During the fall of 1979, the moody, pulsing sound of “Driver’s Seat” by Sniff ‘n The Tears poured out of radios all over America. It eventually reached the number 15 spot on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and was among the earliest songs heralding the advent of New Wave.
Sniff ‘n The Tears formed in England in 1978, a loose partnership between Luigi Salvoni who had helped out singer/guitarist Paul Roberts by playing drums on some of his demos. The song had originally been a demo by Roberts, done in 1973, for his earlier band, Ashes of the Moon.