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P.F. Sloan sings his "Where Were You When I Needed You" cowritten with Steve Barri from back in the day. Sloan will appear July 19, 2014 at Berkeley Art House Gallery & Cultural Center.
Any classic rock music lover and faithful vinyl album liner note consumer knows the name P. F. Sloan as the brilliant songwriter who, in many cases along with writing colleague Steve Barri, is not much short of a genius. Somavilla shared that "Sloan is, in a major or minor way, responsible for the successful careers of musicians including The Rip Chords, Jan & Dean, Barry McGuire, The Turtles, The Searchers, Johnny Rivers, Herman’s Hermits, The Fifth Dimension, and oh yes, the Grass Roots." As the co-author (together with S.E. Feinberg) of the just-released memoir, “What’s Exactly the Matter with Me?” Sloan is about to make music history one more time.
P.F. Sloan has long been described as elusive, not given to public appearances in general. He is described as “one of the influential geniuses to emerge from the golden age of the 1960s.” Reality is that fame, fortune, stardom and pedestals have come to many amongst the giants in the music business, because fans live through every note and melody of a song they claim as “theirs” for one reason or another.
In actual fact, songwriters chronicle the pain, the joy, the fears and the successes of the “average person,” as brought to life by performers whose gifts elevate those songs to “hits,” played by radio stations that make them “monster hits,” and when purchased en masse by the greater audience, elevate them again to “music that has stood the test of time.” If you disagree, it’s time to reconsider.
What songs on the radio today do you think anyone will really give a flying fig about? I might personally select “Let it Go,” and “Happy” as potentially bringing a smile to the newest members of the AARP group in the year 2064. But you can’t, for a minute, think that there will be a reunion tour the likes of the Happy Together Tour in 2064 featuring the music of Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Drake, or Robin Thicke. And yet, there’s P.F. Sloan, whose songs have relevance and importance almost 50 years after he wrote them.
Today across the country, legendary performers with careers that have endured still play his songs to audiences that keep demanding they be heard. Ask Mark Dawson, the current lead singer and bass player for the Grass Roots since 2008, how much Sloan's work matters. On any given night when the Grass Roots perform across the country, you’ll potentially hear: “Things I Should Have Said,” “Wake Up, Wake Up,” by Sloan or “Only When You’re Lonely,” “Where Were You When I Needed You” or “Tip of My Tongue” by Sloan/Barri, who co-produced as many Grass Roots songs on the Dunhill Label as they wrote. When asked on Monday, Mark Dawson said, "anyone who is anywhere near Berkeley and loves Grass Roots song needs to be at that Art House concert!"
Even though Herman’s Hermits also recorded “Where Were You When I Needed You” and are equally identifiable with that hit, the names of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri are well known to classic rock devotees but remain among “the best kept secrets in show business” on a more global scale. Sloan was, undoubtedly, a starmaker with so many of his own songs. He did record his own albums, such as "Twelve More Times, "Songs of Our Times," and "Measure of Pleasure," but most of his acclaim came via the public faces, and voices of others. Somavilla said, "Sloan was an incredibly important part of the success of The Mamas and the Papas during his work at Dunhill Records."
Every time the engaging and charming Peter Noone has audiences within his hands, and sings, “A Must to Avoid,” that’s P.F. Sloan’s song. Whenever Howard Kaylan is on the uber-successful Happy Together Tour with Mark Volman, causing chaos and conundrums of frivolity, hitting every perfect note backed by Godfrey Townsend, John Montagna, Steve Murphy and Manny Focarrazzo, on “You Baby,” or “Let Me Be” or “Can I Get To Know You Better,” that’s P.F. Sloan. When Johnny Rivers starts out that easily identifiable screaming guitar hook on “Secret Agent Man,” that’s P. F. Sloan.
When the father of all protest songs, “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire is loaded up in the cart machine in some terrestrial radio oldies station or if it's simply soaring through the airwaves of Sirius/XM Radio, via their 60s on 6 channel, that’s P.F. Sloan who wrote that #1 Billboard chart hit. When The Rip Chords make a festival appearance for fans in Anywhere, USA, and do “One Piece Topless Bathing Suit,” that’s P.F. Sloan. When Jan & Dean would do “(Here They Come) From All Over the World” or “I Found a Girl,” you guessed it, Sloan again. “Another Day, Another Heartache” took the Fifth Dimension to the Top 50 of the Billboard Charts. You've heard countless DJs say it before, "And the hits just keep on coming!"
There’s plenty of stories behind each song, and you only have one night to hear them. Only because music producer and concert-gathering guru Mike Somavilla was asking, did Sloan say “yes” to the San Francisco Bay Area, so don’t look for a list of big U.S. tour dates. There’s not one. It’s a one-night-only chance of a lifetime to meet the artist and hear him play his own songs and learn what happened to him to make him title his own memoirs, “What’s Exactly the Matter with Me?”
Sloan was always the person who shunned the spotlight such that he was long considered as simply “elusive.” Many writers have sought to learn more about the man behind the music, but he chose a less public life of preferred privacy until recently.
Multiplatinum-selling songwriter, Jimmy Webb even wrote his own tribute, aptly titled, “P.F. Sloan.” The video accompanying this story is Sloan singing and playing his own composition made most famous by the Grass Roots, “Where Were You When I Needed You.” His version of “Secret Agent Man” (also on YouTube) is equally charismatic.You can hear this song, and many more, from the man who wrote, or co-wrote them, this weekend, if you act fast.
This Saturday night, July 19, 2014, get there early to Berkeley’s Art House Gallery and Cultural Center, located at. 2905 Shattuck Avenue, between Ashby Ave. and Russell St. in South Berkeley. Doors open at 7 p.m. Call Harold Adler at (510) 472-3170 for details and advance tickets ($15) to make sure you won’t be out in the parking lot wishing you’d have arrived hours sooner. Somavilla said, "There are no do-overs or make-up dates. Saturday night is the night."
If you must miss the concert, be sure to check out Sloan’s new book. The Kindle version is online now, but you can get an autographed copy that night, as Jawbone Press has made some early print books available. It’s another must-read rock music book by the guy who was there at the beginning and who, by virtue of his talents, made careers and lives for so many other grateful, working musicians.
P.F. Sloan deserves a standing ovation before he ever says a word or plays a note. Make plans now to be a part of the crowd who was there. Thanks to Mike Somavilla and Crest of the Waves Productions for the interview and heads-up on his latest great show produced in the Art House Gallery and Cultural Center.
Originally published July 15, 2014 at: http://www.examiner.com/article/iconic-p-f-sloan-to-share-new-rock-memoir-and-music-memories-berkeley-ca where it earned
here to read the full story about what you'll hear at the Art House on Jul. 19, 2014.
P. F. Sloan was so influential in the successful careers of so many that amazing songwriter, Jimmy Webb, even wrote a song about Phil. There's a tremendous singer, Rumer, whose voice is special to Sloan and Webb and together, and the YouTube has a story in Webb's own words and music that is both memorable and charming. Check it out. Then you might have a hint why the Berkeley Art House & Cultural Gallery will be filled to the gills on Saturday. If you have a song written about you, you've more than made your mark on music.
On June 25, 2014, the world of pop culture was rocked with laughter as a new talent, MollyAnn Wymer, posted an innocuous little video on her Facebook page. With just one message to her Facebook friends she said: “Please watch this video. It was too important for a regular, typed status. Just keeping it real, I love ya’ll.”
See for yourself:
Attention Ellen De Generes: there’s a new video candidate for you to showcase on your program and something about the young lady will remind you of Dolly Parton at this age. MollyAnn Wymer is the latest Facebook and Internet sensation, and she is nothing short of hysterically funny, and G-rated. Wymer has the most hilarious solution to removing “drama” from your life, and it comes in the form of a simple solution that “treats symptoms on the spot.”
Her pitch for the product to remove the drama from your life will have you holding your sides from laughter. In less than 24 hours, she has 239 people “following her” and her original posting of the video has been shared 10,419 times but so many more people have shared it on their own Facebook pages and it has gone viral.
This latest pop culture sensation is a beautiful young blonde photographer who owns her own business, Mollyann Photography. She’s from Greensboro, North Carolina and she’s just starting out in her career, all of them. She’ll make you laugh as she shares her newfound remedy to “Stop the Drama” in your life.
Wymer’s own reaction to how her video is being received is as charming as she is unassuming. Initially her reaction (shared on her Facebook page) was “So, apparently I’m a great actress…someone thought I was as big of an idiot as I sounded like in my video! Hahahahahaa”. A few hours later she added “The Hatorade is real y’all. My video has been shared over 220 times!!! What the freak?!? Some people think I’m actually a dumb blond! LOL. Best hater comment yet, “She’s keeping it about as real as that from the box blonde and the fuzzy brown wooly worm eyebrows”…mmm hmmmm.”
Finally after the overwhelming sharing of her work kept on going and going, Wymer posted “Taking my Drama Mine and putting my arse to bed…” She woke up to find “my video has been shared 499 times!!! I’m so freaking tickled about it!!! Wow!!! And by noon today she added, “1258 shares…OMFreakingGee!!!” After reposting the link “Stop the Drama” that was shared 103 more times just from her page alone, by 5 pm North Carolina time, she noted that with 2,437 shares, “I’m hyperventilating now.”
With every good work on the Internet, you’ll find a few negative folks who choose to opine and rain on your parade. But MollyAnn isn’t budging from her happy place. She had a message for the negatories: “Oh hater comments how I love the power of the Delete button! No time for your Drama….Peace out haters…take thine arses elsewhere!!!” Shakespeare would be proud, or at least her mother would be.
Just before midnight on June 26, 2014, she noted “9,365 (shares) and with that and the 2,000 Facebook notifications I’ve received today…I. Am. Crashing!”
But, Wymer is more than just a young comedienne, or a photographer, she’s a singer for real. The kid is a natural as she offered a comment to go with her Colbie Callet cover of “Magic”: “Because of the influx of new followers and friends….just so y’all know….I sing a little too.” She does, and she’s receiving many encouraging accolades from her newfound followers and friends. Just one more way she shares her versatility and diversity in interests.
Wymer also shared another video on a more serious topic that she’d posted on June 10, 2014. The video is called “The Bomb,” and she noted, “Just sharing my own dealings with domestic violence. It can happen at any level in a family or relationship. I just want everyone that is going through it to know that they are not alone.”
In December 2013, after the encouragement of many of her friends, she sent in a video audition to NBC’s “The Voice.” Her audition song was a dramatic, serious version of “It Was Always You.” Whether or not she winds up on “The Voice,” this girl is going to show up on television somewhere, soon. Very soon. With her gift of comic delivery, Roseanne might want to tap her for a guest spot on “Last Comic Standing” before the season ends.
Now, back to the funny side of MollyAnn. Her video “Stop the Drama” is only 1:57 minutes long. Chances are good you will hit the “repeat” button at least twice. Chances are good you might even share it on your own Facebook page. And, chances are better than even that the staff on the Ellen DeGeneres show will eventually catch wind of this video and, after they get through screaming with laughter, will place that call to Greensboro, North Carolina and ask her to come on over to the show.
Given that the product Wymer is showcasing is made by Prestige Brands and the number of times their product is being seen in this latest window of opportunity, they may want to add her video to their Facebook page. After all, their corporate mission statement notes, "For generations, our trusted brands have helped consumers care for themselves and their loved ones." That matches up nicely enough with Wymer's wit.
MollyAnn wisely converted the Facebook video to a YouTube video. Watch it here and guess how many times the “Stop the Drama” will be viewed by the time she wakes up tomorrow. But for now Wymer needs a little rest. She’s going to take a little power nap. As she says, “Our nation is sleep deprived.” Truer words were never spoken. Good luck to MollyAnn Wymer. She’s going to be a star. Just wait and see.
[Update: On June 28, 2014, Wymer said that the response to her video has been "overwhelming and a total surprise." The dynamic young woman revealed that she's the mother of five wonderful children and loves every minute of that role in addition to her work as a photographer. It also explains how she has such a great sense of humor. With close to 17,000 views on YouTube (not to mention over 50,000 views and more shares on Facebook) in two days, she's bound to find her way to television before long. The makers of Dramamine should move fast and post her video on their web site. If producers of the Ellen DeGeneres Show are reading this, Wymer can be reached at mollannwym5@gmail.com. MollyAnn Wymer is a fresh new face for a world who can stand to take itself just a little less seriously at times. Watch it again, you'll still be laughing in an hour. Stop the Drama!] Stop the Drama! hahaha
