The Skyliners are an American doo-wop group from Pittsburgh. The original l… Read Full Bio ↴The Skyliners are an American doo-wop group from Pittsburgh. The original lineup was: lead singer: Jimmy Beaumont (October 21, 1940 - October 7, 2017), Janet Vogel (soprano), Wally Lester (tenor), Jackie Taylor (bass voice, guitarist), Joe Verscharen (baritone).

The Skyliners were best known for their 1959 hit "Since I Don't Have You". Covers by the Four Seasons, Trini Lopez, Chuck Jackson, Don McLean, Guns N' Roses, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Ronnie Milsap, Art Garfunkel and Buckaroo Banzai kept the song in the public consciousness.
They also hit the Top 40 with "This I Swear" and "Pennies from Heaven". Other classics include "It Happened Today" (1959), "Close Your Eyes" (1961) and "Comes Love" (1962). The original group dissolved in 1963, but re-united eleven years later (without Jack Taylor), for what would become their last charted record, "Where Have They Gone?"
In 1965, Jimmy Beaumont recorded two notable singles for the Bang label: the first, "Tell Me"/"I Feel Like I'm Falling in Love", were medium-tempo soul-styled tracks. For his second Bang 45, "I Never Loved Her Anyway"/"You Got Too Much Going for You", Jimmy transformed into an impressive soul singer, sounding nothing like his previous more pop-styled efforts, leading some to question in later years, if it actually was his singing. These two tracks are now considered Northern Soul collectibles. The second 45 was also issued on UK London HLZ 10059 in 1966.

Jack Taylor was drafted in 1965. In 1975 Wally Lester and Joe Versharen left the group; they were replaced by new members, Jimmie Ross and Bob Sholes.

In 1978, the Detroit based record producer Don Davis — who produced Marilynn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Johnny Taylor, the Dramatics, and the Dells — picked up one of his favorite groups (the Skyliners) to record in his United Sound Studios. They recorded the group's "comeback" album for the RCA subsidiary, Tortoise International Records.[6] The songs "Oh, How Happy" and "The Love Bug" were included, as was a hefty re-make of Dan Schafer's original RCA Victor single, "A Day Without You, Dear".

Janet Vogel committed suicide in 1980, Cathy Cooper joined the group as a replacement. She and Ross left two years later to form a duo, they were replaced by Rick Morris and Donna Groom.

Morris retired in 1993. Also in 1993, David Proch was singing with another group. At first listen the Skyliners' original lead singer, Jimmy Beaumont, invited Proch to join the group; Proch joined as a replacement. Also performing with the group at this time was Tom Sholes, brother of Bob Sholes. The two were local to the group, they attended St George High School in the Allentown neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The group became Beaumont, Groom, Proch, and Nick Pociask.

David Proch (at age 44) the third person to sing first tenor for the Skyliners, died on October 19, 1998, in a car accident. His car collided with a truck hauling asphalt on U.S. Route 30 near Ligonier, PA, about 45 miles east of Pittsburgh. Proch's place was taken by Dick Muse, a former member of The Laurels. Rick Morris replaced Muse in 2011. Frank Czuri replaced Morris in 2013.

Their longtime manager and producer Joe Rock, who also co-wrote "Since I Don't Have You", died on April 4, 2000, at age 63, after complications from quadruple bypass heart surgery.

Four of the original members have died:
Janet Vogel committed suicide on February 21, 1980, she was 37,
Joe Verscharen died of cancer on November 2, 2007, he was 67,
Wally Lester (b. Walter Paul Lester, Jr. on October 5, 1941 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) died of pancreatic cancer in Southport, North Carolina on April 21, 2015, he was 73,
Jimmy Beaumont died on October 7, 2017 age 76.
Until his death on October 7, 2017, Jimmy Beaumont performed with the Skyliners in their current line-up of Nick Pociask, Frank Czuri, and Donna Groom (whose husband, Mark Groom, has been the group's drummer/conductor for more than 25 years).

Chart hits

"Since I Don't Have You" (1959), U.S. No. 12, Cashbox No. 7
"It Happened Today" (1959), U.S. No. 59
"This I Swear" (1960), U.S. No. 26
"Pennies from Heaven" (1960), U.S. No. 24
"The Loser" (1965), U.S. No. 72
"Where Have They Gone" (1975), U.S. #100

Discography

The Skyliners (1959)
Close Your Eyes (1961)
Since I Don't Have You (1963)
Once Upon a Time (1971)
The Skyliners (1978)
Pennies from Heaven (1960)

The Skyliners were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.

I'll Close My Eyes
The Skyliners Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll close my eyes
And make believe it's you
If other lips
Should speak of love divine

The stars were mine
But I reached for the moon
And found all too soon

It was not to be mine

I'll close my eyes
If you should pass me by
With someone else
Maybe who loves you too

I may be lonely, but
When I see the moon's blue light
I'll close my eyes
And make believe it's you

Heaven sends
A song through its doors
Just as if it seems to know
I'm exclusively yours

Knowing this
I feel but one way
You will understand too
In these words that I say

I'll close my eyes
To everyone but you
And when I do
I'll see you standing there

I'll lock my heart
To any other caress
I'll never say yes
To a new love affair

Then I'll close my eyes
To everything that's gay
If you are not there
Oh, to share each lovely day

And through the years
In those moments
When we're far apart

Don't you know I'll close my eyes
And I'll see you with my heart

Overall Meaning

"I'll Close My Eyes" is a romantic song that talks about the enduring love that the singer has for their significant other. The song speaks about the singer's sadness and longing, and how they try to make themselves feel better by pretending that their loved one is with them. The lyrics suggest that the singer is heartbroken at the thought of being separated from their loved one, but they have found a way to cope with their sadness. The song is a poignant testament to the power of love and how it can sustain us through difficult times.

The first verse sets the tone for the song, and the lyrics suggest that the singer is willing to go to great lengths to feel close to their loved one - even if it means imagining that they are with them. The second verse speaks about the singer's disappointment at not being able to reach their goal of being with their loved one. The lyrics "The stars were mine, But I reached for the moon, And found all too soon It was not to be mine" suggest that the singer has tried and failed to win the person they love, and they are left to imagine what could have been. The chorus repeats the theme of imagining that their loved one is with them, and how this makes them feel better.

The bridge of the song introduces a new element - the idea of music as a healing force. The lyrics "Heaven sends, A song through its doors, Just as if it seems to know, I'm exclusively yours" suggest that the singer feels as if the universe has conspired to send a song that is meant just for them and their loved one. The final verse is a solemn pledge to remain faithful to their loved one and to never give in to temptation. The lyrics "I'll lock my heart, To any other caress, I'll never say yes, To a new love affair" suggest that the singer is committed to their loved one for life, no matter what.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll close my eyes
I'll pretend you're here with me while I close my eyes

And make believe it's you
I'll try to imagine that the person in front of me is you

If other lips
If someone else talks about love

Should speak of love divine
I'll realize that it can't be better than the love we have

The stars were mine
I had everything I wanted

But I reached for the moon
But I wanted more than I had

And found all too soon
But soon enough I found out that what I wanted was untouchable

It was not to be mine
I couldn't have what I wanted

If you should pass me by
If I see you with someone else

With someone else
With someone who is not me

Maybe who loves you too
Maybe someone else who loves you

I may be lonely, but
I'll probably feel very lonely

When I see the moon's blue light
When I see something beautiful

To everyone but you
I'll only love you

And when I do
When I think about you

I'll see you standing there
I'll think about you standing in front of me

I'll lock my heart
I won't let anyone else in

To any other caress
I won't let anyone else touch me

I'll never say yes
I won't agree to be with anyone else

To a new love affair
I won't start a new relationship

To everything that's gay
To all joyful things in life

If you are not there
If you are not with me

Oh, to share each lovely day
To share every beautiful moment

And through the years
As time goes by

In those moments
When I miss you

When we're far apart
When you are not with me

Don't you know I'll close my eyes
I'll think about you with my heart

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BUDDY KAYE, BILLY REID

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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