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tape was recorded for a French record label who 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
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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."
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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,
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concentrating on his career as a painter. Roberts agreed and they signed to indie label
Chiswick Records. They recorded the album
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the weeks of
September 29 and October 6, 1979. It reached the top 10 in the Netherlands in November 1980.
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In 1991, the song made the number one spot in the
Netherlands after it was used in a commercial for the
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377:"Driver's Seat" was re-released in the Netherlands in 1991. The song hit number one on both the
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836:"Sniff 'n' the Tears > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles"
718:"The Official Charts Company – Sniff 'n' the Tears – Driver's Seat"
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613:"Please, no sniff or tears. At least this band had one big hit"
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Hot 100, Week of
September 29, 1979 – Billboard.com.
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The genesis of the song dates back to the mid-'70s when a
863:"Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts"
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Hot 100, Week of
October 6, 1979 – Billboard.com.
814:"dutchcharts.nl – Sniff 'n' the Tears – Driver's Seat"
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In Canada, the song reached number 17, and was in the
252:, released as a single from their 1979 debut album
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550:List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
385:charts that same year as a result of its use in a
601:. Broadcasting Publications. 1979. p. 102.
569:Don Breithaupt; Jeff Breithaupt (13 May 2014).
360:"Driver's Seat" peaked at number 15 on the US
8:
305:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
16:For the sculpture in Portland, Oregon, see
939:Interview with Paul Roberts about the song
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38:
29:
325:Learn how and when to remove this message
667:"RPM Top 100 Singles - January 12, 1980"
745:"RPM Volume 32 No. 3, October 13, 1979"
572:Night Moves: Pop Music in the Late '70s
561:
56:
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979:Number-one singles in the Netherlands
924:Sniff 'n' the Tears' official website
7:
904:Sniff 'n' the Tears – Driver's Seat"
303:adding citations to reliable sources
575:. St. Martin's Press. p. 190.
887:Nederlandse Top 40 – week 29, 1991
797:Nederlandse Top 40 – week 48, 1980
27:1978 single by Sniff 'n' the Tears
14:
696:, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book.
248:" is a 1978 song by British band
929:"Driver's Seat" at Songfacts.com
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974:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
689:Australian Chart Book 1970-1992
772:"The Official NZ Music Charts"
263:car stereo throughout Europe.
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656:Retrieved August 12, 2024.
641:Retrieved August 12, 2024.
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18:Driver's Seat (sculpture)
994:Atlantic Records singles
989:Chiswick Records singles
910:. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
893:. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
803:. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
20:. For similar uses, see
867:www.offiziellecharts.de
984:British new wave songs
374:Top 100 for 21 weeks.
356:Commercial performance
510:German Media Control
299:improve this section
218:"New Lines on Love"
250:Sniff 'n' the Tears
207:Sniff 'n' the Tears
52:Sniff 'n' the Tears
232:"Poison Pen Mail"
209:singles chronology
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246:Driver's Seat
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225:Driver's Seat
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201:Luigi Salvoni
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184:Songwriter(s)
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969:1991 singles
964:1979 singles
959:1978 singles
906:(in Dutch).
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891:Dutch Top 40
881:
870:. Retrieved
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845:. Retrieved
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818:. Retrieved
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801:Dutch Top 40
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781:December 29,
779:. Retrieved
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520:Dutch Top 40
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464:Dutch Top 40
446:New Zealand
438:Top Singles
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389:commercial.
379:Dutch Top 40
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349:Fickle Heart
348:
344:Fickle Heart
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297:Please help
285:
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254:Fickle Heart
253:
245:
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189:Paul Roberts
73:"Slide Away"
59:
684:Kent, David
410:Australia (
196:Producer(s)
954:1978 songs
948:Categories
872:2023-12-23
816:(in Dutch)
622:2023-12-23
556:References
315:April 2024
267:Background
847:August 1,
820:August 1,
756:August 1,
729:August 1,
652:Billboard
637:Billboard
505:position
489:Billboard
432:Canadian
405:position
363:Billboard
286:does not
841:Allmusic
686:(1993).
544:See also
173:Atlantic
168:Chiswick
100:New wave
86:Recorded
78:Released
694:St Ives
491:Hot 100
387:Pioneer
365:Hot 100
307:removed
292:sources
261:Pioneer
234:(1980)
229:(1978)
220:(1978)
934:Lyrics
700:
579:
393:Charts
106:Length
68:B-side
48:Single
776:RIANZ
670:(PDF)
452:RIANZ
160:Label
95:Genre
849:2009
822:2009
783:2016
758:2009
731:2009
698:ISBN
577:ISBN
503:Peak
403:Peak
381:and
339:demo
290:any
288:cite
89:1978
81:1978
750:RPM
513:32
495:15
486:US
457:20
441:17
435:RPM
427:42
417:13
372:RPM
301:by
50:by
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