P.F. Sloan

Album: Words and Music (1970)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Jimmy Webb titled this reflection on the life of a songwriter after his fellow Los Angeles songsmith P.F. Sloan, author of "Eve Of Destruction." Webb explained to Uncut how the song came about:

    "One night, he and I went to see Randy Newman at the Troubadour. We all agreed to come back to my house and play some pool. We were in separate cars, and about halfway there, I realized that P.F.'s car had gone. He'd missed the turn I guess. We went to my house and everybody said, 'What happened to P.F.?' So I started thinking. The song seemed like a funny idea at first, then it became a serious piece about a line of communication between writers and the public."
  • The song is a track from Words and Music, Jimmy Webb's first solo album that consists of all new material. (A previous record, Jim Webb Sings Jim Webb, consisted of demos that were overdubbed and released by Epic Records). Webb later re-recorded the song for El Mirage in 1977, and again for Just Across the River in 2010, this time with Jackson Browne.
  • Artists that have covered the song include The Association, Jennifer Warnes and Rumer. The latter version was released as the lead single from Rumer's second studio album Boys Don't Cry on May 4, 2012.

Comments: 2

  • Nak from OrpingtonThe best version of this song was by British band Unicorn from their album Uphill All The Way.
  • BoxCould you please cite the source of the quote? I can't find it on the Uncut website.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Kristian Bush of Sugarland

Kristian Bush of SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Kristian talks songwriting technique, like how the chorus should redefine the story, and how to write a song backwards.

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Gary Numan

Gary NumanSongwriter Interviews

An Electronic music pioneer with Asperger's Syndrome. This could be interesting.

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.