Sniff 'n' the Tears
Encyclopedia
Sniff 'n' the Tears is a British
rock
band best known for their 1978 song "Driver's Seat
", a hit in many countries (including #15 on the American
Billboard Hot 100
chart
). 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 just outside the Top 40. Sniff 'n' The Tears are led by singer/songwriter Paul Roberts
, the band's sole constant member. Roberts, a noted painter, is also responsible for painting all of the band's album covers.
A few years later, Ashes' drummer Luigi Salvoni listened to some demos that Roberts had cut in about 1975. Hearing commercial potential in them, he contacted Roberts about reforming their musical partnership. Sniff 'n' The Tears subsequently debuted in 1977 as a six piece band, consisting of Paul Roberts (vocals, acoustic guitar), Loz Netto (guitars), Mick Dyche
(guitars), Chris Birkin (bass), Alan Fealdman (keyboards), and Luigi Salvoni (drums & percussion). This line-up recorded the band's first album, Fickle Heart, which was produced by Salvoni.
Though recorded in 1978, the album sat unreleased for over a year until being picked up by Chiswick Records
. The band then had a substantial international hit with Fickle Hearts lead single "Driver's Seat", in 1979. However, Sniff 'n' The Tears fractured almost immediately after the album's release; in a matter of months, Birkin, Fealdman and Salvoni all left the group to pursue other interests.
Nick South took over on bass, and would become a permanent member of the band. On tour, Sniff 'n' The Tears were augmented by drummer Paul Robinson and keyboardist Keith Miller (who, as a guest musician, had played the Moog
solo on "Driver's Seat").
The Game's Up yielded no hits, and Netto left the group to establish a solo career, taking Dyche with him. This left Roberts as the sole remaining original member of Sniff 'n' The Tears. He decided to press on, and recruited Les Davidson as the group's new guitarist and added Jamie Lane as the permanent drummer. This five piece line-up (Roberts, Davidson, Lane, South and Taylor) recorded two albums: Love/Action (1981), and Ride Blue Divide (1982). Again no hits were spun off from these albums, and after having been dropped by Chiswick Records, the group quietly broke up in 1983.
Singer and songwriter Paul Roberts went on to make two solo albums for Sonet Records: City Without Walls (1985) and Kettle Drum Blues (1987).
charts
in mid-1991. Roberts took the opportunity to assemble a new version of Sniff 'n' the Tears, and took them out on the road in the Netherlands
and Germany
. This version of the band consisted of Roberts and Davidson, with new recruits Jeremy Meek (bass), Steve Jackson (drums) and Andy Giddings
(keyboards). This line-up also cut a new studio album in 1992, No Damage Done, which was the first new Sniff 'n' the Tears release in a decade.
Driver's Seat was prominently featured on the soundtrack of the 1997 film Boogie Nights
and had another popular resurgence as a result, although most radio outlets played the 1991 re-release version instead of the original.
The band's next release, 2001's Underground, featured Roberts singing and playing almost everything—he's credited with vocals, guitars, mandolin, harmonica, keyboards, bass & drum programming. However, longtime group member Les Davidson also played guitar on the album, and new member Robin Langridge handled the bulk of keyboard parts.
After another long layoff, the band released their seventh album, Downstream, in February 2011. The official Sniff 'n' the Tears line-up now consists of Paul Roberts (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboard), Les Davidson (guitars), Robin Langridge (keyboards), returning member Nick South (bass) and new member Richard Marcangelo (drums). Marcangelo had previously been a session player on The Game's Up.
Guest performers:
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...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band best known for their 1978 song "Driver's Seat
Driver's Seat
"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....
", a hit in many countries (including #15 on the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
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
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
). The exception was the UK
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...
itself where a problem with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's pressing plant meant that the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was not available following the band's appearance on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
and it peaked just outside the Top 40. Sniff 'n' The Tears are led by singer/songwriter 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...
, the band's sole constant member. Roberts, a noted painter, is also responsible for painting all of the band's album covers.
Formation and initial success (1973-1979)
An early version of Sniff 'n' The Tears had been gigging in England as "Ashes of Moon" as early as 1973. They were unable to land a record deal, and the band's singer/songwriter Paul Roberts decided to dissolve the group and move to France.A few years later, Ashes' drummer Luigi Salvoni listened to some demos that Roberts had cut in about 1975. Hearing commercial potential in them, he contacted Roberts about reforming their musical partnership. Sniff 'n' The Tears subsequently debuted in 1977 as a six piece band, consisting of Paul Roberts (vocals, acoustic guitar), Loz Netto (guitars), 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....
(guitars), Chris Birkin (bass), Alan Fealdman (keyboards), and Luigi Salvoni (drums & percussion). This line-up recorded the band's first album, Fickle Heart, which was produced by Salvoni.
Though recorded in 1978, the album sat unreleased for over a year until being picked up by Chiswick Records
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"...
. The band then had a substantial international hit with Fickle Hearts lead single "Driver's Seat", in 1979. However, Sniff 'n' The Tears fractured almost immediately after the album's release; in a matter of months, Birkin, Fealdman and Salvoni all left the group to pursue other interests.
Nick South took over on bass, and would become a permanent member of the band. On tour, Sniff 'n' The Tears were augmented by drummer Paul Robinson and keyboardist Keith Miller (who, as a guest musician, had played the Moog
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
solo on "Driver's Seat").
The 1980s
For the group's second album, 1980's The Game's Up, the band line-up consisted of Roberts, Netto, Dyche, South, and new keyboard player Mike Taylor. At this point the group had no permanent drummer, and a variety of session drummers were used.The Game's Up yielded no hits, and Netto left the group to establish a solo career, taking Dyche with him. This left Roberts as the sole remaining original member of Sniff 'n' The Tears. He decided to press on, and recruited Les Davidson as the group's new guitarist and added Jamie Lane as the permanent drummer. This five piece line-up (Roberts, Davidson, Lane, South and Taylor) recorded two albums: Love/Action (1981), and Ride Blue Divide (1982). Again no hits were spun off from these albums, and after having been dropped by Chiswick Records, the group quietly broke up in 1983.
Singer and songwriter Paul Roberts went on to make two solo albums for Sonet Records: City Without Walls (1985) and Kettle Drum Blues (1987).
Reformation (1992-present)
After a decade of inactivity, Sniff 'n' The Tears were unexpectedly revived in 1992, after the use of "Driver's Seat" in a European advertising campaign pushed the 13-year old recording to the very top of the DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in mid-1991. Roberts took the opportunity to assemble a new version of Sniff 'n' the Tears, and took them out on the road in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. This version of the band consisted of Roberts and Davidson, with new recruits Jeremy Meek (bass), Steve Jackson (drums) and Andy Giddings
Andrew Giddings
Andrew Giddings Born July 10, 1963 in Pembury, Kent) is an English keyboardist and was a member of classic rock band Jethro Tull from 1991 to 2007.-Early life:...
(keyboards). This line-up also cut a new studio album in 1992, No Damage Done, which was the first new Sniff 'n' the Tears release in a decade.
Driver's Seat was prominently featured on the soundtrack of the 1997 film Boogie Nights
Boogie 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 had another popular resurgence as a result, although most radio outlets played the 1991 re-release version instead of the original.
The band's next release, 2001's Underground, featured Roberts singing and playing almost everything—he's credited with vocals, guitars, mandolin, harmonica, keyboards, bass & drum programming. However, longtime group member Les Davidson also played guitar on the album, and new member Robin Langridge handled the bulk of keyboard parts.
After another long layoff, the band released their seventh album, Downstream, in February 2011. The official Sniff 'n' the Tears line-up now consists of Paul Roberts (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboard), Les Davidson (guitars), Robin Langridge (keyboards), returning member Nick South (bass) and new member Richard Marcangelo (drums). Marcangelo had previously been a session player on The Game's Up.
Albums
| Release Date | Album | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
Canada albums (RPM) | US albums chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Fickle Heart | - | 43 | 35 |
| 1980 | The Game's Up | - | 77 | 205 |
| 1981 | Love/Action | - | - | 192 |
| 1982 | Ride Blue Divide | - | - | - |
| 1992 | No Damage Done | - | - | - |
| 2001 | Underground | - | - | - |
| 2011 | Downstream | - | - | - |
Singles
| Year | Song | 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 ... |
Canada (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,... ) |
Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
U.S. Hot 100 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... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "Driver's Seat Driver's Seat "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.... " |
42 | 17 | 8 | 15 |
| 1980 | "One Love" | - | - | 38 | - |
| 1991 | "Driver's Seat" (reissue) | - | - | 1 | - |
Musicians
- Paul RobertsPaul 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...
(Vocals, Acoustic GuitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
) 1978–*,** - Loz Netto (GuitarGuitarThe 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...
s) 1978* - Chris Birkin (bass guitar) 1978-1979*
- Mick DycheMick DycheMick 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....
(Guitars) 1978–80* - Les Davidson (Guitars, Background Vocals) 1981–1992, 2001–
- Nick South (Bass) 1980–81
- Jeremy Meek (Bass) 1992
- Luigi Salvoni (DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s) 1978, came back to band briefly in 1992 - Jamie Lane (Drums) 1981–82
- Steve Jackson (Drums) 1992
- Alan Fealdman - (KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
) 1978* - Mike Taylor - (Keyboards) 1980–81
- Andy Giddings - (Keyboards) 1992
- Robin Langridge - (Keyboards) 2001
- Keith Miller - (SynthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
) 1978*
Guest performers:
- Rick Fenn (Guitars) 1981–82
- = played part in their only hit "Driver's Seat"
- = In 2001, played Bass Guitar, MandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, and additional keyboards
- = In 2001, played Bass Guitar, Mandolin