In a decade where supergroups seemed to pop up around every corner, none did any better commercially than the four-man assemblage that was Asia. For a minute there, they owned radio, despite coming from previous bands that had been somewhat averse to creating tight singles.
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“Heat Of The Moment”, their debut single, gave them a big hit right out of the box. But it was “Only Time Will Tell” that solidified their success and helped give legs to one of the biggest-selling albums of the 80s.
Supergroup Assemble
They came from some of the biggest prog rock bands of the 70s. Lead singer John Wetton served in several outfits during the decade, most notably King Crimson. Steve Howe and Geoff Downes both came from Yes, although Downes was a much newer member who also scored with The Buggles. And Carl Palmer drummed for Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
The band started to form when an executive put together Wetton and Downes as a songwriting team. Each of the four members had watched as the music scene had changed drastically in the years leading up to the 80s. Prog rock was no longer a commercial force.
Knowing this, the group took a different approach. While they still filled the songs with plenty of instrumental flourishes, they also made sure to hit the chorus hooks hard and keep the songs at reasonable lengths. After briefly considering calling themselves The Group, they thought global and went with Asia.
“Time” of the Season
It didn’t take long for their strategy to pay massive dividends. Their lead single, “Heat Of The Moment”, was plastered all over the radio and MTV. “Only Time Will Tell” followed that up, sticking to a similar formula of instrumental flair (such as Downes’ flashy synth open) and pop-song smarts.
To that end, Wetton, who wrote the song with Downes, provided a relatable story in the lyrics. He wrote from personal experience about a situation where he lost a girlfriend to another guy. That personal touch made a huge difference, a far cry from prog rock songs that often contained fantastical elements.
“Only Time Will Tell” made it to No. 17 on the pop charts in 1982. It proved that what the band pulled off with “Heat Of The Moment” was no fluke. And it helped propel Asia’s self-titled debut album to quadruple-platinum status as one of the biggest rock albums of the early part of the decade.
Behind the Lyrics of “Only Time Will Tell”
“Only Time Will Tell” is framed as a somewhat bitter message from a guy to the girl who has moved on to someone new. “It really comes as no surprise,” Wetton sings. “To find that you planned it all along.” This woman seems to have a bit of larceny in her heart. “You were just using me,” he sneers. “But there is no one you can use now.”
He blames himself for not seeing the signs. “Your insincerity,” he muses. “And me all starry-eyed/You’d think that I would have known by now.” Just so the prog-rock crowd isn’t left completely out in the cold, Wetton gets a bit cosmic when he explains the consequences. “The brightest ring around the room,” he sings. “Will darken when I die.”
Although they scored a couple more hits, Asia’s momentum fell off a bit after that first album. Perhaps they mastered the prog pop formula so well on singles like “Only Time Will Tell” that they just couldn’t top it again.
Photo by Richard Lewis/WireImage
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