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The founding members of the group were
Conleth (Con) Cluskey (18 November 1935 – 8 April 2022), his younger brother Declan (Dec) Cluskey (born 23 December 1941), and their friend John Stokes (Sean James Stokes) (born 13 August 1936). They formed their first band together in 1957: "The Harmonichords"
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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" and the Cluskeys performed as "Con & Dec, The Bachelors".
376:. Despite the Bachelors' 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.
349:) and "In the Chapel in the Moonlight" (1965). In 1965 they had the 'most played juke box track' with "The Stars Will Remember", from the film "It's all over town". Their last big hit in the UK was a cover of the
391:, which had acquired the Decca catalogue, (available in the US as an import from Uni Classics Jazz UK), reached No. 7 in the UK album chart. Con and Dec Cluskey appeared on TV and radio to promote the album.
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Throughout the 1960s, the
Bachelors racked up hit singles and albums, made guest appearances on all the then-current TV shows, and appeared in two Royal Variety TV shows. In 1963, they starred in
529:, and arranged in the same Nashville-like manner, but produced by Michael Barclay—was released in 1964 and gave the group their biggest international hit, reaching number one in the
261:, Ireland, but primarily based in the United Kingdom. They had several international hits during the 1960s, including eight top-ten singles in the UK between 1963 and 1966.
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hitting the top 10 in 1968, the band became less and less dominant in the changing music industry. They remained successful recording artists and moved to the
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in Europe, Australia, South Africa, South
America, parts of the USSR, and the United States. Some of the most successful were "Charmaine" (1963); "Diane", "
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Live work carried them into the 1970s with record-breaking theatre season shows. After a successful end to the 1960s with the album
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794:"Con Cluskey, singer with the Bachelors, the first Irish band to have a UK No 1 single – obituary"
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Four of their hit songs ("Charmaine","Ramona","Marie" and "Diane") were taken from 1920s films.
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The
Bachelors' version of "Charmaine", with its descending melody that had already made it an
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performing "Charmaine" and "Diane" live on the show, which was broadcast on
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special (filmed in Dublin, broadcast 15 March 1959), in which they played "
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In
December 2016, Con and Dec (performing as The Bachelors) appeared in
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981:'This Morning' July 2008 clip of 'Diane/I Believe' with Con and Dec
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Con
Cluskey died on 8 April 2022, aged 86. He had been living in
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YouTube: Original members performing 'Chapel in the
Moonlight'
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You can help by providing page numbers for existing citations.
455:. In 1971 they starred in a TV situation comedy series called
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270:(also seen as "The Harmony Chords"), a classically styled
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Kilmainham & Inchicore Local
Dictionary of Biography
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had also covered the first three of these in the 1950s.
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Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)
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Con & Dec's version of the break-up and aftermath
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label, which contracted easy listening stars such as
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Complete history 1962 – 1984 with UK/USA Discography
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During the 1960s, they had many successful songs in
517:as record producer, who went on to produce some of
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424:. The following year they appeared on the TV show
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749:"I Believe: The Very Best of the Bachelors"
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501:' Number One Entertainment Agent Noel Gee.
461:playing three Irish navvies working on the
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385:I Believe – The Very Best of The Bachelors
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601:Learn how and when to remove this message
472:The group began 1970 by appearing on the
75:Learn how and when to remove this message
1072:(I'll Be with You) In Apple Blossom Time
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277:As the Harmonichords, they appeared on
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635:"The Ed Sullivan Show Season Episodes"
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1214:Musical groups disestablished in 2022
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943:. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1995.
684:"Allmusic Biography of the Bachelors"
357:" which reached No. 3 in April 1966.
958:Con & Dec's Official UK web-site
939:Sean Helferty and Raymond Refausse.
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427:Sunday Night at the London Palladium
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962:The Bachelors featuring John Stokes
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1114:I Wouldn't Trade You for the World
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339:I Wouldn't Trade You for the World
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1229:Musical groups from Dublin (city)
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964:John Stokes' Official UK web-site
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465:. Six episodes were broadcast on
1054:The Bachelors and 16 Great Songs
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662:"The Very Best of the Bachelors"
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863:. Gloucester (published 1995).
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812:Scargill, Tom (13 April 2022).
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771:"Top 40 Albums Archive Week 31"
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1128:In the Chapel in the Moonlight
887:. Memorable TV. Archived from
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941:Directory of Irish Archives
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239:Con & Dec the Bachelors
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885:"The UK Sitcoms Guide U-V"
861:Television's Greatest Hits
729:. Amazon.com. 21 July 2008
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383:In 2008, a compilation CD
243:John Stokes' the Bachelors
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1121:No Arms Can Ever Hold You
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859:Gambaccini, Paul (1993).
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705:"John Stokes – The Truth"
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337:" (1964), "Ramona" and "
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1163:Turn Around, Look at Me
968:John Stokes – The Truth
572:This article cites its
1224:Irish pop music groups
1219:London Records artists
362:World of the Bachelors
208:Disputed – see article
109:Background information
222:Conleth (Con) Cluskey
103:The Bachelors in 1966
1142:The Sound of Silence
911:"Skeg Vegas – All 4"
707:. Thebachelors.co.uk
355:The Sound of Silence
292:The Ed Sullivan Show
224:Declan (Dec) Cluskey
19:For other uses, see
1234:Irish musical trios
917:on 14 December 2016
682:Ruhlmann, William.
486:on 1 January 1970.
406:Film and television
1156:I'll Walk with God
891:on 10 October 2008
641:on 8 February 2013
479:Pop Go The Sixties
463:London Underground
413:It's All Over Town
283:Opportunity Knocks
161:1957–present
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1204:Beat groups
1149:The Unicorn
544:Discography
527:Lew Pollack
341:" (1964); "
226:John Stokes
1193:Categories
921:7 December
555:References
538:Jim Reeves
523:Erno Rapee
515:Shel Talmy
495:Skeg Vegas
453:Billy Fury
351:Paul Simon
304:Odd Noises
196:and others
1100:I Believe
1079:Charmaine
519:The Kinks
511:evergreen
491:Channel 4
389:Universal
335:I Believe
316:Dick Rowe
300:Danny Boy
170:Universal
120:, Ireland
45:citations
499:Skegness
182:Pickwick
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989:Discogs
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366:Philips
320:A&R
289:and on
253:were a
235:Website
205:Members
178:Philips
147:country
55:Please
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711:8 July
689:8 July
396:Elland
353:song "
265:Career
259:Dublin
190:Galaxy
186:London
166:Labels
125:Genres
118:Dublin
114:Origin
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1093:Diane
1064:Songs
505:Songs
451:with
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343:Marie
194:Deram
174:Decca
998:IMDb
923:2016
897:2008
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