P. F. Sloan

P. F. SLOAN
 
 
P. F. Sloan  (born Philip Gary Schlein; September 18, 1945 – November 15, 2015) was an American pop-rock singer and songwriter.  He was very successful during the mid-1960s, writing, performing, and producing Billboard top 20 hits for artists such as Barry McGuire, The Searchers, Jan and Dean, Herman’s Hermits, Johnny Rivers, The Grass Roots, The Turtles, and The Mamas & the Papas.  Many of his songs were written in collaboration with Steve Barri.  His most successful songs as a writer were three top 10 hits:  Barry McGuire’s 1965 “Eve of Destruction”, Johnny Rivers’ 1966 “Secret Agent Man”, and Herman’s Hermits’ 1966 “A Must to Avoid”.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

Barry McGuire had a prominent and influential hit song in 1965 with “Eve of Destruction” (written by P. F. Sloan); he was with New Christy Minstrels for a time and sung lead on their first hit song, “Green, Green”.  McGuire became a born again Christian in 1971 and released an album on Myrrh Records in 1973 called Seeds.  Singing background vocals on the album is a family trio that later became an early CCM band, 2nd Chapter of Acts.  

 

(July 2014)

 

*       *       *

 

Later I picked up the Pebbles, Volume 4 LP (subtitled “Summer Means Fun”).  There are songs by Lloyd Thaxton, a piano-playing DJ from LA whose show ran on TV in the afternoon when I was growing up; two songs by the immortal Trashmen (the flip side to their big hit “Surfin’ Bird”, “King of the Surf”, plus “New Generation” that features a hydrogen bomb blast); “Masked Grandma” by the California Suns, an answer song to the Jan & Dean hit “Little Old Lady from Pasadena”; “California Sun ’65” by the Rivieras (a remake by this Michigan surf band of their own well-known hit, “California Sun”); “Anywhere the Girls Are” by the Fantastic Baggys (composed of P. F. Sloan, author of “Eve of Destruction” among many other songs, and Steve Barri); a version of “Hot Rod High” by the Knights; and a paean to the California capital city “Sacramento” by Gary Usher.  A bonus track is a radio jingle for Coca-Cola by Jan & Dean.  

 

(December 2014)