Losing Eldorado
‘Searching for the Soul of America’
The new book by Mark T. Goddard is on general release now. Order Non- Fiction Book and Order the new Photographic Book
A Musical Odyssey
It is July 4th, 2002, two musical British brothers have just touched down in the United States. Mythologized in popular song it is the birthplace of the blues, jazz, soul, and rock ’n’ roll. In search of their own version of El Dorado, instead of the promise of ubiquitous gold, the prize they seek is great music.
The brothers have hatched a plan on how to achieve this, they are going to motor from New England to New Orleans, visiting the great music towns and venues that have shaped America.
There is one problem though, they need a car. It has to be a special vehicle, one that taps into the rich cultural heritage they seek.
Enter their saviour, ‘Rufus’, a used ’82 Cadillac Eldorado, the last in a long lineage, and the dream car of a generation. The brothers have very little money, know nothing about car mechanics, and have no fixed address in the USA.
Can they secure the car and where will the road lead them? For two months they live, breathe, sweat, and imbibe the complex cocktail of American musical heritage…
Where will the soul of America be found? On the open road? At Al Green’s Gospel Church? At the gates of Graceland? Or in a Downtown Chicago nightclub?
Or is the El Dorado they seek lost already?
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"The Spirit of America" is the motto of Massachusetts, the state where the famous Tea Party of 1773 began, which eventually led to the emergence of the United States as an independent country from Britain. It's also fittingly the name of a song by the all-
American vocal harmony group the Beach Boys. This photo was taken in Chicopee, Massachusetts on the first day we met Rufus, the 1982 Cadillac Eldorado my brother and I went on to purchase for $1500 in July of 2002. Before long we had driven to Plymouth Rock to see where the Mayflower landed but we found very little of interest other than a beautiful white sandy beach looking towards the exclusive hook-shaped peninsula of Cape Cod. Over the next two months, we would drive more than 7000 miles around the USA as we set out on a musical pilgrimage into the heart of a country and culture we’d grown up in awe of...
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A late-night Memphis institution for more than thirty years, Hollywood Raiford closed it doors in 2007 and the location looks barely anything like this photograph from 2002. Little did Jeremy or I know it at the time but the venue was legendary. Set up by the
inimitable DJ, performer and impresario Robert Raiford, the club’s ethos was described by him: “… if you want to have a good time and have a party, you come to Raiford's. If you don't want to come and have a good time, then you need to let that doorknob hit you where Jesus Christ split you.” or as his daughter Paula explained “…the club was a place where normal people came to party like rockstars”.
Former Mayor of Memphis, A C Wharton said of the venue: "It was iconic. It was 'Who thought of this?' It was eclectic…What really went through my mind was, 'Where else would you find this other than a place called Memphis? If you're (writing) a dictionary and you want to define Memphis, just put a picture of Raiford and his disco."
Whilst a contemporary writer at the time of the venue’s closure elaborated on its idiosyncrasies: “On a weekend night, there was often a line to get in that door. Once inside, patrons had two choices of beverage — quarts of Bud or Bud Light. Rolling chairs lined the tiny room. A chandelier hung over the bar. The wooden dance floor was in the back, surrounded by mirrors ("People love to look at themselves," Raiford explained.)”.
The smoke machine sometimes made the dance floor foggy. That's where the real action took place, where people of all races and ages shook what they had. Raiford's was a place that didn't start hopping until well after midnight and didn't stop hopping until the sun peeked out.”
Raiford was one of a kind, further proved when he was asked why he put six American flags on his signature Cadillac: “I was running two, and Mr. Prince Mongo said,‘ Well, go and make it six, Raiford.’ So, I throwed six of them on there.”
RIP Robert Raiford and his unique nightclub.
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"By the Time I Get to Memphis" - STAX STUDIOS - MEMPHIS - MARKTGODDARD - 2002
"Rocket 88" - SUN STUDIOS - MEMPHIS - MARKTGODDARD - 2002
"Don't Fear The Reaper" - MEMPHIS - MARKTGODDARD - 2002
"So Close Yet So Far Out" - AUSTIN MOTEL - TEXAS - MARKTGODDARD - 2002
"Cokes and Cadillacs" - TIMES SQUARE - NYC - MARKKTGODDARD - 2002
"DILEMMA" - TEXAS - MARKTGODDARD - 2002
An epic voyage of discovery across seven thousand action-packed miles. Two brothers buy a ‘82 Cadillac Eldorado and go in search of the roots of the music they love…
Mark T Goddard launched his stunning debut book. 'Losing Eldorado - Searching for the Soul of America' on Weds 22nd March at Mark Fuller's famous Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel in the heart of Central London
If you’d like to know more information about The Brothers Goddard or to book them for a show head to: www.brothersgoddard.com
All the music mentioned in the non-fiction book Losing Eldorado is available to stream through the Losing Eldorado - Master Playlist on Spotify. All the songs referenced in the new photographic book can be found in the Losing Eldorado - Photographic Essay
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