FRANKLIN — The Sock Hops vocal group had the audience standing  to cheer and clap even before finishing its vintage doo-wop rendition of The Tokens’ 1961 No. 1 hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” during a two-hour concert Feb. 17 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

To this critic’s disappointment (and probably to at least some in the crowd), the group’s dynamite performance was only a slightly extended version of The Tokens’ several-minute song.

But the 700 or so in attendance won’t soon forget Scott Cruce — blind and in his 40s and, by far, the youngest of the Sock Hops — as he transformed the song into some kind of throbbing anthem, reaching deep into his soul to hit the right notes — all the while gesticulating with his arms like a reincarnation of the late Joe Cocker, and occasionally swinging his head around like the late Ray Charles.

In the middle of the song, Cruce went into an extended vocal jam, backed by the solid harmonies of the three other Sock Hops, to the delight of the mostly grey-haired crowd that applaused during the actual performance as well as giving sustained applause afterward.

The group could have turned “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” into a symphony and extended it to 15 or 30 minutes, with some more thought given to the arrangement to keep it fresh throughout. The crowd surely would have loved a longer version.

The song, originally named “Mbube,” but also known as “Wimba Way” or “Awimbawe” or “Wimoweh,” was written and recorded by Solomon Linda originally with the Evening Birds for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. It has been covered by many artists ever since, including folk musician Pete Seeger, and was featured in the 1994 Disney film, “The Lion King.”

In additon, Cruce, a rich tenor, entertained the crowd with his own falsetto interpretation of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ “Sherry” and “Oh, What a Night.” 

Another highlight of the Sock Hops concert was an emotionally stirring rendition of The Righteous Brothers’ 1965 No. 4 hit, “Unchained Melody,” which showcased the vocal pyrotechnics of Courney Oliver, the group’s long-time lead singer. (Rounding out the group are baritone Ward Hiss and bass singer extraordinaire Jim Mitchell.)

The Sock Hops, based in Marietta, Ga., were founded in 1996, specializing in four-part harmony to songs — mostly — from the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, sounded celestial and certainly connected with the audience in this, the group’s sixth performance at the SMCPA.

The group performed two 55-minute sets, as well as two encore songs: a patriotic medley that began with “Dixie” and a gospel favorite, “Amazing Grace.”

However, an obvious flaw in the show, which likely was due to economic factors, was that The Sock Hops performed against a backdrop of recorded music, rather than with a live band. That made this reviewer wonder, at various times, if even the vocals on some songs were being sung — or lip-synched over prerecorded vocals.

Also, while all group members but Cruce appeared to be in their 70s, much improvement could have been made to professionalize the choreography. This group, performing lively music, needs to move a lot more on stage — and preferably in unison.

The group, introduced as “the fabulous Sock Hops,” began the concert with a blasting renditon of The Velvets’ 1961 doo-wop hit “Tonight (Could Be the Night).” The Sock Hops noted that The Velvets were “one-hit wonders,” but that their hit turned out to be a true classic.

The show continued in a similar vein with The Diamonds’ “Little Darlin’” — and then transitioned into the rock era with a catchy rendition of Keith’s 1967 hit “98.6.”

 From there, the group unleashed the aforementioned showstopper, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The Socks Hops then noted that it would jump “all the way to 1971” — and then uncorked a hot version of “Brandi You’re a Fine Girl” by Looking Glass.

Among other notable performances in the first set was a rather smashing version of The Bee Gees’ 1977 No. 1 hit “How Deep Is Your Love,” with Cruce — unbelievably, almost — replicating the unwordly, high-pitched falsetto of Barry Gibbs. It was surreal and the audience appeared mesmerized. Also enjoyable were heart-rending renditions of Del Shannon’s “Runaway” and The Vogues’ lush “Turn Around, Look at Me.”

As recorded songs of the ‘50s and early ‘60s blared during the intermission, Gordie Valliant of Hendersonville and Sandy Blackwell of Asheville were the sole couple to engage in an impromptu and eye-catching East Coast Swing dance routine in the front-row aisle, drawing — to their apparent surprise — appreciative applause and cheering from the audience.

The second set began with a bang with The Earls’ 1962 hit “Remember Then,” followed by The Temptations’ “My Girl” and The Drifters’ “Under the Boardwalk.” Also memorable in the second set were renditions of Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman,” Neil Sedaka’s “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” and Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted,”

Surprisingly, The Sock Hops also did — admirably — two songs by The Beatles — “All My Loving” and “I Saw Her Standing There.”

For this reviewer, it was the ultimate irony to see a group of mostly 70-plus-year-old men enthusiastically singing the lyrics:

 “Well, she was just 17

“You know what I mean

“And the way she looked was way beyond compare

“So how could I dance with another (Ooh)

“When I saw her standing there....”

Afterward, Valliant, a swing and shag enthusiast, told the Daily Planet that the concert was “just like being at the 1963 senior prom.”