Sniff 'n' The Tears-Fickle Heart (1978)

 


Artist: Sniff 'n' The Tears

Title: Fickle Heart

Label: Atlantic

Format: LP

Catalog Number: SD 19242

Year of Release: 1978

Country and Year of Edition: US 1979 Richmond pressing

Sell Price: $4.88

Sell Date: 6/12/26

Condition: VG+/VG+

Discogs Last Sold: 6/14/26 NM/VG+ $14.97

Low: $1.87

Median: $4.85

Average: $5.77

High: $14.97

Current low price: $3.50 VG+/VG+

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 29

Have/Want: 406/60

Where Sold: Jamaica, NY

Time It Took To Sell:  3 years

Where and When Bought: Facebook marketplace lot

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B

Sad To See It Go: No 

Late 70's one hit wonder Sniff 'n' The Tears issued this album in Europe in 1978 and the Atlantic picked it up in 1979 for US release.  The lead off track was the hit: "Driver's Seat."  It was pretty inescapable in the late 70's.   They were a London band and sound like a cross between Dire Straits, Gerry Rafferty and even George Harrison with more of a youthful guitar edge.

The overall feel is a little less corporate rock production-wise than one might expect.  In the UK this came out on the Chiswick label that specialized in pub rock as far back as the 101'ers with Joe Strummer not to mention The Damned and Motorhead.  "Driver's Seat" was a label anomaly amid  records like Radio Stars' Songs For Swinging Lovers and Skrewdriver's All Skewed Up.  The song was a big hit in every country BUT the UK.  In the US it went to #15 in the summer of '79 after being big in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

The songs are a cut above even when you deceptively think they are filler.  "This Side Of The Blue" for example is subtly Deadish.  The next best track on the album is "Looking For You" which sounds like the follow-up hit that never happened.  Chalk it up to coming where they came from (London, Chiswick Records, Pub Rock) that fit into AOR and top 40 in the US almost by accident.  Then as soon as they broke, party was over and back on their heads.  The band's follow-up The Game's Up in 1980 didn't have any commercial success although they were still under Chiswick's guidance they had band member turnover and utilized session drummers. They soldiered on until 1983.   The most successful after breakup was guitarist Loz Netto who had minor hits with "Fade Away" and "We Touch."  Vocalist Paul Roberts who sang and played various instruments reformed the band over the years.  Their most recent every was in 2020 with the album Jump. 

Nothing seems to truly go away.


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