The Lord of the Rings is an epic high-fantasy novel written by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien’s 1937 fantasy novel The Hobbit, but eventually developed into a much larger work. Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is the second best-selling novel ever written, with over 150 million copies sold. (More from Wikipedia)
Greg Shaw began as an amateur journalist and wrote hundreds of newsletters and fanzines early in life; many revolved around science fiction and the work of Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien, but they also included one of the earliest rock magazines that Shaw started in 1966 with David Harris, called Mojo Navigator Rock and Roll News. The magazine was said to be an inspiration for Rolling Stone magazine; Greg Shaw wrote for Rolling Stone also, but he and RS founder Jann Wenner apparently didn’t get along that well.
(May 2013)
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Mick Farren left the fold shortly afterward, and Twink and Steve Peregrin Took formed a band called Shagrat with Larry Wallis (guitar) – who later appeared in several incarnations of the Pink Fairies – and Tim Taylor (bass). The band name is taken from a character in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and Took is credited on the Mona – The Carnivorous Circus album as “Shagrat the Vagrant”. Twink left the band after a short while, and Steve Peregrin Took became the bandleader with the other two plus Phil Lenoir (drums), and later Dave Bidwell (percussion). The band is often called Steve Took’s Shagrat and was the springboard for Took’s solo career.
