The Ducks

The Ducks (formerly known as the Jeff Blackburn Band) were a short-lived hard rock supergroup formed in the summer of 1977 by singer-songwriter Jeff Blackburn, and consisted of musicians Bob Mosley (an original member of Moby Grape), Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, and Johnny Craviotto. The band played a series of impromptu bar gigs around the Santa Cruz area in 1977. Fans would often quack and blow duck callers before the band began playing. The band focused on topics such as trucks, girls and bars.

History

In the spring of 1977, former Moby Grape vocalist and guitarist Jerry Miller was working with various musicians and Young found his way on stage one night with Miller (whom he knew from his Fillmore days) and a singer/songwriter named Jeff Blackburn (who co-wrote "My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)". Young began hanging out and jamming with Blackburn in the days that followed with Blackburn on rhythm guitar, Bob Mosley on bass, and session musician Johnny Craviotto on drums. Craviotto had previously played on tracks for Arlo Guthrie,Ry Cooder, and Buffy Sainte-Marie. They decided to call themselves the Ducks and within weeks every duck call within miles had been purchased.