Tokens, The - Portrait Of My Love Lyrics

Original Traducción

There could never be
A portrait of my love
For nobody can paint a dream
You will never see
A portrait of my love
For miracles are never seen

Anyone who sees her
Soon forget the Mona Lisa
It would take I know, a Michaelangelo
And he would need the glow of dawn
That paints the skies above
To try and paint a portait of my love

Original version by Matt Monro (1960): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5JxipUQjkE .

Different arrangement for vocals and instruments than Steve Lawrence. The Tokens were involved with The Happenings who recorded for B T Puppy (BT=Bright Tunes). The Happenings hits had similar type production & arrangements to this excellent Tokens remake.

ellen marie kealey....r.i.p.

Thank you so much beatandpop for uploading this masterpiece.
It's not easy to find this actual 45 version.
The Tokens do an absolutely amazing job here. 👍
I remember as a kid watching The Tokens on several different TV shows before they had this hit in 1967. I've always dug them.
Their cover of "Portrait Of My Love" is by far and away the best version. One of my favorite songs of all time (that is when The TOKENS do it).
It got some airplay here in the New York City area, but it really should have been played more, and it should have peaked a lot higher than #36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Tokens should be appreciated a lot more! 😃

Best harmony ever!!!!!

I was listening in 1967 and this one is the original!

Steve lawrence had a hit with this

So great

At least this is the original recording. Wish I could get the original in stereo.

I have it ! on an original Stereo LP from the good ol' days...

@RockinProfessor This IS stereo. The album "It's A Happening World" has been reissued by Real Gone Music. The Taragon "Very Best of the Tokens" unfortunately is out of print.
Interesting fact: On each of these reissues (I have them both), the stereo channels are reversed from each other!

Just the fact that they pronounced 'portrait' (por-tret) they way they did, instead of how it was previously pronounced by other singers, including Steve Lawrence as "poor-traiit ' - omg that irked the hell outta me - but yea - they got it hands down! lol

Steve Lawrence owns this song!!!

videoarchiveman: Get a new pair of ears. The Tokens own this song hands down!

beautiful

A true gem of a tune. Just beautiful. Great memories.

aside from The Lion they certainly deserved more recognition check out "Please Write" by these guys..and..right you are ric 63...great vocals...Jay Siegel and the boys are truly in '''tune''

+groovinmoose Thanks for the lead to "Please Write." It did not disappoint. I had never heard it before, but the high quality is predictably consistent (thank goodness).

I have loved "Portrait of my Love" since it first came out, decades ago -- and have found myself humming it over the years -- never to be forgotten. It was a HUGE HIT on the radio -- heard it constantly for weeks. Almost as much as that classic, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

MANY THANKS TO "BEATANDPOP" FOR KINDLY POSTING THIS QUALITY RECORDING.

A marvellous composition, why didn't this song and group have greater success?

THIS is the original . . . I'm trying to get it on Amazon Music and the link above is a b.s. re-recording!!

47 years hence and I still get goose bumps listening to this!!  One of those "should've been a smash" records which only limped into the top 40, but a classic nonetheless.

NOBODY did this song like THESE guys did it….Not even CLOSE

+Mikey Maff I agree......& as often as "La Bamba" was covered, The Token's version sits at the very top of the heap !

The Tokens could croon JB :)

I dedicate this song to my wife for our upcoming 33rd anniversary!

Great song

I agree that Steve Lawrence sang it better. I heard the Tokens sing this recently and I didn't remember their having a hit with it.

Steve Lawrence sang it better

Ancilla: If you like being put to sleep!!

But Matt Monro sang it first.

I don't know about the Beach Boys, But this song is as good as the major hits of the 4 Seasons.

It sounds like the kind of song that the Four Seasons would have sung. I'm surprised that they didn't cover this.

@Canada vs The Liberals 4 Seasons had their own writers which produced many hits. They did covers also. I've got you under my skin, Don't Think Twice, will you love me Tomorrow, Stay, Ain't that a Shame. But yes, the arrangement had that 4 Seasons feel.

This piece is proof that THE TOKENS were vastly underrated ... there are many versions of this song, but this version is by far my favorite... great vocals ... !

They sound just as good as The Beach Boys in this song.

I think their style sounds more similar to frankie valli and the four seasons.

GREAT POST LOOOOOVE THIS SONG GREAT GROUP

The best rendition of this song!!! Great harmony!!!!

meilleure que la face A ,
des BEACH BOYS variétesque !

You are so right bustanutor24u....this is the version I dig best. The ending to this song is a killer. Thanks beatandpop for posting.