<P> In 1961, two RCA records producers, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, hired Juilliard - trained musician and lyricist George David Weiss to arrange a pop music cover of "Wimoweh", for the B - side of a 45 - rpm single called "Tina," sung by the teenage doo - wop group The Tokens . Weiss wrote the English lyrics: "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, The lion sleeps tonight ..." and "Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling ..." </P> <P> Weiss also brought in soprano Anita Darian to reprise Yma Sumac's version, before, during and after the soprano saxophone solo . "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was issued by RCA in 1961, and it rocketed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 . Weiss' Abilene Music Inc., was the publisher of this arrangement, and listed "Albert Stanton" (a pseudonym for Al Brackman, the business partner of Pete Seeger's music publisher, Howie Richmond) as one of the song's writers or arrangers . </P> <P> Social historian Ronald D. Cohen writes, "Howie Richmond copyrighted many songs originally in the public domain (sic) but now slightly revised to satisfy Decca and also to reap profits ." Canadian writer Mark Steyn, on the other hand, attributes the invention of the pseudonym "Paul Campbell" to Pete Seeger . Howie Richmond's claim of author's copyright could secure both the songwriter's royalties and his company's publishing share of the song's earnings . </P> <P> Although Linda was listed as a performer on the record itself, the Weavers thought he had recorded a traditional Zulu song . Their managers, publisher, and their attorneys knew otherwise because they had been contacted by--and had reached an agreement with--Eric Gallo of Gallo Records in South Africa . The Americans maintained, however, that South African copyrights were not valid because South Africa was not a signatory to U.S. copyright law . In the 1950s, after Linda's authorship was made clear, Seeger sent Linda $1000 . Seeger also instructed TRO / Folkways to henceforth pay his share of authors' earnings to Linda . The folksinger apparently trusted his publisher's word of honor and either saw no need, or was unable to make sure these instructions were carried out . </P>

When was the song the lion sleeps tonight written