Mallard was a short-lived '70s experimental rock band featuring several former members of
Captain Beefheart's Magic Band: guitarist
Bill Harkleroad (aka
Zoot Horn Rollo), bassist Mark Boston (aka
Rockette Morton), and percussionist/drummer
Art Tripp (aka Ed Marimba), the latter of which also played in
Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention for several albums, as well. Both
Harkleroad and Boston had been members of the
Magic Band from 1968 through 1974, when a falling out between them and
Beefheart (over their unhappiness with the album Unconditionally Guaranteed), led to their exit. The trio of
Beefheart graduates was joined by a host of others for their 1975 self-titled debut (including future
Who keyboardist
John "Rabbit" Bundrick, singer Sam Galpin, and percussionist
Barry Morgan), an album that was financed by
Beefheart fan
Ian Anderson of
Jethro Tull, but was only available in the U.S. as an import.
Mallard's sophomore release, In a Different Climate, was issued two years later (their first to be domestically issued), and saw
Tripp replaced by George Draggota. But like its predecessor, the album failed to attract fans outside of the
Captain Beefheart cult network, ultimately leading to
Mallard's breakup. In 1995, Virgin Records issued both albums together on a single disc, under the appropriate title of Mallard/In a Different Climate. ~ Greg Prato