The Bachelors - Essential Classics, Vol. 444: The Bachelors (2024)

Formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1957 as "The Harmonichords" (sometimes known as "The Harmony Chords"), a classically styled instrumental harmonica-act. Members were Conleth (Con) Cluskey, his younger brother Declan (Dec) Cluskey, and their friend John Stokes. Under that name they played lived and on radio. The trio, still in school, all in their mid teens, were strictly instrumental, a semi-professional three-harmonica outfit. By the late 1950s, they were singing folk and traditional Irish songs, the brothers on acoustic guitars and Stokes playing double bass.

In 1960, they changed their name to the Bachelors.

Their growing popularity brought them to the attention of London agent/entrepreneur Phil Solomon (a fellow Irishman), who appointed himself their manager and they landed shows in Britain as well as some recording sessions at Decca records. Newly arrived producer from Chicago, Shel Talmy, produced "Charmaine" (a song originally composed for the 1926 silent movie "What Price Glory?") in a Country & Western pop folk style and the record was a hit peaking at #6 in Britain in 1963 and #8 in Ireland in the same year.

Follow ups also proved successful in Ireland, Britain, the USA and across the globe. By the end of 1965, over 10 million records had been sold worldwide, and in the UK they had a further ten hit singles by the end of 1967. Between 1964-1967 The Bachelors had ten Top 100 entries in the US. Notable hits included "Whispering" (1963) (#18 IRL), the worldwide smash "Diane" (1964) (#2 IRL, #1 UK, #10 US, #3 AU), "I Believe" (1964) (#2 IRL, #2 UK,#33 US, #24 AU), "Ramona" (1964) (#6 IRE, #4 UK, #38 AU), "I Wouldn't Trade You for the World" (1964) (#1 IRL, #4 UK, #69 US, #13 US Adult Contemporary, #7 AU), "No Arms Can Ever Hold You" (1964) (#8 IRL, #7 UK, #27 US, #3 US Adult Contemporary, #35 AU), "Marie" (1965) (#9 UK, #15 US, #3 US Adult Contemporary, #39 AU), "Chapel in the Moonlight" (1965) (#27 UK, #32 US, #2 US Adult Contemporary, #89 AU), "The Sound of Silence" (1966) (#9 IRL, #3 UK).

Their live concerts were sell outs and they toured the globe. They played TV regularly and featured in TV specials. In 1964 they appeared in the film "Just for You" (known as "Disk-o-Tek Holiday in the USA), and in 1965 they made "I've Gotta Horse" with Billy Fury.

By 1968 their chart presence had dissipated. Their last chart single in the UK was in 1967 ("Marta" #20 UK) but their last chart placement anywhere was in Australia in 1968 with "The Unicorn" (#40). They however were still popular live and continued to play the cabaret circuit. In 1971 they starred in a UK TV situation comedy series, "Under and Over", playing three Irish railway labourers working on the London Underground.

The original line up was maintained until 1984, when there was a split between the Cluskey brothers and Stokes. Following the split, the Cluskey brothers appeared as "The New Bachelors" and then "Con & Dec, The Bachelors". Stokes also appeared as as "The New Bachelors" and "Stokes & Coe".