Four Jacks And a Jill

Four Jacks & A Jill stands among the rare South African ensembles that managed to land a hit inside the United States. Their rustic narrative single “Master Jack” climbed into the Top 20 and settled at number 18 on 8 June 1968. The lineup consisted of Glenys Lynne as Jill, Clive Harding on bass, Till Hanamann on guitar, Bruce Barks on guitar, and Tony Hughes on drums. Glenys delivered the lead vocals in a voice that remained unmistakably folksy no matter how she approached a song. Their follow-up release “Mr. Nico” also registered on the American charts, albeit weakly, as it entered the Pop 100 and promptly peaked at number 98. The four male musicians, performing without Glenys, first assembled in 1964 and underwent two name alterations before she joined and the group adopted the name Four Jacks & A Jill. Right away they notched a South African success with the track “Timothy.” Although no further Stateside entries appeared after “Mr. Nico,” the act stayed active and widely embraced throughout South Africa.