Biography
Jimmy Curtiss, the Queens, New York-born singer and songwriter, created the studio project the New Hobbits after first appearing in 1959 as part of the doo wop combo the Enjays. United Artists issued his initial solo single, "Without You," in 1961. Executives at the label aimed to present him as a teen idol in the style of Bobby Vee or Paul Anka, yet Curtiss diverged from his contemporaries by writing every song himself, producing distinctive originals such as 1962's "Five Smooth Stones," a pop retelling of the David and Goliath story that failed to register commercially. After losing his recording deal, Curtiss placed material with Bobby Darin and Ellie Greenwich while spending time in advertising. He resumed full-time music work in 1965, forming the doo wop backing group the Regents and releasing "Not for You" on Laurie Records. Later that year "The Girl from the Land of 1,000 Dances" appeared, after which Curtiss again withdrew from view.
In 1967 he resurfaced with the bubblegum cult classic "Psychedelic Situation," a major German success that drew scant notice domestically. Curtiss next joined Decca and worked with producers Jerry Vance and Terry Phillips on the studio group the Hobbits. Although the name referenced J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels and the 1967 debut album carried the title Down to Middle Earth, the Hobbits delivered relatively direct sunshine pop that remains prized by soft psych collectors. By the 1968 follow-up, Men and Doors: The Hobbits Communicate, only Curtiss stayed from the prior lineup. Both releases sold poorly, prompting Decca to end the arrangement. Curtiss subsequently launched his own Perception label; credited to the New Hobbits, 1969's Back from Middle Earth functioned essentially as a solo project. Later that year he issued the official solo album Life, then returned to advertising and developed a television campaign for Bumble Bee brand tuna fish. Liner notes from the second volume of the Soft Sounds for Gentle People series note that he eventually settled in San Francisco under the initials J.C., with present activities and location remaining unknown.
In 1967 he resurfaced with the bubblegum cult classic "Psychedelic Situation," a major German success that drew scant notice domestically. Curtiss next joined Decca and worked with producers Jerry Vance and Terry Phillips on the studio group the Hobbits. Although the name referenced J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels and the 1967 debut album carried the title Down to Middle Earth, the Hobbits delivered relatively direct sunshine pop that remains prized by soft psych collectors. By the 1968 follow-up, Men and Doors: The Hobbits Communicate, only Curtiss stayed from the prior lineup. Both releases sold poorly, prompting Decca to end the arrangement. Curtiss subsequently launched his own Perception label; credited to the New Hobbits, 1969's Back from Middle Earth functioned essentially as a solo project. Later that year he issued the official solo album Life, then returned to advertising and developed a television campaign for Bumble Bee brand tuna fish. Liner notes from the second volume of the Soft Sounds for Gentle People series note that he eventually settled in San Francisco under the initials J.C., with present activities and location remaining unknown.
Albums