R e m e m b e r i n g  

 -   J. R. R. T O L K I E N   - 

Concerning Hobbits

On this day 50 years ago J.R.R. Tolkien left this Earth, passing on to the Road that Goes Ever On. 

I had just finished reading 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy only 4 months before. 

'The Hobbit' has been published in 1937 with the 'LOTR' books following in 1954-55. The books popularity spread, especially during the 60s, into the 70s and beyond. 

A lack of copyright in the US led to an unauthorized edition in 1965 being published. This resulted in a second edition and first paperback being authorized and a US copyright. September 1966 'LOTR' entered the New York Times Best sellers list. 

In a 1999 poll of Amazon customers, 'The Lord of the Rings' was judged to be their favourite "book of the millennium". 

Influences abound - to name just a few - there was of course:

The beloved 'Hobbit's Garden' Club in Wimbledon (remembed here) 

'Middle Earth' music venue in Covent Garden

'Gandalf's Garden' a shop and mystical community in Chelsea 

The 'Hobbit Hole' bar on Old Country Road, Long Island, NY (see here)

- and numerous musical references from bands Tyrannosaurus Rex, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and others. Tolkien's anti-materialistic worldview appealed to hippie counterculture values. 

And of course the movies made by Peter Jackson that won over a new generation of fans. 

'Concerning Hobbits' part of Howard Shore's wonderful music for the films shows Hobbiton, set in the Shire, home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. [click on Full Screen, bottom right of video]

NB: Previously a LOTR music spot [in  February 2019] saw a selection of the soundtrack by Howard Stone - BIG error - Howard SHORE - not Stone !