Folk-rock outfit the Hobbits was the studio project of Queens, New York-born singer/songwriter Jimmy Curtiss, who ranks as one of the more interesting footnotes in the history of rock & roll — the rare would-be teen idol who actually wrote his own material (and did so admirably), he later expanded his reach into psychedelia and harmony-laden folk-rock, but while the subject of a small cult following, none of his records ever made a commercial dent. Curtiss first surfaced in 1959 as a member of the doo wop combo the Enjays and issued his solo debut, "Without You," on United Artists in 1961 — the label attempted to position him as a teen crooner in the mold of Bobby Vee or Paul Anka, but he failed to make a commercial impact. After a period working as a songwriter he dropped out of music to pursue a career in advertising before resurfacing in 1967 with the bubblegum cult classic "Psychedelic Situation," a major hit in Germany that attracted little attention at home. Curtiss then signed to Decca, collaborating with producers Jerry Vance and Terry Phillips and songwriter Marcia Hillman on the Hobbits — despite borrowing their name from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels and titling their 1967 debut Down to Middle Earth, The Hobbits turned out relatively straightforward sunshine pop, and the album is much sought-after by soft-psych aficionados. The follow-up, Men and Doors: The Hobbits Communicate, appeared in 1968 — like its predecessor, the record didn't sell, and Decca terminated the contract. After rechristening the group The New Hobbits, Curtiss released 1969's Back From Middle Earth, essentially a solo effort. [Allmusic.com] 01 - Down To Middle Earth 02 - I'm Just A Young Man 03 - Daffodil Days (The Affection Song) 04 - Break Away 05 - Treats 06 - Hands And Knees 07 - Let Me Run My Fingers Through Your Mind (Buy My Flowers) 08 - Out Of My Mind 09 - Clap Hands Til Daddy Comes Home 10 - Sunny Day Girl LINK The Hobbits - 1968 - Men and Doors - The Hobbits Communicate
This is the second album by The Hobbits. Only remaining member of the band at this moment was Jimmy Curtis. New line-up includes Gini Eastwood, Heather Hewitt and flamenco guitarist Marius. 01 - Men And Doors.mp3 02 - Espanña Baby.mp3 03 - Let Me Make My Own Mistakes.mp3 04 - Feeling.mp3 05 - Words Get In The Way.mp3 06 - The Journey.mp3 07 - Will You Be Ready For Tomorrow.mp3 08 - Love Is.mp3 09 - Strawberry Children.mp3 10 - University Of The Street.mp3 11 - Artificial Face.mp3 LINK The New Hobbits - 1969 - Back from Middle Earth
01 - You Could Have Made It Easy 02 - Growin' Old 03 - I Could Hear The Grass Growin' 04 - Comin' Out 05 - The Devils Gonna Get Me 06 - Underground 07 - Love Can Set You Free 08 - Flora 09 - Woman So Worried LINK
