UK rock band Sniff ‘n’ the Tears joined the influx of artists that arrived as part of the new wave movement, and achieved modest success with the single “Driver’s Seat”, which would become responsible for an unexpected second act in the band’s career. Formed by sole consistent member Paul Roberts in the mid-’70s, the band had already broken up and reformed by the time it released its debut, Fickle Heart, in 1978 on Chiswick Records. The album featured “Driver’s Seat”, which made the UK and American singles charts and earned the band a spot on Top of the Pops. New albums arrived annually, often with a revamped lineup, and the second incarnation of the band called it quits after Ride Blue Divide in 1982.
Sniff ‘n’ the Tears was on ice for a decade before “Driver’s Seat” found new life in an advertising campaign, and fresh interest in the band motivated Roberts to form a new lineup and hit the road in Europe. The group also delivered its sole album of the ‘90s, No Damage Done, in 1991. From then on, the group would sporadically reform to release new material, which included the albums Underground (2000), Downstream (2011), and Random Elements (2017). An acoustic set, Jump, was released in 2020.
