The New Hobbits
Back From Middle Earth
Released as an pomotional LP in 1969
Label: /
Format: LP, Album, Unofficial Release
Country: US
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Psychedelic Rock
Reissued on CD 2004
First time issue of unreleased third album of The Hobbits now called The New Hobbits.
Originally this album was to be released by Perception Records in 1969 but was shelved.
It's a delightful example of orchestrated US 60's pop with a psychedelic
edge very much in the mould of the other two Hobbits albums .
Label: Radioactive (2) – RRCD021
Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: UK
Released: 2004
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Psychedelic Rock
Back From Middle Earth, The Hobbit’s third and rarest psychedelic recording, appeared in 1969 on Hobbit-supremo Jimmy Curtiss’ Perception label, an imprint that bizarrely was to include Dizzy Gillespie, Shirley Horn, Tyrone Washington, Johnny Hartman, Astrud Gilberto and even Jimmy Lunceford amongst its alumnists. Although The Hobbits owed their name to the writings of Tolkien, there was little of The Shire about their music, which Curtiss described as “vocals with instrumental accompaniment”, with the emphasis very much on sophisticated harmonies reminiscent of contemporaries such as The Cowsills and Jay And The Americans. Back To Middle Earth is a solid ‘60s pop album which highlights the vocal talents of Curtiss and session-singer Gini Eastwood and is completely free of any references to Curtiss’ doowop past, as indeed are the three heavily psych-influenced 45s Curtiss produced (he also co-wrote two of the tracks) for Decca stable-mates The Bag in 1968. Exactly why The Hobbits changed their name to The New Hobbits is unclear, but this may, along with the album’s release on Perception - the band’s two previous efforts had both appeared on Decca.
(review taken from blueorchardrecords.com)
Tracklist:
1. You could have made it easy 3:09
2. Growin' old 2:53
3. I could hear the grass growin' 2:50*
4. Comin' out 2:14
5. The devils gonna get me 2:08
6. Underground 2:35*
7. Love can set you free 2:59
8. Flora 2:51
9. Woman so worried 2:05
Known Line Up: Jimmy Curtiss, Gini Eastwood,
*Note:
"I COULD HEAR THE GRASS GROWIN'" originally came out in 1968 on Decca by a group called FIRE & BRIMSTONE. The record didn't make a splash, so Curtiss (whose Perception label was affiliated with Decca) put the song (and its flip "UNDERGROUND") on his New Hobbits LP—the same versions even! Both songs were produced by Terry Philips as well.
Source: Garden of Delight
