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.
Can I Trust You
The Bachelors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will you hurt me
Should I give my
Heart and soul to you
Can I trust you
Or will I be
Just another affair
When you're through
I've been in love before
This time, I must be sure
I've got to love again
I've got to try
Help me believe in you
So I know what to do
Don't let me make
One more mistake
Or I may die
Will you love me
For the moment
Or do I mean more
Than that to you
So, I ask you
Can I trust you
If I can, then there's
Nothing, no, nothing
That I wouldn't do
I've been in love before
This time, I must be sure
I've got to love again
I've got to try
Help me believe in you
So I know what to do
Don't let me make
One more mistake
Or I may die
The song Can I Trust You by The Bachelors is a plea for reassurance and security in a relationship. The singer is asking their partner if they can be trusted with their heart and soul, or if they are just another temporary fling. The singer has loved before, and now they need to be sure that they won't get hurt again. The fear of making another mistake and potentially losing their life adds to the vulnerability expressed through the lyrics.
The song captures the universal desire for trust in a relationship. The fear of being hurt is something that many people can relate to, and the uncertainty of whether a partner is trustworthy can lead to a lot of emotional turmoil. The lyrics of the song are simple but convey a lot of emotion and vulnerability. The melody is gentle and soothing, which adds to the overall atmosphere of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Can I trust you
Do you deserve my trust and loyalty?
Will you hurt me
Are you going to cause me emotional or physical pain?
Should I give my
Heart and soul to you
Is it safe for me to invest myself emotionally in you?
Or will I be
Just another affair
You'll be throwing away
When you're through
Are you just using me for a short-term fling, before discarding me like a meaningless object?
I've been in love before
This time, I must be sure
I've been hurt in the past and I can't afford to be hurt again
I've got to love again
I've got to try
Despite my fears and doubts, I still believe in love and want to give it another shot
Help me believe in you
So I know what to do
I want to trust you, but I need you to show me that I can and guide me on how to proceed
Don't let me make
One more mistake
Or I may die
I can't handle any more heartbreak, it may destroy me
Will you love me
For the moment
Or do I mean more
Than that to you
Am I just a temporary fling or do I hold a deeper connection with you?
If I can, then there's
Nothing, no, nothing
That I wouldn't do
If you prove yourself trustworthy and honest, I'm willing to give everything to our relationship
Contributed by Benjamin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Adrienne Ross
I really love this one. The arrangement is beautiful & the voices all blend so well. Thank you, John. x
John L. The Bachelors, vinyl memories!
Always a pleasure Adrienne! :) x
楠戸敏正
1966年のサンレモ音楽祭の入賞曲でオルネラ・ヴァノーニの「命をかけて」ですね。英デッカのアーティストはイタリアのポピュラーソングが好きのようですね。トム・ジョーンズ、E・フンパーディンクそしてザ・バチェラーズがレパートリーに加えていますね。そして1967年のサンレモに出場して2曲を歌い見事に入賞しましたね。
John L. The Bachelors, vinyl memories!
https://www.the-bachelors.net/recording-history/san-remo-song-festival/
Дмитрий Медведев
Great!