Biography
P.F. Sloan ranks among the pivotal creators who shaped West Coast pop during its formative years, penning and overseeing production for numerous lasting singles throughout the 1960s. His own releases later earned enduring admiration as folk-rock collector favorites, yet Dunhill, the label to which he remained signed for an extended period, allocated almost no resources toward their marketing, and the departure that followed marked the beginning of a prolonged downturn ending in thirty years away from any recording facility.
Born Philip Gary Schlein in New York City on September 18, 1945, he passed the majority of his teenage years in Los Angeles. At age twelve he encountered Elvis Presley inside Wallich's Music City on Sunset and Vine, where the star consented to an on-the-spot guitar lesson. Before turning thirteen Sloan had already secured a contract with Aladdin Records and released the single "All I Want Is Loving," which attracted scant attention. A subsequent Mart release, "She's My Girl," fared no better, but in 1961 he joined Screen Gems as a contracted songwriter and was paired there with Steve Barri under producer Gary Usher.
Performing as the Fantastic Baggys, Sloan and Barri tapped into the rising surf-music wave with "Tell 'Em I'm Surfin'." They also supplied Round Robin with the hit "Kick That Little Foot, Sally Ann." When Screen Gems executive Lou Adler departed to establish Dunhill, he recruited both writers to compose and produce for the new imprint. Through the middle of the decade the Sloan/Barri team generated chart successes that stood alongside the output of Bacharach/David and Goffin/King, including Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," the Turtles' "You Baby," and the Grass Roots' "Where Were You When I Needed You," each helping define the Southern California rock sound.
Sloan's most resonant song, the Bob Dylan-inspired "Eve of Destruction," reached number one for Barry McGuire in fall 1965. Though attacked by commentators across the political spectrum, the track became a landmark protest anthem of the emerging counterculture, prompting Sloan to revive his own performing career. His return single, "Sins of a Family," a stark account of teenage prostitution, lingered on the pop listings for under two weeks in late 1965, while the album Songs of Our Times drew criticism from folk-rock circles that viewed Sloan merely as an opportunistic studio craftsman. Dunhill executives, reluctant to jeopardize their star writer, withheld promotion from his solo work. The 1966 follow-up Twelve More Times likewise failed to register, leading Sloan to demand termination of his contract; Dunhill granted the request only after he relinquished all future and past songwriting royalties.
Fellow songwriter Jimmy Webb honored Sloan's ability and principles with the tribute "P.F. Sloan," yet Sloan stayed absent from the charts. His 1968 Atco album Measure of Pleasure disappeared quickly, after which he moved back to New York City to live with his parents. He did not reappear until 1972, issuing the poorly received Raised on Records on the small Mums label. The ensuing decade brought struggles with depression and catatonia; he returned to performing with a few New York club shows in 1985. Sloan declined further recording offers until 2006, when he collaborated with producer Jon Tiven and guests including Lucinda Williams and Frank Black on the Hightone album Sailover. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer in November 2015.
Born Philip Gary Schlein in New York City on September 18, 1945, he passed the majority of his teenage years in Los Angeles. At age twelve he encountered Elvis Presley inside Wallich's Music City on Sunset and Vine, where the star consented to an on-the-spot guitar lesson. Before turning thirteen Sloan had already secured a contract with Aladdin Records and released the single "All I Want Is Loving," which attracted scant attention. A subsequent Mart release, "She's My Girl," fared no better, but in 1961 he joined Screen Gems as a contracted songwriter and was paired there with Steve Barri under producer Gary Usher.
Performing as the Fantastic Baggys, Sloan and Barri tapped into the rising surf-music wave with "Tell 'Em I'm Surfin'." They also supplied Round Robin with the hit "Kick That Little Foot, Sally Ann." When Screen Gems executive Lou Adler departed to establish Dunhill, he recruited both writers to compose and produce for the new imprint. Through the middle of the decade the Sloan/Barri team generated chart successes that stood alongside the output of Bacharach/David and Goffin/King, including Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," the Turtles' "You Baby," and the Grass Roots' "Where Were You When I Needed You," each helping define the Southern California rock sound.
Sloan's most resonant song, the Bob Dylan-inspired "Eve of Destruction," reached number one for Barry McGuire in fall 1965. Though attacked by commentators across the political spectrum, the track became a landmark protest anthem of the emerging counterculture, prompting Sloan to revive his own performing career. His return single, "Sins of a Family," a stark account of teenage prostitution, lingered on the pop listings for under two weeks in late 1965, while the album Songs of Our Times drew criticism from folk-rock circles that viewed Sloan merely as an opportunistic studio craftsman. Dunhill executives, reluctant to jeopardize their star writer, withheld promotion from his solo work. The 1966 follow-up Twelve More Times likewise failed to register, leading Sloan to demand termination of his contract; Dunhill granted the request only after he relinquished all future and past songwriting royalties.
Fellow songwriter Jimmy Webb honored Sloan's ability and principles with the tribute "P.F. Sloan," yet Sloan stayed absent from the charts. His 1968 Atco album Measure of Pleasure disappeared quickly, after which he moved back to New York City to live with his parents. He did not reappear until 1972, issuing the poorly received Raised on Records on the small Mums label. The ensuing decade brought struggles with depression and catatonia; he returned to performing with a few New York club shows in 1985. Sloan declined further recording offers until 2006, when he collaborated with producer Jon Tiven and guests including Lucinda Williams and Frank Black on the Hightone album Sailover. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer in November 2015.
Albums
