Back in the summer of 1996, Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens contacted the Rat's Lair with a view to re-establishing communications with his old friend JJ Burnel. Pat (along with other Smithereens members) is a Stranglers fan and had originally met the band during their US promotion of Aural Sculpture. A DiNizio solo album was being planned and it was hoped that JJ would be able to join the project.

Eventually, the "Pat DiNizio Foursome" was formed, consisting of: Pat DiNizio (vocals and guitars); JJ Burnel (bass and vocals); Sonny Fortune (saxophone and flute); Tony "Thunder" Smith (drums, vocals and percussion). These were artists whose work Pat admired and with whom he had long wanted to play with.

The final result was "Songs and Sounds" (Velvel records, VEL79706-2), recorded at Reflection Sound Studios, Charlotte, North Carolina, produced by Don Dixon and released on October 7th 1997. The album includes a varied selection of (jazz/rythm and blues inspired) tracks, from the catchy "124 MPH" to the gentle lullaby-like "Liza". The track-listing is:

Where I am going; Nobody but me; 124 MPH; Running, jumping, standing still; Everyday world; No love lost; A world apart; Today it's you; Liza; Somewhere down the line; You should know; I'd rather have the blues.

Between January and February 1998, the project hit the road as the "Pat DiNizio Trio" (Sonny Fortune could only make the New York gig, due to other commitments). The "Truckstops of America" tour played 27 dates in the US, plus Toronto, Canada (Photographs from the Galaxy Club, Dallas, Texas).

The live set included all the tracks from the "Songs and Sounds" album, plus Smithereens songs (some played by a lone DiNizio) such as "Girl Like You", "Top of the Pops" "Blood and Roses" and "Cigarette". A highlight for Stranglers fans at later gigs was the inclusion of a laid-back re-work of "Five Minutes", featuring JJ on "European Female" style vocals and a high-speed rap section courtesy of Tony Smith.

On February 19th, 1998, a radio interview was conducted with JJ Burnel and Tony Smith. The transcript of this interview can be found here.