"Where Were You When I Needed You" is a 1965 song by P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri.
Jan and Dean version
On September 23, 1965, Jan and Dean's version of the song was tracked at Western Recorders in Hollywood. George Tipton arranged the track. Further tracking work took place on September 26. Jan Berry, Dean Torrence, Tipton, and Steve Barri added vocals on September 29. Berry, Torrence, and Tipton participated in another vocal session for the song the following day. Mark A. Moore also notes that P.F. Sloan provided vocals for the track. In November, the song was released on Jan and Dean's Folk 'n Roll album, where it appeared as the last track of side one.
Herman's Hermits version
Release and reception Herman's Hermits' version of "Where Were You When I Needed You" appeared on the soundtrack album for the film Hold On!. In the UK, it appeared on a six-track EP featuring songs from the film, as well as on the group's second British album Both Sides of Herman's Hermits. Joe Viglione of AllMusic described Herman's Hermits' version of the song as "a great party cut, much different from the Grass Roots' hit".
The Grass Roots version
Release and reception Billboard gave the Grass Roots' version a positive review, noting that it was given a "rousing, big beat treatment by the exciting group". Cash Box's review of the song called it a "[h]arsh ditty in a groovy folk-rock bag". In a retrospective review, Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic called the song "a buoyant slice of mid-'60s folk-rock".
Charts Chart (1966)PeakpositionCanada RPM 10012US Billboard Hot 10028US Cash Box Top 10033
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