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In the pantheon of strange political gimmicks, The Goldwaters would have to rank fairly high on the list. Right up there with Michael Dukakis "boxer" action figures. The idea to assemble a conservative folk combo, have them record a bizarre, nearly unlistenable album and then put the group on the road with the 1964 Republican nominee for President was the warped brainchild of the Nashville-based Bates Brothers, Buford and Mark Clark. To fulfill their unique vision, the brothers recruited four kids with moderate musical skills from nearby colleges. The result was the Republican answer to the Chad Mitchell Trio. And in an odd example of conservative folk music convergence, The Goldwaters once shared the stage with another CONELRAD favorite, Janet Greene.
While Barry Goldwater carried on a long and distinguished senate career after his disastrous presidential bid, The Goldwaters, as a group anyway, were never heard from again (they apparently decided to pass on an ideal comeback opportunity to re-form in '96 as The Doles).http://www.conelrad.com/media/atomicmusic/sh_boom.php?platter=25
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