Warner Brothers signed The Tokens 'Bright Tunes Production' firm as independent producers at the beginning of January 1967. The following month they joined Warner Bros. as artists.
Critical and commercial success followed with hit singles and albums for W. Bros & Buddah, a very busy and eventful 8 years ensued. As vocalists The Tokens had releases on five record labels under four group names and continued having chart hitters, the last of these was a top 30 hit as Cross Country in 1973. They were still operating their B.T. Puppy label, singing background vocals and writing for artists on a variety of labels as well as continuing their financially successful radio and TV jingle work.
As producers & writers the early - mid 70s were possibly their most profitable time with worldwide hits for Dawn. It got to the stage that I couldn't bear to switch on the radio knowing that "Tie A Yellow Ribbon", "Candida" or "Knock Three Times"...et al would be bouncing out of the speakers but heck, each to his own and you can't knock success.
With your help more info can be added to achieve a greater understanding of The Tokens recorded output. Send an email with any additions, corrections or confirmations all help given will be acknowledged in the CREDITS, likewise if you have comments to make I'd be pleased to hear them.
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| *1 | Portrait Of My Love (Ornadel, West) |
She Comes And Goes (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
Arr. & Cond. Jimmy Wisner | K51233 K51231 |
Warner Bros. 5900 | 03/67 |
| *2 | It's A Happening World
(Mann, Weil) |
How Nice (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
Arr. Jimmy Wisner | K51291 K51294 |
Warner Bros. 7056 | 07/67 |
| *3 | Il Volto Del Mio Amore (Cyril-Ornadel, D. West, Laricci) |
It's A Happening World
(Mann, Weil) |
Arr. & Cond. Jimmy Wisner | Italian Warner Bros. 1031 | 10/67 |
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| Ain't That Peculiar
(Rogers, Tarplin, Moore, Robinson) |
Bye, Bye, Bye (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
Arr. Norman Bergen |
K51349 K51232 |
Warner Bros. 7099 | 12/67 | |
| Till
(Sigman, Danvers) |
Poor Man (Medress, Margo, Margo, Siegel) |
Arr. Norman Bergen Arr. by Jimmy Wisner |
K51355 K51298 |
Warner Bros. 7169 | 02/68 |
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| *4 | Mister Snail (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
Needles Of Evergreen
(Brute Force) |
Arr. Norman Bergen | K51356 K51351 |
Warner Bros. 7183 | 03/68 |
| *5 | Animal
(Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
Bathroom Wall (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
K51385 L51387 |
Warner Bros. 7202 | 06/68 | |
| The Banana Boat Song
(Arkin, Darling, Carey) |
Grandfather (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
L51393 K51292 |
Warner Bros. 7233 | 09/68 | ||
| *5 | Some People Sleep
(Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
The World Is Full Of Wonderful Things (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
L51448 L51484 |
Warner Bros. 7255 | 12/68 |
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| *6 | Go Away Little Girl/Young Girl
(Goffin, King, Fuller) |
I Want To Make Love To You (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
Arr. & Cond. Norman Bergen Arr. by Mitch Margo |
M51522 L51488 |
Warner Bros. 7280 | 04/69 |
| *5 | I Could Be
(Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
End Of The World (Kent, Dee) |
Arr. Mitch Margo Arr. & Cond. Norman Bergen |
L51386 M51524 |
Warner Bros. 7323 | 07/69 |
| *7 | Side 1: "Winoweh 5 1/2 Years Later" (J. Hamiph), "Sunset See My Sadness" (S Friedland), "Grey City Day" (Kahan, Friedland), "Grandfather" (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel), "She Comes And Goes" (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel), "Perhaps, The Joy Of Giving" (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel), "Poor Man" (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) Side 2: "It's A Happening World" (Mann, Weil), "How Nice?" (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel), "For All That I Am" (Kahan, Friedland), "Bye, Bye, Bye" (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel), "The Purpose Of A Circus" (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel), "Portrait Of My Love" (Orndell, West) Selected credits. Recording Engineer: Bill MacMeekin / Audio Engineer: Brooks Arthur / Arrangements by Jimmy "Wiz" Wisner and The Tokens / Accompanist for The Tokens: Shenny Brown |
08/67 |
*1 *2 *3 *4 *5 *6 *7 Click here for Notes
| All the production credits for Warner Bros. Seven Arts Records note "Produced by The Tokens for Bright Tunes Productions, Inc." |
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| *1 | Billboard chart No. 36, 27th May 1967 | |
| *2 | Billboard chart No. 69, 22nd July 1967 | |
| *3 | Italian language release of "Portrait Of My Love" | |
| *4 | The Tokens but released as Margo, Margo, Medress & Siegel. | |
| *5 | "Animal", "Bathroom Wall", "Some People Sleep", "The World Is Full Of Wonderful Things", "I Want To Make Love To You" and "I Could Be" were all tracks belatedly released on the B. T. Puppy album "Intercource". | |
| *6 | Billboard chart No. 120, 26th April 1969 (See also note *5 for flip-side) |
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| *7 | I'm surprised not to find a chart placing for this LP if I've missed one please get in touch. |
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| *1 | She Lets Her Hair Down (Early In The Morning)
(P. Vance, L. Carr) |
Oh To Get Away (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) |
Arr. & Cond. by Norm Bergen No Arr. credit |
5310 5314 |
Buddah 151 | 12/69 |
| *2 | Don't Worry Baby
(Wilson, Christian, Tokens) |
Some People Sleep (Mitch Margo) |
Eng. Gene Radice, Arr. & Cond. Norm Bergen No Arr. credit |
5329 5330 |
Buddah 159 | 03/70 |
| *3 | Both Sides Now
(J Mitchell) |
I Could See Me (Dancin' With You) (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegal) |
Eng. Gene Radice, Arr. & Cond. Norm Bergen Arr. & Prod. The Tokens |
5359 5360 |
Buddah 174 | 06/70 |
| Groovin' On The Sunshine - Sesame Street
(Robert Allen - Bruce Hart, Jon Stone, Joe Rapose) |
Listen To The Words, Listen To The Music (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegal) |
Eng. Bill Radice, Arr. & Cond. Norm Bergen | 5385 5386 |
Buddah 187 | 08/70 |
| *4 | Side 1: "*Both Sides Now" (Joni Mitchell), "*Brandywine" (Les Emerson), "*Green Tambourine" (P. Lekha, S. Pinz), "Beautiful People" (Melanie Safka), "*She Let's Her Hair Down (Early In The Morning)" (P. Vance, L. Carr), "*Don't Worry Baby" (Wilson, Christian, Tokens) Side 2: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (Mann, Weil), "Tonight I Fell In Love" (Margo, Medress, Siegel), "I Hear Trumpets Blow" (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel), "He's In Town" (G. Goffin, C. King), "If I Were A Carpenter" (T. Hardin), "Some People Sleep" (Mitch Margo) Selected credits. ENGINEER. Gene Radice. ACCOMPANIST FOR THE TOKENS. Shenny Brown. *Songs Arranged by Norman Bergen |
03/70 |
| I Like To Throw My Head Back And Sing (That Good Ole Rock And Roll)
(Ardith Polley) |
You And Me (Ardith Polley) |
Eng. Bill Radice, Sweetening: Leon Salem Arr. & Prod. by P. Margo/ J. Siegel/ M. Margo |
1223 1224 |
Bell 190 | 02/72 |
*1 *2 *3 *4 Click here for Notes
| The production credit for Buddah Records reads "Produced by The Tokens for Bright Tunes Productions" unless noted. |
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| *1 | "She Lets Her Hair Down" was a heavily rotated TV jingle for Clairol promoting their hairspray. Billboard chart 13th December 1969 No. 61 "Oh To Get Away" is the same cut released on The Tokens B.T. Puppy album December 5th. Which release came first? My money is on the B.T. Puppy release. |
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| *2 | Later releases of "Don't Worry Baby" did remove the cheeky Tokens co-writer credit. Billboard chart 14th March 1970 No. 95 First released on a on a W. Bros. 45 "Some People Sleep" was intended to be included on the (hoped for) Warner Bros. "Intercourse" LP. It did get released on the B.T. Puppy album though. |
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| *3 | "I Could See Me (Dancin' With You)" sounds to me the same as the B. T. Puppy release. | |
| *4 | "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and "Tonight I Fell In Love" are re-recordings, "He's In Town" sounds original but seems to have been 'stereod' a bit, "I Hear Trumpets Blow" sounds like the original B. T. Puppy recording. |
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| Rock And Roll Music
(C. Berry) |
Just A Thought (M. Margo) |
Arr. & Prod. Margo-Siegel-Margo Productions. Eng. Joe Venneri Prod. by Margo, Siegel & Margo And Medress & Appell Productions |
28391 |
Atco 6932 | 04/73 | |
| *1 | In The Midnight Hour
(Pickett, Cropper) |
A Smile Song (M. Margo) |
Prod. by Margo, Siegel & Margo And Medress & Appell Productions Arr. Margo, Siegel, Margo | 26109 26116 |
Atco 6934 | 08/73 |
| Tastes So Good To Me
(M. Margo) |
A Ball Song (M. Margo) |
Prod. by Margo, Siegel & Margo And Medress & Appell Productions Arr. Jay Siegel, Mitch Margo & Phil Margo |
26112 |
Atco 6947 | 11/73 |
| Side 1: "Today" (M. Margo), "Cross Country" (M. Margo), "In The Midnight Hour" (W. Pickett, S. Cropper), "Things With Wings" (M. Margo), "Extended Wings" (M. Margo) Side 2: "Tastes So Good To Me" (M. Margo), "A Fall Song" (M. Margo), "Choir Boy" (M. Sobel), "A Ball Song" (M. Margo), "A Smile Song" (M. Margo) Selected credits. Produced by Margo, Siegel & Margo And Medress & Appell Productions. Arranged Siegel, Margo, Margo. Recording engineers Bill Radice & Joe Venneri |
05/73 |
| *2 | Penny Whistle Band
(L. Koravek) |
The Lord Can't Do A Solo (Without A Back Up Band) (M. Margo) |
Prod. & Arr. by Margo, Siegel, Margo. Eng. Joe Venneri |
29968 |
Atco 7009 | /74 |
| Golden Momemts Of Our Past Crystal Ball 1036 |
CD 1: "One Life" (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel), "Whisper Light" (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel), "Portrait Of My Love" (Italian Language version), I'm not aware of an official release for this. CD 2: A Walk Down Memory Lane (The Commercials) - 68 Commercials, Written, Produced and Sung by The Tokens |
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| Tonight I Fell In Love with... Crystal Ball 1038 |
"Cathy's Clown" (D. Everly, P. Everly), "That's My Desire" (Live) (Loveday-Kresa) | /01 |
| *1 | Billboard chart No. 30, 22nd October 1973 |
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| *2 | 'I've yet to find a copy of this 45 that isn't a Stereo / Mono copy'... Patrick G to the rescue again, he's found a stock copy and sent a label scan, I'll try to use on the site. If you worried you'd never get to hear "Lord Can't Sing A Solo" not to worry. On the Commercials disc of The Tokens "Golden Moments of our Past" CD are a couple of bonus cuts "He's in Town" and noted as previously unreleased, "Pay Attention". "Pay Attention" is "Lord Can't Sing A Solo". Note the engineer credit, Joe Venneri still a "Token"! |
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