Driver's Seat
{{About||the sculpture in Portland, Oregon|Driver's Seat (sculpture)|similar uses|The Driver's Seat (disambiguation){{!}}The Driver's Seat}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Driver's Seat
| cover = Sniff 'n' the Tears Driver's Seat single cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Sniff 'n' the Tears
| album = Fickle Heart
| B-side = Slide Away
| released = 1978
| recorded = 1978
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = New wave{{cite book|author1=Don Breithaupt|author2=Jeff Breithaupt|title=Night Moves: Pop Music in the Late '70s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kh04AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT190|date=13 May 2014|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-1-4668-7138-0|page=190}}{{cite book|title=Broadcasting|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sk_jAAAAMAAJ|year=1979|publisher=Broadcasting Publications.|page=102}}
| length = {{unbulleted list|{{Duration|m=3|s=59}} {{small|(album version)}}|{{Duration|m=3|s=42}} {{small|(single version)}}|{{Duration|m=5|s=48}} {{small|(12" version)}}}}
| label = {{hlist|Chiswick|Atlantic}}
| writer = Paul Roberts
| producer = Luigi Salvoni
| prev_title = New Lines on Love
| prev_year = 1978
| next_title = Poison Pen Mail
| next_year = 1980
}}
"Driver's Seat" is a 1978 song by British band Sniff 'n' the Tears, released as a single from their 1979 debut album Fickle Heart.
The song reached the top 20 in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, as well as the top 10 in the Netherlands. Belatedly issued in the United States during the summer of 1979, it climbed to #15 on Billboard Hot 100.
In 1991, the song made the number one spot in the Netherlands after it was used in a commercial for the Pioneer car stereo throughout Europe.{{Cite web |title=Please, no sniff or tears. At least this band had one big hit |url=https://www.tampabay.com/please-no-sniff-or-tears-at-least-this-band-had-one-big-hit/2271262/ |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}
Background
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2024}}
The genesis of the song dates back to the mid-1970s when a demo tape was recorded for a French record label that had signed singer/guitarist Paul Roberts. Luigi Salvoni, who had organised the musicians for Roberts, was listening to the demos a couple of years later when he contacted Roberts to ask if he could try and get a deal. At this time, Roberts was concentrating on his career as a painter. Roberts 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 Roberts and Salvoni, 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 Roberts, "Driver's Seat" isn't about driving, but rather "fragmented, conflicting thoughts and emotions that might follow the break-up of a relationship."{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}
Commercial performance
"Driver's Seat" peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 the weeks of September 29 and October 6, 1979.[https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1979-09-29/ Billboard Hot 100, Week of September 29, 1979 – Billboard.com.] Retrieved August 12, 2024.[https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1979-10-06/ Billboard Hot 100, Week of October 6, 1979 – Billboard.com.] Retrieved August 12, 2024. It 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6884b.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - January 12, 1980}}
"Driver's Seat" was re-released in the Netherlands in 1991. The song hit number one on both the Dutch Top 40 and Single Top 100 charts that same year as a result of its use in a Pioneer commercial.
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
= Weekly charts =
{{col-2}}
= Yearly charts =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1980) !Position |
| scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1980|title=Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1980|publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=12 December 2023}}
|45 |
|---|
| scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1980&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten – Single 1980|publisher=MegaCharts|language=nl|access-date=23 June 2023}}
|57 |
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1991) !Position |
| scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1991|title=Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1991|publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=12 December 2024}}
|16 |
|---|
| scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1991&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten – Single 1991|publisher=MegaCharts|language=nl|access-date=23 June 2024}}
|9 |
{{col-end}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.sniffnthetears.com/ Sniff 'n' the Tears' official website]
- [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3507 "Driver's Seat" at Songfacts.com]
- [http://www.sniffnthetears.com/Lyrics/Fickle%20Heart%20Lyrics.html Lyrics]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrrMTXowZpY Interview with Paul Roberts about the song]
{{authority control}}
Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in the Netherlands
Category:British new wave songs