COVER OF THE WEEK

Cover # 29 is Fickle Heart by Sniff 'N' The Tears. An album from 1978 that I had to pick out of the "vault" after hearing the hit "Driver's Seat" being played on Swedish radio last week.

The cover on this debut from a six man British band is by the group's singer Paul Roberts.
And in my eyes his painting style it's very 80s; photo realistic and with a posing, detatched cold.

Paul's paintings kept on becoming cover art for the group. Often looking like stills from a US murder or mystery movie.

The band is seen as a one-hit wonder in most parts of the western world, even though they continued to enjoy some success in Sweden as well as other countries past the first album's "Driver's Seat"-smash.

Paul brought the folk, other members the rock and funk and after a false start getting an album recorded in France in 1975 and Paul leaving to pursue his painting career, it was finally recorded in 1977 and released in 1978.

And it got good reviews like this one from Billboard magazine:
"...this reviewer will go out on a limb and declare 'Fickle Heart' the finest and most intelligent album by a newcomer act this year. The six-man ensemble, coming out of nowhere, has produced an album that combines slice of life lyrics with a musical form that incorporates a distinct folk consciousness with rock, country twangs and synthesized shadings. The result is so irresistible that certain songs send chills through one's body."
"Sniff'n'the Tears is music for the '80s. Hopefully this will be just the beginning of a new age of music that will hold up long after the last dance is ended."

The dance has ended, but the music holds up OK as late 70s/early 80s popular music.
Hear tracks on RadioDupree this week.
And Sniff 'N' The Tears have existed on and off with different lineups with the latest album released in 2001.

More on the group as well as Paul's paintings can be found at:
http://www.sniffnthetears.com/

N.S..