Driver's Seat
Encyclopedia
"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.
The genesis of the song dates back to 1973 and a demo tape
recorded for a French
record label by singer/guitar
ist Paul Roberts
for the band Ashes of Moon. However, that band broke up and, at the suggestion of drummer Luigi Salvoni, Roberts reformed it as Sniff 'n' the Tears with guitarists Laurence "Loz" Netto and Mick Dyche
and bassist
Nick South. They shopped the demo tape and signed with the small Chiswick
label in 1977. One of the key decisions made during the recording of "Driver's Seat" was to start the song with Roberts' acoustic guitar and drums and gradually fade in other instruments.
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".
"Driver's Seat" reached #15 on the American
Billboard Pop Singles
chart in the fall of 1979, and reached the top 10 in The Netherlands in November 1980. It reappeared at #1 on the Dutch Top 40
eleven years later as a result of use of the song in a Pioneer
commercial.
covered "Driver's Seat" for their first full-length album Listen to Your Heart and released it as a single under the alias Dared, reaching #33 in the Flanders Ultratop 50.
and snippets of the song were frequently used by Art Bell
as "bumper music
" during Coast to Coast AM
broadcasts. It was also used in the 2008 documentary Carrier
. In 2009 the song was used in a commercial for automaker Lincoln.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band Sniff 'n' the Tears
Sniff 'n' the Tears
Sniff 'n' the Tears is a British rock band best known for their 1978 song "Driver's Seat", a hit in many countries . The exception was the UK itself where a problem with EMI's pressing plant meant that the single was not available following the band's appearance on Top of the Pops and it peaked...
that appears on their debut album, Fickle Heart. The band is considered a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
as "Driver's Seat" was their only hit.
The genesis of the song dates back to 1973 and a demo tape
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
recorded for a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
record label by singer/guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist Paul Roberts
Paul Roberts (painter)
Paul Roberts is the former lead singer and songwriter of Sniff 'n' the Tears. He is also known for his work as a photorealistic painter. He recorded a number of albums under his own name, with music very similar to that of Sniff 'n' Tears. The key albums were City Without Walls and Kettle Drum...
for the band Ashes of Moon. However, that band broke up and, at the suggestion of drummer Luigi Salvoni, Roberts reformed it as Sniff 'n' the Tears with guitarists Laurence "Loz" Netto and Mick Dyche
Mick Dyche
Mick Dyche is an English rock and folk guitarist and former member of 1970's soft rock band Sniff 'n' the Tears who played guitars on their only major hit Driver's Seat in 1978....
and bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Nick South. They shopped the demo tape and signed with the small Chiswick
Chiswick Records
Chiswick Records was a British record company. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era"...
label in 1977. One of the key decisions made during the recording of "Driver's Seat" was to start the song with Roberts' acoustic guitar and drums and gradually fade in other instruments.
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".
"Driver's Seat" reached #15 on the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Pop Singles
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in the fall of 1979, and reached the top 10 in The Netherlands in November 1980. It reappeared at #1 on the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
eleven years later as a result of use of the song in a Pioneer
Pioneer Corporation
is a multinational corporation that specializes in digital entertainment products, based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The company was founded in 1938 in Tokyo as a radio and speaker repair shop...
commercial.
Chart performance
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
42 |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Top Singles |
17 |
| US Billboard Pop Singles Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
15 |
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
| Dutch GfK GfK The GfK Group, established in 1934 as Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung is Germany's largest market research institute, and the fourth largest market research organisation in the world, after Nielsen Company, Kantar Group, and IMS Health... chart |
8 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
4 |
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
| Dutch GfK GfK The GfK Group, established in 1934 as Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung is Germany's largest market research institute, and the fourth largest market research organisation in the world, after Nielsen Company, Kantar Group, and IMS Health... chart |
1 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
1 |
Cover versions
In 2005, Belgian dance duo DHTDHT (band)
DHT is a Belgian duo, consisting of singer, Edmée Daenen and Flor Theeuwes . They had a hit in the US and in Australia in 2005, with their cover version of "Listen to Your Heart", originally recorded by Roxette. The track reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart in December of that year...
covered "Driver's Seat" for their first full-length album Listen to Your Heart and released it as a single under the alias Dared, reaching #33 in the Flanders Ultratop 50.
Use in popular culture
The song was featured in the film Boogie NightsBoogie Nights
Boogie Nights is a 1997 drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, the script focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic films, and chronicles his rise and fall from the Golden Age of Porn of the 1970s...
and snippets of the song were frequently used by Art Bell
Art Bell
Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland...
as "bumper music
Bumper music
Bumper music, or a bump, is a term used in the radio broadcasting industry to refer to short clips of signature or theme music used to buffer transitions between programming elements. Bumper music is commonly employed when a syndicated program takes a break for local station identification or...
" during Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
broadcasts. It was also used in the 2008 documentary Carrier
Carrier (documentary)
Carrier is an Emmy Award-winning 10-hour documentary television series about a six-month deployment of a United States Navy aircraft carrier in 2005 from the United States to the Middle East and back...
. In 2009 the song was used in a commercial for automaker Lincoln.