I was at a celebration of life earlier today, and one of the granddaughters of the deceased, who is a musical therapist, paid tribute to her grandfather by singing, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, and asking everyone to join in.
The result was this magical moment because this a cappella song has the power to conjure up emotions.
It reminded me of one of the bands who sang that song, and some of the other hits they had in the 1980s.
They are The Nylons.
A cappella sound
What exactly is a cappella? A cappella music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment.
What exactly is a cappella? A cappella music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment.
The Nylons were one of the best a cappella bands I ever heard, although they are one of the few I heard. Yet, they had a signature sound that sticks with me, even to this day.
The Nylons
They formed in Toronto in 1978, are best known for their covers of pop songs, and continued performing until 2017.
They formed in Toronto in 1978, are best known for their covers of pop songs, and continued performing until 2017.
The first song I heard was “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, which is a cover of the Tokens’ classic which went all the way to number one in 1961. I just loved the harmonies in the song.
The Nylons’ version, off their first album “The Nylons”, which came out in 1982, went to number 91 on the Canadian charts and did not chart in the States on the Billboard Hot 100. Incidentally, the album “The Nylons” peaked at number eight on the Canadian album charts.
Things would be much different for their next single.
Goodbye
For years, at hockey games primarily, but other sports too, when the home team was ahead and the game was almost over, members of the crowd would start singing, “Na na na na hey hey hey goodbye”. I never heard who that song was by, or where it came from. In fact, I didn’t even know what it was actually called.
For years, at hockey games primarily, but other sports too, when the home team was ahead and the game was almost over, members of the crowd would start singing, “Na na na na hey hey hey goodbye”. I never heard who that song was by, or where it came from. In fact, I didn’t even know what it was actually called.
Then, in 1987, I heard it on the radio for the first time. The band sounded familiar, because they just sang. There was no guitar, no drums, nothing. Just guys harmonizing and sounding like a barbershop quartet, or what I thought one would sound like.
I stay tuned and discovered the singers were The Nylons, and the song was actually called “Kiss Him Goodbye”. It got a lot of air play, and went all the way to number 15 on the Canadian charts. It was a remake of Steam’s song entitled, “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye”.
Interestingly, it actually did even better in the United States where it just missed the top 10, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album it was on, “Happy Together”, also did better on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, peaking at number 43. It peaked at 45 on the Canadian charts.
Pretty soon that version just increased the song’s popularity in sports arenas, because it was everywhere. Often, it was the Nylons’ version that played too.
TV talk
The Nylons would appear on various TV programs as well. According to Wikipedia, they appeared on an episode of "Sharon, Lois and Bram" in 1986; performed the theme song for a short-lived sitcom in 1986 called “Throb” starring Diana Canova; appeared on an episode of the “Super Dave Osborne” show; and their songs appeared in the 1987 movies “The Tin Man” and “Made in Heaven”.
The Nylons would appear on various TV programs as well. According to Wikipedia, they appeared on an episode of "Sharon, Lois and Bram" in 1986; performed the theme song for a short-lived sitcom in 1986 called “Throb” starring Diana Canova; appeared on an episode of the “Super Dave Osborne” show; and their songs appeared in the 1987 movies “The Tin Man” and “Made in Heaven”.
Ice tea ear worm
You know when you get a song in your head, and you just can’t get it out? My spouse calls that an ear worm. Effective commercials can be ear worms. I know there are songs, or jingles, from commercials that still stick in my head, long after the products they promote have ceased to exist.
You know when you get a song in your head, and you just can’t get it out? My spouse calls that an ear worm. Effective commercials can be ear worms. I know there are songs, or jingles, from commercials that still stick in my head, long after the products they promote have ceased to exist.
One echoing in my mind goes like this:
“California, California, hey
“When you’re hot, you’re hot and you know that you’re hot and a cool is what you need
“Give me grape fruit, give lemon lime…
“Nielsen’s California ice tea, Nielsen’s California ice tea.”
“California, California, hey
“When you’re hot, you’re hot and you know that you’re hot and a cool is what you need
“Give me grape fruit, give lemon lime…
“Nielsen’s California ice tea, Nielsen’s California ice tea.”
That was brought to you by the Nylons.
I liked the jingle so much that I taped it straight off the TV using an old tape recorder with a microphone my brother left behind when he went off to college.
I liked the jingle so much that I taped it straight off the TV using an old tape recorder with a microphone my brother left behind when he went off to college.
Parting thoughts
The song “Na na na na hey hey hey goodbye” is a staple in hockey arenas, and The Nylons took it out into the general public. Their sound fits the song perfectly, because at arenas there is no backup band or background music.
The song “Na na na na hey hey hey goodbye” is a staple in hockey arenas, and The Nylons took it out into the general public. Their sound fits the song perfectly, because at arenas there is no backup band or background music.
Beyond that, “The Nylons” have that unique sound.
There is nothing like a cappella, and no one does it like the The Nylons.
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