Driver's Seat

Last updated
"Driver's Seat"
Sniff 'n' the Tears Driver's Seat single cover.jpg
Single by Sniff 'n' the Tears
from the album Fickle Heart
B-side "Slide Away"
Released1978
Recorded1978
Genre New 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
"New Lines on Love"
(1978)		"Driver's Seat"
(1978)		"Poison Pen Mail"
(1980)

"Driver's Seat" is a 1978 song by the British band Sniff 'n' the Tears that appears on their debut album. The song reached the top 20 in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and 15 in the United States upon its release, as well as the top 10 in the Netherlands.

Contents

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 the mid seventies when a demo tape was recorded for a French record label who had signed singer/guitarist Paul Roberts. Luigi Salvoni who had organised the musicians for Paul was listening to the demos a couple of years later contacted Paul to ask if he could try and get a deal. At this time Paul Roberts was concentrated on his career as a painter. Paul agreed and they Signed to indie label Chiswick Records. They recorded the Album Fickle Heart with mostly the same musicians that had done the demos which included along with Paul and Luigi, Mick Dyche, Loz Netto, Alan Fealdman, Chris Birkin and Keith Miller on Moog. To the surprise of everyone Fickle Heart did very well and Driver's Seat became a hit. 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".

Commercial performance

"Driver's Seat" reached number 15 on the US Billboard Pop Singles chart [4] 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. [5]

Driver's Seat was re released in Holland 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) [6] 13
UK Singles Chart [7] 42
Canadian RPM Top Singles [8] 17
New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (RIANZ) [9] 20
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [10] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [11] 8
US Billboard Hot 100 [4] 15
Chart (1991)Peak
position
German Media Control [12] 32
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [13] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [14] 1

See also

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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. 1 2 "Sniff 'n' the Tears > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic . Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  5. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - January 12, 1980" (PDF).
  6. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 . St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  7. ↑ "The Official Charts Company – Sniff 'n' the Tears – Driver's Seat". Official Charts . Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  8. ↑ "RPM Volume 32 No. 3, October 13, 1979". RPM . Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  9. ↑ "The Official NZ Music Charts". RIANZ . Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 48, 1980" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  11. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl – Sniff 'n' the Tears – Driver's Seat" (in Dutch). Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  13. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 29, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  14. ↑ "Sniff 'n' the Tears – Driver's Seat" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
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