TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Down To Middle Earth" - The Hobbits (1967)
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"Down To Middle Earth" - The Hobbits (1967)
The album name and cover art 'had me at hello.' And as it turns out, the music is pretty good, too. If you’re a fan of pop-psych that rubs shoulders with sunshine pop, The Hobbits...”Down To Middle Earth” will be your cookie. There are ten songs…each oddly different and clever, as if the artist is having us on. Not overly psychedelic, and yet it's there.
There are a few tracks that are obviously meant for the mind, but a lot of this has a “more than meets the eye” kind of vibe. A grower by design. There are a couple of weaker tracks, but no bad ones. Not a whole lot is known about the album other than it's a Queens, NY Jimmy Curtiss project, and any other involvement is mostly speculation. This album has been tagged with the “exploitation” label as if that’s a universal bad thing. Well, it’s not. Not always. Sometimes the square is good in spite of itself. And "Down To Middle Earth" has just enough flux to keep it above the median.
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"Down To Middle Earth" - The Hobbits (back)
Favorites include:
"Down To Middle Earth"
"Daffodil Days (The Affection Song)"
"Let Me Run My Fingers Through Your Mind"
This copy is a white-label promo that has been well cared for. It has a median discog price of around $38, though it can top $100. The vinyl looked really nice, as did the cover, but for a stupid red number 50 on the back cover. He wanted $40. I bundled it with a couple of things and got it for less, and we shook hands.
This wasn’t a grail for me. I mean, it’s not rare, although a white label promo doesn't show up every day, nor is it expensive. The Hobbits album isn’t the greatest slice of sweet bread ever or anything like that, but it’s very good for what it is and has been on my want list since outta sight/outta mind. Back when Mellow Yellow and the Psych Professor were still making videos. It's been a few years. Actually seeing it in the wild gave me that hunter’s rush. You know what I'm talking about. I couldn't get to it fast enough. This was found in Andover, KS.
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Decca label
(white label promo)
Cat #
DL 4920
SIDE A DEADWAX
MG11180T1 1 1
SIDE B DEADWAX
MG11181T1 1 1
"Down To Middle Earth" - The Hobbits / "Down To Middle Earth" (1967)
TRACKS:
A1 "Down To Middle Earth" 2:52
A2 "I’m Just A Young Man" 2:53
A3 "Daffodil Days (The Affection Song)" 3:17
A4 "Break Away" 2:53
A5 "Treats" 2:42
B1 "Hands And Knees" 2:48
B2 "Let Me Run My Fingers Through Your Mind (Buy My Flowers)" 2:48
B3 "Out Of My Mind" 2:39
B4 "Clap Hands Til Daddy Comes Home" 2:28
B5 "Sunny Day Girl" 2:32
PERSONNEL:
Jimmy Curtiss - vocals
Jerry Vance - arrangements
Terry Philips - producer, arrangements
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