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What's Exactly The Matter With Me?

Memoirs of a life in music
By P.F. Sloan
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
What's Exactly The Matter With Me? is the captivating first-person memoir of P.F. Sloan, a pivotal figure in 1960s American and English music. Chronicling his meteoric rise as a groundbreaking folk-rock songwriter, the book explores his astonishing success penning hits recorded by legendary acts such as The Mamas & The Papas, Jan & Dean, and Barry McGuire. It also delves into his personal struggles with exhaustion, mental health, and alien encounters, tracing a remarkable journey of downfall, healing, and ultimate redemption.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This memoir will appeal to enthusiasts of 1960s music, fans of songwriting and music history, and readers interested in stories of creativity and survival. It is suited for those who appreciate personal journeys behind legendary cultural moments.

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A vivid and revelatory first-hand account of one of the most evocative periods in popular music, written by one the era's greatest songwriters.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

"I have been seeking P.F. Sloan, but no one knows where he's gone" - 'P.F. Sloan' by Jimmy Webb

"Absolutely none of 'em could beat ol' P.F." - Lester Bangs, Rolling Stone magazine

What's Exactly The Matter With Me? is a first-person account of an extraordinary life and pilgrimage through the most fascinating years of American and English musical culture. This is a story of dreams, success, destruction, and miraculous resurrection; the incredible, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring story of one of the greatest songwriters in American music—and also one of the most elusive and mysterious.

P.F. Sloan was one of the most prolific and influential geniuses to emerge from the golden age of the 60s, and a pioneer of folk-rock. Between 1965 and 1967, 150 of his songs were recorded by major acts, and 45 of those made the charts. No other songwriter has ever come close to achieving so many hits in such a short period of time.

From his little studio at Dunhill Records, P.F. Sloan was a veritable hit-machine, writing for The Mamas & The Papas (that's Sloan's infectious guitar lick on 'California Dreamin''), Jan & Dean (the falsetto you hear on most of their hits is Sloan's), Barry McGuire (the brilliant and controversial 'Eve Of Destruction'), Johnny Rivers ('Secret Agent Man'), The Turtles, The Fifth Dimension, and many, many more.

He wrote so many songs, in fact, that Dunhill sold him as seven different acts. Unsurprisingly, he wound up exhausted and broken, thus beginning a long journey into the wilderness—a journey of UFOs and psychiatric hospitals, healing and survival, and, ultimately, redemption.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781908279576

Publisher: Outline Press Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 12 June 2014

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Jawbone

Illustration: Illustrations

Contributors:

  • With S.E. Feinberg
  • Foreword by Rumer

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 215.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 320

Collections

Arts & Culture Biography & Memoir Music & Musicians Musicians, Movie Stars & Creative Biographies Non-Fiction P.F. Sloan

About the Author

P.F. Sloan is a legendary songwriter and performer.

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