Jack and Jill (song) explained

Jack and Jill
Cover:Jack And Jill - Raydio.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Raydio
Album:Raydio
B-Side:Get Down
Released:December 1977
Recorded:1977
Length:4:35 (album version)
3:29 (single edit)
Label:Arista
Producer:Ray Parker Jr.
Next Title:Honey, I'm Rich
Next Year:1978

"Jack and Jill" is a 1977 hit song by R&B vocal group Raydio. It was the first single from their debut album Raydio, and became an international top 10 hit. It reached number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Cashbox Top 100. It reached number five in Canada, number four in Australia, and the top twenty in UK. It was the first of five U.S. top 10 singles by Ray Parker Jr. and/or Raydio.

The song describes how "Jack" is lonely and so, in spite of his good intentions, wanders down the hill to find love elsewhere after being neglected by "Jill", who is seldom home.

Record World called it "a mid-tempo r&b song that expands on the nursery rhyme in interesting fashion."[1]

In 1981, "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)" became a hit as an answer song to "Jack and Jill". Parker wrote an antithesis from "Jill's" perspective, according to the lyrics, "By the time poor Jack returned up the hill, somebody else had been loving Jill."

In 1982, Parker recorded an extended version of the song.[2] It was released on a re-issue of his second solo album. In this version, Parker performed all of the vocals instead of just some of them.

Personnel

Raydio

Additional personnel

from the band Stargard

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1978)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] 4
Belgium[4] 22
Canadian RPM[5] 5
Netherlands[6] 24
New Zealand[7] 4
UK Pop Singles[8] 11
US Billboard Hot 100[9] 8
US R&B Singles[10] 5
US Cash Box Top 100[11] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1978)Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] [13] 42
Canada[14] 35
New Zealand[15] 28
US Billboard[16] 31
US Cash Box[17] 34

External links

Notes and References

  1. Record World. November 5, 1977. 2023-02-16. Single Picks. 34.
  2. Web site: Jack and Jill (Back up the Hill) (1982 Version) . . 23 August 2015 .
  3. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 247.
  4. Web site: Raydio: Jack And Jill. Ultratop. ultratop.be.
  5. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - April 29, 1978.
  6. Web site: Raydio: Jack And Jill. Dutch Charts. dutchcharts.nl.
  7. Web site: Raydio: Jack and Jill. RIANZ. charts.nz.
  8. Web site: Raydio. Official Charts. officialcharts.com.
  9. Web site: Raydio: Jack and Jill (Hot 100). Billboard. billboard.com.
  10. Web site: Raydio: Jack and Jill (Hot Soul Songs). Billboard. billboard.com.
  11. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 4/22/78.
  12. Web site: Australian-charts.com - Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) . May 4, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160602084720/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 . June 2, 2016 .
  13. Web site: Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978. Kent Music Report. Imgur.com. 8 January 2022.
  14. Web site: RPM Top 200 Singles of '78 - December 30, 1978.
  15. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 1978 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart . Nztop40.co.nz . 1978-12-31 . 2016-10-13.
  16. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1978/Top 100 Songs of 1978. musicoutfitters.com. 12 February 2015.
  17. Web site: Top 100 Year End Charts: 1978 . . November 3, 2015 .