| "Driver's Seat" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Sniff 'n' the Tears | |
| from the album Fickle Heart | |
| B-side | "Slide Away" |
| Released | 1978 |
| Format | 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 3:42 (Single) 3:59 (Album) 5:42 (12" Version) |
| Label | Chiswick (UK), Atlantic (US) |
| Writer(s) | Paul Roberts |
| Producer | Luigi Salvoni |
"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/guitarist 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.[1]
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[2] 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.
Contents |
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[3] | 42 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles[4] | 17 |
| US Billboard Pop Singles[2] | 15 |
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
| Dutch GfK chart[5] | 8 |
| Dutch Top 40[6] | 4 |
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
| Dutch GfK chart[5] | 1 |
| Dutch Top 40[7] | 1 |
| Preceded by "More Than Words" by Extreme |
Dutch Top 40 number-one single 20 July 1991 – 3 August 1991 (3 weeks) |
Succeeded by "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams |
In 2005, Belgian dance duo DHT 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.[8]
The song was featured in the film Boogie Nights 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.