The Bachelors
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The Bachelors is a popular music group, originating from Dublin, Ireland.
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[edit] Career
The founding members of the group were Conleth (Con) Cluskey (born 18 November 1941); 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 novelty instrumental harmonica-act.
As such they appeared on Hughie Green's 'Opportunity Knocks' on Radio Luxembourg[citation needed], and the 'Ed Sullivan' TV Show[citation needed] in America. They also played background music plus featured pieces in 25 week radio comedy series called 'Odd Noises' on Radio Eireann[citation needed] featuring Eamonn Andrews. They changed the name to "The Bachelors" in 1962 at the suggestion of Dick Rowe, A&R at Decca Records. He reportedly recommended the name, The Bachelors, "because that’s the kind of boy a girl likes".
During the 1960s, they had many successful songs that featured in the music charts in Europe and the United States. Some of the most successful were: "Diane" (1964), "Marie" (1964), "I Wouldn't Trade You For the World" (1965), and "In the Chapel in the Moonlight". They also appeared in a film with Billy Fury in 1965, called "I've Gotta Horse."
[edit] The songs
The Bachelors' version of "Charmaine", with its descending melody that had already made it an evergreen, jogs along to a country guitar strum and a sprinkling of piano licks. Dick Rowe chose American Shel Talmy as record producer, who went on to produce some of The Kinks' classic rock hits. Another 1927 movie theme song, "Diane", penned by the same songwriters as "Charmaine", Erno Rapee & Lew Pollack, and arranged in the same Nashville-like manner, was released in 1964 and gave the group their first Number one in the UK Singles Chart, as well as an American breakthrough at number two.
It is curious to note that four of their hit songs were taken from 1920’s movies. Jim Reeves had also previously covered the same four songs, "Charmaine", "Diane", "Ramona" and "Marie" in the 1950s.
[edit] The split and beyond
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In 1984 there was a falling out between the members of The Bachelors, and John Stokes was asked to leave the band at a meeting held in The Eccentric Club in London.
After a court case, John Stokes was not allowed to use the name The Bachelors, whilst Con & Dec were allowed to use the name The New Bachelors. This was due to a legal agreement which John Stokes signed with Con & Dec Cluskey when he bought the company 'Bachelors Ltd' from them. Meanwhile Con & Dec recruited a new member, Peter Phipps, and continued until 1993 as The New Bachelors.
In 1993 John Stokes reappeared with a new group also calling himself 'The New Bachelors' so the Cluskey Brothers changed their name to ‘Con and Dec, The Bachelors’ so as not to confuse the public.In 2006 Con & Dec tried to take John Stokes to the High Court to stop him using the name The Bachelors but unfortunately the forms had not been filled in properly, and the court case was not allowed to take place.
As of 2007, both bands are still touring.
[edit] Hit singles
- "Charmaine" 1963 (UK No. 6)
- "Whispering" 1963 (UK No. 18)
- "Diane" 1964 (UK No. 1, U.S. No. 10)
- "I Believe" 1964 (UK No. 2, U.S. No. 33)
- "Ramona" 1964 (UK No. 4)
- "I Wouldn't Trade You For the World" 1964 (UK No. 4)
- "Marie" 1965 (UK No. 27, U.S. No. 32)
- "The Sound of Silence" 1966 (UK No. 3)
- "Marta" 1967 (UK No. 20)
