The Bachelors were a popular Irish music group, originating from Dublin in … Read Full Bio ↴The Bachelors were a popular Irish music group, originating from Dublin in 1957. Throughout the 1960s, The Bachelors racked up hit singles and albums in Ireland, the UK and the USA, and made guest appearances on all the then-current TV shows. Four of their hit songs were taken from 1920s films.
The founding members of the group were Conleth (Con) Cluskey (born 18 November 1941; died 8 April 2022), Declan (Dec) Cluskey (born 23 December 1942), and John Stokes (Sean James Stokes) (born 13 August 1940). In 1957 they formed their first band together, "The Harmonichords" (also seen as "The Harmony Chords"), a classically styled instrumental harmonica-act.
As The Harmonichords, they appeared on Hughie Green's 'Opportunity Knocks' on Radio Luxembourg[1] and on the 'Ed Sullivan' TV Show St. Patrick's Day Special (filmed in Dublin, broadcast 15 March 1959), where they played "Danny Boy."[2] They also played background music plus featured pieces in a 25 week radio comedy series called 'Odd Noises' on Radio Éireann featuring Eamonn Andrews.[3] They changed their name to "The Bachelors" in 1962 at the suggestion of Dick Rowe, A&R at Decca Records, who reportedly recommended the name "because that’s the kind of boy a girl likes."
During the 1960s, they had many successful songs in music charts in Europe Australia, South Africa, South America, parts of the USSR, and the United States. Some of the most successful were "Diane" (1964), "Marie" (1965), "I Wouldn't Trade You For the World" (1965), and "In the Chapel in the Moonlight" (1965). In 1965 they had the 'most played juke box track' with "The Stars Will Remember" from a film they made with then-current DJ Sam Costa.
Live work carried them into the 1970s with record breaking theatre season shows, but after a successful start to the decade with the album World of the Bachelors hitting the top 5, the band became less and less dominant in the music industry. Along with singers like Tom Jones they found themselves stuck in a decade of Glam Rock, unable to change with the times. They remained successful recording artists and moved to the Pye label, which contracted easy listening stars like Frankie Vaughan and Max Bygraves. Despite their last chart single being in 1967, they continued to play the cabaret circuit, still maintaining the original line-up until 1984, when there was "a messy split" between the Cluskey brothers and Stokes.
Following the split, the Cluskey brothers appeared as "The New Bachelors" and Stokes as "Stokes & Coe", Stokes allegedly also then appeared as "The New Bachelors" so the Cluskey's now perform as "Con & Dec The Bachelors"
In 2008 a compilation CD, "I Believe - The Very Best of The Bachelors," featuring the 60s hits together with two new songs recorded by Con and Dec Cluskey, was released through Universal who had acquired the Decca catalogue (available in the US as an import from Uni Classics Jazz UK), reached #7 in the UK Radio One album chart 27 July - 2 Aug 2008. Con and Dec Cluskey appeared on TV and radio to promote the album.
The founding members of the group were Conleth (Con) Cluskey (born 18 November 1941; died 8 April 2022), Declan (Dec) Cluskey (born 23 December 1942), and John Stokes (Sean James Stokes) (born 13 August 1940). In 1957 they formed their first band together, "The Harmonichords" (also seen as "The Harmony Chords"), a classically styled instrumental harmonica-act.
As The Harmonichords, they appeared on Hughie Green's 'Opportunity Knocks' on Radio Luxembourg[1] and on the 'Ed Sullivan' TV Show St. Patrick's Day Special (filmed in Dublin, broadcast 15 March 1959), where they played "Danny Boy."[2] They also played background music plus featured pieces in a 25 week radio comedy series called 'Odd Noises' on Radio Éireann featuring Eamonn Andrews.[3] They changed their name to "The Bachelors" in 1962 at the suggestion of Dick Rowe, A&R at Decca Records, who reportedly recommended the name "because that’s the kind of boy a girl likes."
During the 1960s, they had many successful songs in music charts in Europe Australia, South Africa, South America, parts of the USSR, and the United States. Some of the most successful were "Diane" (1964), "Marie" (1965), "I Wouldn't Trade You For the World" (1965), and "In the Chapel in the Moonlight" (1965). In 1965 they had the 'most played juke box track' with "The Stars Will Remember" from a film they made with then-current DJ Sam Costa.
Live work carried them into the 1970s with record breaking theatre season shows, but after a successful start to the decade with the album World of the Bachelors hitting the top 5, the band became less and less dominant in the music industry. Along with singers like Tom Jones they found themselves stuck in a decade of Glam Rock, unable to change with the times. They remained successful recording artists and moved to the Pye label, which contracted easy listening stars like Frankie Vaughan and Max Bygraves. Despite their last chart single being in 1967, they continued to play the cabaret circuit, still maintaining the original line-up until 1984, when there was "a messy split" between the Cluskey brothers and Stokes.
Following the split, the Cluskey brothers appeared as "The New Bachelors" and Stokes as "Stokes & Coe", Stokes allegedly also then appeared as "The New Bachelors" so the Cluskey's now perform as "Con & Dec The Bachelors"
In 2008 a compilation CD, "I Believe - The Very Best of The Bachelors," featuring the 60s hits together with two new songs recorded by Con and Dec Cluskey, was released through Universal who had acquired the Decca catalogue (available in the US as an import from Uni Classics Jazz UK), reached #7 in the UK Radio One album chart 27 July - 2 Aug 2008. Con and Dec Cluskey appeared on TV and radio to promote the album.
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The Best Of The Bachelors
The Bachelors Lyrics
Charmaine Waiting just for-or-or you Charmai-ai-ai-ai-ai-aine I wonde…
Danny Boy Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling From…
Diane I'm in heaven when I see you smile Smile for me,…
I Believe I believe for every drop of rain that falls a…
I Wouldn't Trade You for the World Ooh, ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh Ooh ooh ooh, ooh…
Key to My Heart The night is like a lovely tune Beware my foolish heart How…
Love Me With All Your Heart Love me with all your heart That's all I want, love Love…
Marie Marie Marie, Marie, Marie Marie, the dawn is breaking Marie, (ooh…
Marta Marta, Rambling rose of the wildwood Marta, with your fragra…
No Arms Can Ever Hold You No arms can ever hold you like these arms of…
Ramona I wander out yonder o'er the hills Where the mountains high …
Stay She's got a Chevy Double parked with the doors swung wide Fm…
The Sound of Silence Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you…
The Unicorn A long time ago, when the Earth was green, There was…
Whispering Don't worry I'm not looking at you Gorgeous and dressed in…
You'll Never Walk Alone When you walk through a storm Keep your chin up high And…