George Martin, the legendary producer of The Beatles, produced Little River Band's 1981 album Time Exposure whilst the Australian group was disintegrating from internal tensions. Despite the band being fractured by multiple factions—including disputes between lead singer Glenn Shorrock and newcomer Wayne Nelson, and guitarist David Briggs's resistance to Martin's direction—the album emerged as one of Little River Band's most commercially successful releases. The contradictory nature of the project, with Martin presiding over a band at breaking point yet delivering polished results, echoed his final experiences with The Beatles.

The album produced an unusually high number of hit singles for Little River Band, with three tracks reaching the US Top 15: "The Night Owls", "Take It Easy On Me", and "Man On Your Mind". This success masked underlying crisis; the band's multiple songwriters had long struggled over track selection and direction, tensions exacerbated when Nelson's vocal talents threatened Shorrock's position as primary lead singer. Shortly after the album's release, key members David Briggs and Glenn Shorrock departed the band, and Martin notably did not return to produce another Little River Band album.