Founded in Chicago, USA in 1966 - Disbanded in 1973

Signed on the CBS brass-rock craze after BS&T's mega success, than CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY's much more prog success, Columbia signed also the eclectic ILLINOIS SPEED EXPRESS, the psychedelic AORTA and the brassy THE FLOCK, all three also from Chicago and releasing their debut album the same month as CTA did as well. Apparently a marketing plan to create a Chicago scene, this ploy actually worked correctly since three of the four groups recorded two albums (not going further than that), but we all know what a monster Chicago became. Alas, CBS wouldn't enjoy the same brassy success than with BS&T and CTA with THE FLOCK, even if both their albums sold quite well at the time.

This band is most famous for having violinist JERRY GOODMAN (later with MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA) but they did not sound anything like the supern jazz-rock giant. Actually their music is very close to what was called Brass Rock at the time because of the extended wind instrument section - although those groups were never associated with jazz-rock. Effectively, THE FLOCK sounds much more like ELECTRIC FLAG, BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS, or the fantastic early CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY later to become CHICAGO, the well known AOR group. The British equivalent to those bands might be IF and CATAPILLA. But The Flock had a very average songwriting skill and both albums lack excellent productions. Apparently the group reformed in 75 for another album, but the brass/horn section was gone and so was Jerry Goodman.

The first two albums are recommended to anyone liking the above-mentioned groups but also to anyone enjoying jazz-rock.