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.
Love Is All
The Bachelors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the April rose that only grows in the early Spring
Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living
The golden crown that makes a man a king
Once on a high and windy hill, In the morning mist
Two lovers kissed and the world stood still
Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing
Yes, true love's a many splendored thing
Love is a many splendored thing
It's the April rose that only grows in the early Spring
Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living
The golden crown that makes a man a king
Once on a high and windy hill, In the morning mist
Two lovers kissed and the world stood still
Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing
Yes, true love's a many splendored thing
The Bachelors' song "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" describes love in a poetic and metaphorical way. The first verse uses the image of the April rose, which only grows in the early spring, to illustrate the uniqueness and beauty of romantic love. The lyrics suggest that love is not just a human emotion but a force of nature that gives us a reason to live. The second verse compares true love to a golden crown that makes a man feel worthy and powerful.
The next part tells a story of two lovers on a high, windy hill in the morning mist, who kissed and brought the world to a standstill. This image creates a romantic and idyllic scene, suggesting that true love can make the world disappear and make us live in the moment. Last but not the least, the lyrics emphasize the transformative power of love by suggesting that it can teach a heart how to sing.
Overall, the song portrays love as something that uplifts the human experience and elevates us to a higher state of being. It suggests that true love is an elusive but attainable goal that can make us feel alive and complete.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is a many splendored thing
Love is a complex and wonderful phenomenon
It's the April rose that only grows in the early Spring
Love is beautiful but fragile, and must be nurtured like a delicate flower
Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living
Love gives purpose to life and makes it worth living
The golden crown that makes a man a king
Love gives someone a sense of power and importance, like royalty
Once on a high and windy hill, In the morning mist
In a romantic and picturesque setting, with an atmosphere of calm and mystery
Two lovers kissed and the world stood still
Love has the power to make time and the world around you disappear
Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing
The touch of a loved one can awaken and give voice to the deepest emotions and feelings
Yes, true love's a many splendored thing
Indeed, love is a complex and wonderful phenomenon that brings great joy and fulfillment
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sammy Fain, Paul Webster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind