Released: 28th September 1998
Writers: James Hearn / Michael Harwood / Jon O’Mahony / Steve Robson / Pete Kearney
Peak position: #28
Chart run: 28-50-X-74
Ultra were yet to score a top-ten hit when they released The Right Time. But surely this – their third single – was about to change things, given it seemed to be brimming with hit potential…?
Though The Right Time didn’t necessarily feel like a make-or-break single for Ultra, it came at a somewhat pivotal moment in their debut album campaign. The group’s debut single, Say You Do, had just missed the top ten, peaking at #11, while the follow-up, Say It Once, reached #16. So, now was the point where it would be possible to gauge if the group were building enough momentum to enter the upper reaches of the chart. Though not, strictly speaking, a boyband by the usual late ‘90s standard – since they all played instruments and wrote their own material – Ultra embraced that label nonetheless. The advantage is it gave them semi-regular exposure in teen-orientated magazines like Smash Hits. However, that also meant their commercial success would be measured against acts such as Boyzone, Five and the Backstreet Boys, who commanded a much higher profile. Thus, drifting along in the lower half of the top 20 wasn’t a long-term option, and for The Right Time to continue a downward trend would be even less desirable.
In principle, this seems like a great choice of song to stoke interest in the group. It’s a jaunty uptempo punctuated with rousing drum kicks, brass stabs and a buoyant, toe-tapping beat. From a production perspective, The Right Time is immediately lively and engaging enough to catch listeners’ attention. However, that relied on the track gaining exposure for people to hear it in the first place; yet, despite its radio-friendly qualities, airplay was significantly worse than the preceding singles. That’s a real shame because the song is stacked with well-crafted melodies, which showcase Ultra’s penchant for catchy hooks.
The Right Time is essentially about walking away from a relationship, though it’s written from a novel perspective. Rather than apportioning blame or ruminating over what’s gone wrong, the focus is on affirming that both partners are capable of more than they’ve settled for: “If we all stand up when the going gets rough, and baby we hold out for better things, then we all can be the ones, who shine on, everybody knows…”. To some extent, the break-up aspect becomes superfluous, particularly during the verses where The Right Time adopts a more general theme of reflection and self-betterment: “I’m talking aloud, I’m here to be found, are you proud of who you are, I’m making mistakes on the way, but I’m trying hard” that doesn’t need to be about romance. Either way, there’s a likeable modesty to Ultra’s lyrics that evokes a willingness for the group to succeed (“I’m caught in a crowd, I’m stuck in the ground, but I just keep moving around, I can turn almost anything bad into something good”), particularly when their performance is delivered with such peppy enthusiasm.
During the moody middle eight – with its melodramatic keyboard accompaniment and a muffled, thumping bassline – The Right Time treads further down the path of self-help pop music. The musings can be framed within the break-up narrative: “So you think that a compromise could help you build a better life, the information you have been receiving…is confused, untrue and not only that, it can make you feel used, make you feel trapped, don’t ever…we never…” though come across just as much a direct address to the listener. Whether Ultra’s predominantly teen fanbase would fully appreciate such profound advice is another matter. Still, it shows the group’s intent to say something of substance through their material, and they do so without it being overbearing or compromising the pop sensibilities of the track.
Nowhere is that stronger than the chorus. Tonally, it’s less pensive and instead resorts to delivering a direct kiss-off: “This is my time to say goodbye, I’ve changed my mind girl, you’re never gonna stop me, your love isn’t strong enough, for me to hold on to; this is the right time to say goodbye, I’ve changed my mind girl, you’re never gonna get it, your love isn’t strong enough, for me to hold on to” which is earnestly delivered in a triumphant, uplifting manner. Later choruses are peppered with ad-libs, which give the track a feelgood momentum that is relentlessly enjoyable and satisfying to listen to. Everything about The Right Time sounds primed to earn Ultra a solid hit…
The only part of the overall package that feels somewhat underwhelming is the accompanying music video. It’s set at a house party where Ultra perform the track while revellers mingle around them. The concept is executed in a deceptively modest way because there are some neat visual effects along the way. At one point, multiple versions of James Hearne appear in the bathroom while a woman applies make-up in the foreground, which – by late ‘90s standards – looks great. Some of the crowd shots are also bathed in a green hue, which gives them an eye-catching flair. However, The Right Time’s commitment to the house party theme also means much of the video is dimly lit with a muted, shadowy colour palette that doesn’t wholly match the melodic cheeriness of the song itself. Compared to the sun-drenched visuals of Ultra’s previous single (Say It Once), it’s possible to see where this one might not have stood out so vividly on music channels.
Alas, with lacklustre airplay and Ultra not quite at a level where lucrative, high-profile promotional slots were readily forthcoming, The Right Time fared considerably worse than their previous singles. It entered the chart at #28 to become the group’s lowest-peaking track. The timing could’ve been worse; their self-titled debut album wasn’t due to be released for another few months, so there’d be another single beforehand. All the same, this set the campaign back a bit and raised more questions about Ultra’s longevity than there were before. What made it worse is that there aren’t even any glaring issues to explain away such a commercial misstep. The Right Time is a good song that’s immensely catchy and well-performed…it just didn’t connect.
Nevertheless, all was not lost for Ultra. They would continue undeterred with their next single – the aptly titled Rescue Me – which finally turned the group’s potential into tangible (albeit short-lived) success.
