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4 Jacks & A Jill, 4 Jacks & A Jill

By A Mystery Man Writer

Four Jacks and a Jill is a South African folk-rock ensemble. They originally formed in 1964 without a Jill under the name The Nevadas. Subsequently, they became the first group in South Africa to wear their hair long and they changed their name to The Zombies (different from the well-known British group). Later they added lead singer Glenys Lynne and changed the group's name to Four Jacks and A Jill. The group included Clive Harding (bass guitar), Keith Andrews (rhythm guitar and organ), replaced by the late Mark Poulos (guitar and organ) 1966- 1967 and subsequently Till Hanneman who joined in 1967 (rhythm guitar, organ, and trumpet), Bruce Bark (lead guitar, harmonica, and saxophone), Tony Hughes (drums) and Glenys Lynne (lead vocal and organ). In South Africa, they had a hit song, Timothy. In 1968 they cracked the American charts with the song Master Jack, hitting the Billboard Hot 100 at no. 18 and reaching no. 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song also reached no. 10 on Cashbox and went to no. 1 in South Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The follow-up single, Mr. Nico, peaked at no. 98 in the United States. That was their last hit in the U.S., but the group continued to score hits in their native country. Four Jacks and a Jill also get a brief mention in the cult 'rockumentary' film This Is Spinal Tap when Spinal Tap arrives to do a gig at a U.S. Air Force base. The base commander, Lt. Bob Hookstratten (Fred Willard) asks Tap if they've ever heard of Four Jacks and a Jill, and then suggests to them that if they are ever in Kansas City and want to hear some good music, then visit the Ramada Inn where the band was supposed to be resident.