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.
Chapel In the Moonlight
The Bachelors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the chapel in the moonlight
While we're strolling down the aisle
Where roses entwine
How I'd love to hear you whisper
In the chapel in the moonlight
That the lovelight in your eyes
Till the roses turn to ashes
Till the organ turns to rust
If you never come I'll still be there
Till the moonlight turns to dust
How I'd love to hear the choir
In the chapel in the moonlight
As they sing "Oh Promise Me"
Forever be mine
The Bachelors' song "In The Chapel In The Moonlight" is a sweet, romantic ballad that explores the longing of a lover to be with their partner in a chapel under the moonlight. The singer yearns to hear the sound of an organ, as they walk down the aisle entwined with roses, listening to the sweet whispers of their lover. It is a beautiful, idealistic imagery of young love, with the singer placing his hopes on the promise of forever love, represented by the shining lovelight in his partner's eyes.
The singer longs for the moment to last forever, even beyond the reach of time itself, suggesting that he will be there till the moonlight turns to dust. The lyrics imply the notion of eternal love and devotion, with the singer professing his undying love till the end of time. The reference to the choir singing "Oh Promise Me" adds an additional layer of meaningfulness to the song, as the singer proclaims his love for his partner, hoping for that love to be reciprocated and fulfilled by a promise of eternal devotion.
Line by Line Meaning
How I'd love to hear the organ
Expressing the desire to listen to the organ in the chapel in the moonlight
In the chapel in the moonlight
Referring to a specific location, the chapel in the moonlight
While we're strolling down the aisle
Describing the act of walking down the aisle
Where roses entwine
The aisle is decorated with roses that intertwine around it
How I'd love to hear you whisper
Expressing the desire to hear a whisper from the person being addressed
That the lovelight in your eyes
Referring to an emotional state of love represented by the light in the eyes
Forever will shine
Expressing a strong hope that love will last forever
Till the roses turn to ashes
Describing an event that signifies the end of the physical beauty of the roses
Till the organ turns to rust
Describing an event that signifies the end of the functional ability of the organ
If you never come I'll still be there
Expressing a commitment to be present in the chapel even if the person being addressed is absent
Till the moonlight turns to dust
Describing an event that signifies the end of the romantic atmosphere represented by moonlight
How I'd love to hear the choir
Expressing the desire to listen to the choir singing in the chapel
As they sing "Oh Promise Me"
Referring to a specific song, "Oh Promise Me"
Forever be mine
Expressing a strong desire to be with the person being addressed forever
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Hill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind