P.F. SLOAN

P.F. Sloan was a legendary songwriter and performer, and one of the most elusive and mysterious geniuses to emerge from the mid-1960’s Los Angeles music scene. Born Philip Gary Schlein in 1945 New York, he moved to California with his family in the 1950’s. He recorded his first single, “All I Want Is Loving”, at the age of fourteen for the R&B label, Aladdin.

He wrote and played (often along with his writing partner, Steve Barri) for the most popular musical acts of the day, including Herman’s Hermits, The Turtles, The Mamas & the Papas, Johnny Rivers, The Grass Roots, Barry McGuire, Jan & Dean, and Ann-Margret. Phil’s “Eve of Destruction” was a #1 hit in 1965, and a major worldwide success—as relevant today as when it was written. “Secret Agent Man,” composed by Phil and Steve Barri, remains one of the most iconic tunes to arise from that brief wonderful moment in rock ’n’ roll history.

Phil continued to write and perform until his death in 2015.