"Driver's Seat"
Single by Sniff 'n' the Tears
from the album Fickle Heart
B-side"Slide Away"
Released1978
Recorded1978
GenreNew wave[1][2]
Length
  • 3:59 (album version)
  • 3:42 (single version)
  • 5:48 (12" version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Paul Roberts
Producer(s)Luigi Salvoni
Sniff 'n' the Tears singles chronology
"Driver's Seat"
(1978)		 "New Lines on Love"
(1979)

"Driver's Seat" is a 1978 song by the British band Sniff 'n' the Tears that appears on their debut album, Fickle Heart. The band is considered a one-hit wonder as "Driver's Seat" was their only hit, except in the Netherlands, where they had a second Top 40 single.

The song reached the top 20 in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States upon its release, as well as the top 10 in the Netherlands.

In 1991, the song made it to number one in the Netherlands after it was used in a commercial for the Pioneer car stereo throughout Europe.[3]

Background

The genesis of the song dates back to 1973 and a demo tape recorded for a French record label by Sniff 'n' The Tears with singer/guitarist Paul Roberts, guitarists Laurence "Loz" Netto and Mick Dyche, and bassist Chris Birkin. The drummer Luigi Salvoni was a new addition at the time coming from the breakup of Moon, the band he'd been in. They shopped the demo tape and signed with the small Chiswick label in 1977. Keith Miller played the Moog solo and also toured America with the band. Noel McCalla sang the backup vocals.

According to Paul Roberts, "Driver's Seat" isn't about driving, but rather "fragmented, conflicting thoughts and emotions that might follow the break-up of a relationship". One of the key decisions in arranging the song was to start with drums and progressively introduce other instruments.[4]

Commercial performance

"Driver's Seat" reached number 15 on the US Billboard Pop Singles chart[5] in the fall of 1979, and reached the top 10 in the Netherlands in November 1980.

In Canada, the song reached number 17, and was in the RPM Top 100 for 21 weeks.[6]

A 12" version was released on A Best of Sniff 'n' the Tears in 1991. The song appeared at number one on the Dutch Top 40 chart that same year as a result of its use in a Pioneer commercial.

Charts

Chart (1979–80) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 13
UK Singles Chart[8] 42
Canadian RPM Top Singles[9] 17
New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (RIANZ)[10] 20
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 8
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 15
Chart (1991) Peak
position
German Media Control[13] 32
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 1

See also

References

  1. ↑ Don Breithaupt; Jeff Breithaupt (13 May 2014). Night Moves: Pop Music in the Late '70s. St. Martin's Press. p. 190. ISBN 978-1-4668-7138-0.
  2. ↑ Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications. 1979. p. 102.
  3. ↑ "Please, no sniff or tears. At least this band had one big hit". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  4. ↑ "Fickle Heart". Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  5. 1 2 "Sniff 'n' the Tears > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  6. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - January 12, 1980" (PDF).
  7. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. ↑ "The Official Charts Company – Sniff 'n' the Tears – Driver's Seat". Official Charts. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  9. ↑ "RPM Volume 32 No. 3, October 13, 1979". RPM. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  10. ↑ "The Official NZ Music Charts". RIANZ. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 48, 1980" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  12. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl – Sniff 'n' the Tears – Driver's Seat" (in Dutch). Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  13. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  14. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 29, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  15. ↑ "Sniff 'n' the Tears – Driver's Seat" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
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