clips. Check it out.