The Ducks

The Ducks
The Ducks in 1977. From left to right: Johnny Craviotto, Bob Mosley, Jeff Blackburn, Neil Young.
Background information
Origin	Santa Cruz, California, United States
Genres	Rock and roll, country rock, hard rock, folk rock, rock
Years active	1977
Labels	Bootleg
Associated acts	Crazy Horse, Moby Grape
Past members	Neil Young Bob Mosley Jeff Blackburn Johnny Craviotto

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.

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.

The local entertainment tabloid got wind something was up and had a conversation with the group. They announced they were forming a band called the Ducks, that would play local clubs for cover charges of less than $3. Further Young was moving to Santa Cruz and would stay "as long as it remains cool." This exchange was later written up as a front-page story in a local newspaper. Young also said they could play "Mr. Soul" better than Buffalo Springfield. By mid-June the Ducks began to play, normally two sets a night, three or four times a week. Sometimes there was enough heads-up that they'd be listed in Santa Cruz County’s weekly newspaper the Good Times. The Ducks had become a local sensation.