Kickstarter

The core of Elton Duck was formed in Los Angeles by Mike McFadden and Mike Condello, who’d become friends while playing in bands in the Phoenix area. After high school, McFadden had moved from Arizona to San Francisco along with his pals in the Beans, who subsequently renamed themselves the Tubes.

McFadden headed down to L.A. in 1976 with the intention of forming a band, , starting by reconnecting with Condello. Former Horsefeathers drummer Andy Robinson was in search of a gig and headed to the infamous Masque to audition.

Robinson recalled in a 2005 interview, “When (the Mikes) sang together, it was sort of like the Everly Brothers, soulful and supercharged with energy. The songs were full of hooks; some of them were funny, real dark humor."

Andy said he knew a bass player—Micki Steele. After Micki’s tryout, Elton Duck played all over Los Angeles, mostly gigs at Doug Weston’s Troubadour, Madame Wong’s and Club 88 where they were practically the house band.

They had a devoted following and in early 1980, Arista head Clive Davis offered them money to cut a set of proper demos. The resulting recording was enough to convince Clive to sign them...a few weeks later...he was shelving the album.

The band continued to play live for several months, but eventually, the disappointment took its toll and the Ducks just drifted apart. This album is a treasure, not just living up to long-held expectations but blowing past them.

-  Abridged from liner notes by Bud Scoppa

NOW after 30-plus years, the Music Gods have given us permission to release The Greatest Album Never Heard. Funding for this project will be used to press a limited run of CDs to satisfy fans and create a lasting tribute to the late, great Mike Condello (1946-1995). Proceeds will be donated to the Phoenix Union Foundation for Education. The tracks and graphics and ready to go, but we need your support to pay for replication and packaging. Won't you please help?