Heat of the Moment

This article is about the song by Asia. For the song by After 7, see Heat of the Moment (After 7 song).
"Heat of the Moment"

Cover of the European single
Single by Asia
from the album Asia
B-side "Time Again" (UK)
"Ride Easy" (outside of UK)
Released April 1982
Format 7" vinyl + Song on Asia album Tape and 33
Genre Rock
Length 3:50
Label Geffen
Writer(s) John Wetton, Geoff Downes
Producer(s) Mike Stone
Asia singles chronology
"Heat of the Moment"
(1982)		 "Here Comes the Feeling"
(1982)
Music sample
"Heat of the Moment"

"Heat of the Moment" is the first hit single released by progressive rock supergroup Asia from their smash 1982 eponymous debut. The song was the most popular on the album, and won enormous success in North America, reaching #4 in both the Canadian Singles chart and on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was aided by an innovative - and hugely popular - MTV music video. It was written by singer and bass guitarist John Wetton, and keyboardist Geoff Downes.

The single also climbed to the top position on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, remaining six non-consecutive weeks at #1 in the spring and summer of 1982.[1][2][3] It was written by John Wetton and Geoff Downes. "Heat of the Moment" is featured at the beginning of another Asia song called "Don't Call Me" as a dialing number from a telephone.

Interpretation

The lyrics contain the line, "And now you find yourself in 82". While this is often interpreted as a reference to the year the single was released, Wetton has said that instead of 1982 it is a location, possibly meaning the 82nd meridian east that runs through the continent of Asia which is shown on a spinning globe in the song's music video.[4] However, in live versions, Greg Lake (whilst substituting Wetton) has substituted the current year for "82" in the second verse and rhymed it with another word (83 - me). In a Reddit AMA, John specifically says it doesn't refer to the year 1982, but to a venue.[5]

B-sides

"Time Again" is the B-side of the UK release. The song was written by all the band members, Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton, and can also be found on the Asia album.

"Ride Easy" is the B-side of the singles released outside of the UK. This song was written by Wetton and Howe. It was never given a regular release on a studio album, but it was included in the EP Aurora, released only in Japan in 1986. During an interview on the 2007 released Asia DVD Fantasia: Live in Tokyo, Wetton indicated that "Ride Easy" is one of his favourite Asia songs.

It was eventually released on CD on The Very Best of Asia: Heat of the Moment (1982-1990).

Track listing

US 7" single
No. Title Length
1. "Heat of the Moment"   3:50
2. "Ride Easy"   4:35
UK 7" single
No. Title Length
1. "Heat of the Moment"   3:50
2. "Time Again"   4:45

Chart performance

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report[6] 26
Canadian RPM Top Singles[7] 4
Dutch Top 40[8] 34
French Singles Chart[9] 39
German Media Control Charts[10] 7
Irish Singles Chart[11] 30
Italian Singles Chart[12] 16
New Zealand Singles Chart[13] 46
Polish Singles Chart[14] 6
Radio Luxemburg Singles[15] 26
South African Singles Chart[16] 4
Swiss Singles Chart[17] 2
UK Singles Chart[18] 46
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 4
US Billboard Mainstream Rock[19] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1982) Position
Canadian RPM Top Singles[20] 47
German Media Control Charts 41
Italian Singles Chart[21] 89
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 40
U.S. Cashbox Top 100[22] 43

Popular culture

References

  1. ↑ "List of number-one mainstream rock hits". wordpress.com. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  2. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8 ed.). Billboard Publications. p. 35.
  3. ↑ "allmusic ((( Asia > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Retrieved 16 May 2009. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. ↑ "LET IT ROCK - John WETTON interview". April 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  5. ↑ "We are John Wetton & Geoff Downes for the British rock band ASIA! • /r/IAmA". reddit. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  6. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ↑ "RPM Volume 36 No. 17, June 05 1982 - RPM". Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  8. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40, week 24, 1982 (in Dutch)". Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  9. ↑ http://infodisc.fr/Artistes.php
  10. ↑ "charts.de - Asia - Heat Of The Moment (in German)". Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  11. ↑ "irishcharts.ie search results". Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  12. ↑ http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/indici/per_interprete/aa.htm
  13. ↑ http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Asia&titel=Heat+Of+The+Moment&cat=s
  14. ↑ http://www.lp3.pl/alpt.phtml?m=1&nn=10#navigation
  15. ↑ http://umdmusic.com/default.asp?Lang=Czech&Chart=F&ChDay=&ChMonth=&ChYear=&ChBand=Asia&ChSong=
  16. ↑ http://rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(A).html
  17. ↑ "Asia - Heat Of The Moment - hitparade.ch (in German)". Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  18. ↑ "Chart Stats - Asia - Heat Of The Moment". Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  19. 1 2 http://musicvf.com/Asia.art
  20. ↑ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.6167&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=etg0falg2hk823f26tcs13s3f3
  21. ↑ http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yends/hpe1982.htm
  22. ↑ http://www.cashboxcountdowns.com/archives/80s_files/1982YESP.html
  23. ↑ "The Heat of the Moment (Season 5, Episode 13) - Video Clips". South Park Studios. Retrieved 2012-02-20.

External links

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