Surfin’ to the ’60s

The Tokens and the Surfaris have more in common than just being entertainers at Glendale’s Cruise Night on Saturday. The groups have hit songs that continue to thrill audiences about 40 years after they were released.

Mitch Margo marvels at how The Tokens’ first hit “Tonight I Fell in Love” in 1961 went to the top 15 nationally. Their “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” also released that year, went to No. 1 in the nation after only four weeks.

“What an amazing thing that was,” said Margo, a singer, songwriter and guitarist for the Tokens. “It’s beyond words — hard to believe. When it was on the national charts, it was exciting. Hearing the records on the radio is an amazing thrill, but then having a No. 1 hit, that’s beyond belief. And because of it, here we are years later still performing.”

Margo and his brother Phil Margo, who took care of percussion instruments and vocals, are original members of the four-member group, which also boasted the talents of the late Hank Medress, who played bass, and vocalist Jay Siegel.

The popularity of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” continues today, classic rock disc jockey Brian Beirne said.

Beirne will host Cruise Night and is producing the show’s entertainment.

Beirne, known as “Mr. Rock N’Roll,” spun oldies tunes for 29 years on KRTH-FM (101).

“I think it just has a wonderful, lasting quality,” he said. “It was used in ‘The Lion King.’ Kids like it. Adults like it. It was well produced. I think it’s withstood the test of time. And at some point, we all want to sing ‘a-wimoweh’ — the hook of the song.”

Today, the show goes on for the Margos.

But now their nephew Noah Margo is on drums, “Jump’n” Jay Leslie is on saxophone, and Mike Johnson is the keyboardist and vocalist.

“We’ve developed a wonderful show and have really worked on our comedy,” Mitch Margo said. “We get standing ovations. It’s a delight to do. It’s a gift.”

The group continues to entertain across the country, and made it into the Guinness Book of World Records during the summer of 1998, Mitch Margo said.

“It was for singing the national anthem in all 30 major league baseball stadiums in the United States and Canada in one summer,” he said.