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From The Desk Of The Muffs: Elton Duck

After a decade adrift, the Muffs have gotten their melodic pop groove back. Frontwoman Kim Shattuck has reunited with longtime backing members Ronnie Barnett (bass) and Roy McDonald (drums) for Whoop Dee Doo (Cherry Red/Burger). The Los Angeles-based trio will also be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand-new feature on the band.

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Barnett: As drummer Andy Robinson said, “A band named Elton Duck had better be good, right?” Formed in Los Angeles in the late ’70’s by ex-Arizona transplants Mike McFadden on vocals/guitar and Mike Condello on guitar/vocals along with drummer Robinson and ex-Runaway/future Bangle Micki (Michael) Steele, “the Duck” hit the then-flourishing local power-pop/new-wave scene hard alongside contemporaries the Knack, the Pop, Motels, 20/20, the Beat, etc. Their rich melodies, heavenly harmonies and sense of humor setting them apart. While never a solid headliner, their hard work earned them a devoted following and a record deal with Arista. Though not before the company president Clive Davis insisted on a name change, so the newly monikered Decoys made an album. Then, the album got shelved and one of the scene’s most promising bands, got eaten up and spit out by the industry and broke up.

The album got released in an extremely limited run a couple of years ago at last to mainly close friends. A true treasure, and had it actually come out when it was supposed to, it would have been right up there alongside the best records of that period. We can all only hope this gem gets a wider release one day and at last receives the recognition and acclaim it deserves. (R.I.P. Mike Condello.)