“In Time” was the first full album release from View from the Hill. It marked the beginning of the band’s relationship with the major record label EMI Records. EMI had signed the band in 1986, at the point at which the band had started to achieve critical acclaim from the release on the independent label Survival Records of the self-entitled EP “View from the Hill”. The release of the EP on Survival Records was itself a repackaging and re release of the EP which had been issued on the Zara label two years earlier.
“In Time” crossed different musical styles including soul, rock and adult contemporary. One of the unique characteristics about the music of View from the Hill is the combination of great soulful ballads with interesting and poignant social commentary. This combination obviously appealed to the tastes of a discerning record buying public because, following the release of the Album the band acquired further critical recognition, particularly for two of the songs which were initially release as singles, No Conversation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfCIFKekYq0 and I’m No Rebel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9pzhwA5kOw. Both tracks found their way into the UK charts.
For the recording of “In Time”, the Band had used a number of different producers, including Stewart Levine (producer of The Crusaders, Minnie Ripperton, Simply Red and Oleta Adams), with whom the band recorded No Conversation and I’m No Rebel; Mick Glossop, whose long relationship with the music of Van Morrison made him a perfect fit for music for a band like View from the Hill. Mick Glossop produced “Stay and Let Me Love You”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTjinVMR22A and “Lovers Confessions”, tracks which stand out as consummate soulful ballads. Other producers on the album were Pete Winfield (18 with a bullet) who took the seat for “Turn out the Light” and Howard Gray, who sat in for “On the Corner”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTjinVMR22A
The other tracks on the album were produced by Patrick and Trevor along with Nick Gatfield.