Four Jacks and a Jill – Master Jack (1968/2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 24:45 minutes | 929 MB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA – Legacy

Four Jacks and a Jill were South Africa’s entry into the late-’60s folk-rock scene, and their American debut contains three international hits: “Timothy,” “Master Jack,” and “Mister Nico.” “Timothy” wasn’t even released in the U.S. when it became the group’s first international hit in 1967, but the enigmatic folk-rock gem “Master Jack” written, vaguely, from the standpoint of a miner addressing his boss gave the group a Top 20 hit in the States and became the song most closely associated with the group. “Mister Nico” is an obvious attempt to repeat the formula of “Master Jack” (all of the group’s U.S. hits, in fact, have the words “mister” or “master” in their titles), and “I Looked Back” is derived from the mid-’50s country hit “Looking Back to See.” Although the harmony-laden folk-rock is the most appealing of several styles they attempt on Master Jack, their first American album, there is also a little Africana (“Hamba Liliwam”) and outright rock (“Penny Paper”). Their childlike aura sometimes resulted in excessively cute songs like “Fifi the Flea” and “La La Song,” but when they got it right as they did on their major hits Four Jacks and a Jill made a unique contribution to the musical kaleidoscope of the late ’60s.

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Four Jacks And a Jill – Fables (1968/2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 23:27 minutes | 869 MB | Genre: Pop, Oldies
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA – Legacy

The second and final album by Four Jacks and a Jill garnered no hits on the level of their sole U.S. Top 40 entry, “Master Jack,” but Fables is a completely charming slice of sunshiny folk-rock. Lead singer Glenys Lynne’s dreamy vocals are at the center of these simple, upbeat songs, surrounded by crisply strummed acoustic guitars and occasional keyboards and strings. Interestingly, much of the album makes use of the group’s South African heritage, with thumb piano and other local percussion coloring songs like the traditional folk tune “Mama Come Home” and a pair of songs written by their compatriot, Miriam Makemba, “The Click Song” and “Pata Pata.” Highlights include the subtly psychedelic “Huckleberry Ferry Land,” the bubblegum “Three Little Bears,” and a handful of songs that recall early Bee Gees hits, such as “Sad Little Pigeon” and the delicate “Butchers and Bakers.” Lynne’s helium-pitched vocals and blank delivery do no favors to the misbegotten cover of the Newbeats’ “Bread and Butter,” though. A rarity due to its near-total lack of U.S. sales and airplay, Fables is well worth seeking out by sunshine pop fans.

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