Songtown - Vol. 6 (Master Jack)

Artist: Four Jacks & A Jill
Song: Master Jack
Album: Master Jack
Year: 1968



Boy oh boy. I love this song. This one appeared to me about a year ago, when I bought Hard To Find 45s on CD, Volume 6: More 60s Classics. I don't need to explain anything about this CD, because the title says it all. I bought this collection solely to get the original version of "Witchi Tai To," which we've already talked about. As with all of the world's greatest gifts, they come attached to other stuff even better. Yeah yeah yeah. Anyhow, this collection had some classics that I already know like "Walk Away Renee," "Lightning Strikes" and "(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet." But then there are the ones that WQSR never bothered to archive. Like "Master Jack."

This one seems like the type of song that the White Stripes would have rough and rolled their way through as a b-side at some point, but fortunately, I don't think they've gotten around to it, yet. So for now, it can just be yours and mine.

Four Jacks and a Jill is the name of the band. Internet research has told me that the band was formed in 1962 as The Nevadas. Back then, it was just a couple of Jacks not actually named Jacks. They later changed their name to The Zombies, not to be confused with the American Zombies. Shortly thereafter, Glenys Lynne Mynott came along and they wisely changed their name to the Four Jacks and A Jill. I say "wisely" simply because I'm in love with this band name. And I'm even more in love with the band name PLUS the fact that "Master Jack" is the only song that I'll likely ever hear by them. It just seems perfect.

You'll find that the less I know about a band, the more I'll try to create my ideal false reality regarding them. If you can, strike the last paragraph from the record.

In 1966, big game hunter Jack Richmond decided to try his hand at music production. He invited four orphaned teenage boys named Jack (Bilff, Leckerson, Tonlinky, Mookus) and a girl named Jill Poaklyn up to his estate to "help out." Well, it was all fun and game [sic] for all of a weekend before Master Jack starting pushing them to sing him a bunch of songs that he had written from their perspective. All in return for the food and shelter that he provided. And so went the next seven years. The young ones resented Master Jack, but with time, they grew to secretly admire him. Even if his unrequited love for Jill was a bit creepy.

Finally, when they reached their twenties, Master Jack let them out into the world. As their final gift to the Master, they performed this song that they had written in his honor. You can sense the tension, but in the end, the good outweighed the bad, and they had to thank him. And you know what? That Jill might just be a little in love with Master Jack.

Epilogue: Their next single was to be called "Mr. Nico" and that's not even part of my false reality. I have to track down this song.