Featuring Barry McGuire and John York with Special Guest P.F. Sloan
By B. Noel Barr, Music Writer Dude
I went off to Altadena to catch the Trippin’ The Sixties performance by Barry McGuire and John York with P.F. Sloan at The Coffee Gallery Backstage. My mission was to preview the act before they come to San Pedro on April 11 at Alvas Showroom.
Owner of the Altadena venue, Bob Stane was gracious to allow me to get in at the last minute for this date. The venue holds 50 listeners, in very homey space. After having fought my way through heavy L.A. traffic, I met some very friendly staff who helped me out a lot. Relaxed after meeting with friends, the show began.
Making their way on to the stage were Barry McGuire and John York who tore into a rousing version of “Green Green”. This song that made The New Christy Minstrels and singer Barry McGuire very famous. McGuire, who grew up in San Pedro, is quite the raconteur, his stories which are hilarious and poignant come from the heart of a life well lived.
The show features the music and the vibe of the sixties, giving a nod to the songwriters of that era. McGuire’s deep voice began describing a small skinny kid, a songwriter who was making his way around Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. That person, Bob Dylan.
John York began filling the air with a vibrant twelve string guitar as McGuire began with his renditions of Dylan’s “Blowin in The Wind” and “The Times They Are a Changin”. After which John York (one time member of The Byrds) performed “The Chimes of Freedom”, a song that stirs me everytime I hear it.
At this point in the set, P.F. Sloan was brought to the stage with stories of how he and McGuire met. In this setting you are being a fly on the wall in folk and rock history.
P.F. Sloan, in a three year span had charted on Billboard Magazine’s Top 200 on 40 different recordings, as songwriter, producer, and performer. The man was one of the hot young music makers of his time. Working with not only McGuire, but as well as the talents of the Mama’s and Papa’s, Johnny Rivers, The Searchers, The Grass Roots and many others.
McGuire said, “We had leftover time in the studio and Phil had this box of songs, he ripped one out of a binder.” Sloan chimes at this point describing the scene. “Drummer, Hal Blaine (premier session musician of the 60’s) heard this song and began the track with a roll on the snare drum.”
The guitar comes in and McGuire begins to sing, “The western world it is explodin’ violence flarin’, bullets loadin’….” the song “Eve of Destruction” was born. When you listen to this mid-sixties musical commentary on the world and society, you can help but think how little has changed.
The show continued with more anecdotes and songs. The story of Johnny River’s hit single “Secret Agent” and some backstories on The Mama’s and Papa’s filled out the evening, with a song to go with each one. In the end McGuire and company ended quite appropriately with song he had recorded many years before, “Try To Remember”
Showtime for Trippin’ The Sixties is 8 p.m. April 11, 2015
Details:www.alvasshowroom.com
Venue: Alvas Showroom
Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro