Hobbiton appears to have been a small independent label. It put out at least three records; catalogue numbers suggest that there may have been two others but as yet I haven't been able to confirm their existence. The names of Iwo Zaluski and John Searight were associated with all three records, which suggests that they may have been the people behind the label, and all three featured children from Park Lane Junior or Primary schools in Wembley - composer and pianist Zaluski was music teacher at the Primary school from 1973 to 1989. Two of the records were LPs, 'The Remarkable Earth Moving Machine' (HOB-104; 1974), and 'Tales Of Tolkein - Highlights' (HOB-105; 1975), but the one which earned Hobbiton a place on this site was an EP offering 'The Legend Of The Saffron Sorceress' in two parts (HOB-103; 1973). As can be seen, numbering was in a HOB-100 series which covered 7" and 12" records alike. HOBs 101 and 102 are currently unaccounted-for, but a 1970 EP on John Hassell Recordings (q.v.) by Lothlorien and other artists credited Jonathan Searight as producer and Zaluski as composer on one of the tracks and arranger on another; that may perhaps have been considered to be one of the missing Hobbiton releases. Its catalogue number was HAS EP-1130. It and the three Hobbiton records are all highly collectable. Thanks to Steve Brady for permission to use his scan here.
Copyright 2022 Robert Lyons.