The Flock Biography

The Flock was a Chicago-based jazz-rock band that released two records on Columbia records in 1969 (The Flock) and 1970 (Dinosaur Swamps), and 4 hit singles on the Destination/USA record label (also the first record label for the Buckinghams and Cryan Shames before they went on to Columbia Records). These singles made Top 20 lists on AM radio stations WLS and WCFL from 1966-1968.

The Flock - Dinosaur Swamps (inner cover)
Dinosaur Swamps inner cover

The original LP appeared as "The Flock:" on Columbia-CS 9911, produced by John McClure, and hit the Billboard on 9/20/69. The album made it to #48 and only stayed on the Billboard chart for 20 weeks.

An admirer of this group was none other than John Mayall. He actually did the liner notes for the back of the first LP "The Flock". He stated: "The Flock was the best band I'd heard in America."

This first Flock consisted of Rick Canoff, Jerry Smith, Ron Karpman, Rick Mann, and Fred Glickstein, later adding horn players Tom Webb and Frank Posa.

The second Flock: A close friend of the group, Jerry Goodman, was a classically trained violinist. Someone suggested that they should put an electric pick-up on the violin and see how it sounded. Well....IT SOUNDED GREAT. So Jerry became the newest band member. Unfortunately, they had to let Rick Mann go, which was a heartbreaking experience. They all loved Rick very much, but with the addition of Goodman and two horn players one member had to leave.

This second Flock signed with Columbia Records, did two albums and toured the U.S., and Europe in 1969 and 1970. Late in 1970, the group broke up.

The members at the time of their 1969 studio recording were Fred Glickstein (guitar, lead vocals), Jerry Goodman (violin), Jerry Smith (bass), Ron Karpman (drums), Rick Canoff (saxophone), Tom Webb (saxophone) and Frank Posa (trumpet).

Then, some time in 1973, three original Flock members, Glickstein, Karpman, and Smith, decided to give it another shot. After we checked out a few violinists, Michael Zydowsky landed the fiddler’s gig. Soon after that, they were off to Europe for a 30 day tour.

The Flock did not achieve the commercial success of other Columbia jazz-rock groups of the era such as Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears, but were most notable for their inclusion of a prominent violin in their recordings. The violinist, Jerry Goodman, went on to play with considerable acclaim as a member of Mahavishnu Orchestra and as a solo artist.

The Flock reunited briefly in 1975 for an album "Inside Out", and in 2004 a CD was released of a 1973 live concert called "Live in Europe", which features Michael Zydowsky on violin in place of Goodman and includes original members Fred Glickstein, Jerry Smith, and Ron Karpman.