The band originally formed in 1971/early 1972 with Peter Banks on keyboards, John Leach on bass and Ian Adamson on drums. The original group disbanded in December 1972. Peter went on to play keyboards for Narnia, playing alongside John Russell.
In 1974 Peter and Ian decided to breathe new life into ATF and started auditions for a guitar player. Andy Piercy approached the pair, and after a settling of opinions the Piercy/Banks partnership was formed. The early material took the form of Christian stories. In 1975 Robin Childs joined the band as a bass player.
In 1977 Robin left, replaced by Nick Battle and Ian left to be replaced by a "strange" drummer, Ivor Twidell. By late 1977 Nick had decided to leave but was persuaded to stay to record Signs of Change.
Signs of Change was released on a private label out of frustration with the Christian record labels who insisted that bands pay up-front. It was an outstanding album for it's time, well thought through and brilliantly executed. The six tracks are reminiscent of early Genesis and Yes, synth-lead with good-sized instrumental breaks. The album had a limited release of 4000 copies and with an even more limited number including a lyric sheet insert - printed white hand written lyrics on black. The album was distributed by mail order.
ATF moved on musically and with Nick leaving Andy switched to bass (not before various bass players had appeared with the band) and John Russell joined the band as the new guitarist, after seeing the band playing at a pub.
The band was eventually signed up by CBS in 1978 and started recording in the winter. During the production of the Laser Love album no less than 5 producers worked with the band (the band also produced 2 tracks), leaving the final release a little dis-jointed. Some of the tracks were recorded twice by different producers.
During August 1979 the band played the Greenbelt festival for the last time (having been regulars in the past few years) - everything about the bands appearance was electric, from the sound check in the early afternoon to the fireworks that finished the overrun evening performance. It gave the band a chance to air the new tracks before the release of the new album in October 1979.
Ivor left the band in October 1979 after ill health led to his collapse on stage, he was replaced by Nick Brotherwood. The band started work on a new album - 80-f. It was turned down by CBS and led to yet another change in drummer, however, the album contained some excellent tracks like Operator that never saw the light again. An acetate of the album is in existence. This delay cost the band a US tour.
Pete King, ex-Flys drummer, was recruited as the new drummer and quickly filled the role. His style matched the band and he settled in as the band started re-recording the album with Mack as the producer. The album was released with two singles, which again, never got the airplay they deserved. The album sold well in Germany and the band released Sternenflug - a German version of Starflight.
1981 saw the band touring extensively abroad, along with appearances on Old Grey Whistle Test and Rock Goes To College.
The album Batteries Not Included was the most polished release, and sadly the bands last release of new material. The singles did well in London, kept high in the Capital Radio phone votes, but the sales did not reflect this masterpiece.
Demos for a new album were being made.
In 1982 the band appeared on Swap Shop and toured with ELO (Pete King filled for Bev Bevan after he was taken ill), Queen and Van Halen on a fifty-one date tour of America in ninety-nine days. Half way through the tour CBS heard the demo tracks the band had recorded for a new album and requested they return to start in the recording studio. The band, funded by Harvey Goldsmith decided to stay on the tour - they returned in a lot of debt. The band was still not making the money nor had the public backing they needed.
The band announced the split in December 1982 at the Dominion Theatre - their last concert and one of the best. Without the ties of management and record companies the band flowed through the set, relaxed and backed by the crowd.
The band had been pulling in two directions with Andy and John wanting to move the music in a rock direction and the two Peter's wishing to go more pop.
The last single release by the band was Der Kommissar, a Falco hit. The single was a worldwide hit and CBS asked the band to reform but to no avail. Andy returned to the recording studio with John and various session musicians, a re-work of Dancing In The Shadows was released and a new single 8 Ball In The Top Pocket followed. The single never achieved airplay and was withdrawn shortly afterwards - the 12" slipped out without notice.
CBS released Der Kommissar - a greatest hits album, to cash in on the single and re-released it with reworked Dancing In The Shadows, One Rule For You and Starflight.
The bands revival was short lived and CBS finally laid the project to rest, abandoning the release of the album Free Heat.
John went on to form Press Any Key with his brother Rob, Andy started a solo career and went on to produce. Pete Banks and Pete King started working on a new project called Zipcodes and a tape was released after the death of Pete King in 1987.
The reworked Der Kommissar was released by Sony recently - the only album to make CD.
2004 and beyond
Although the band reunited for a couple of special events, things lay dormant until 2004 when Peter Banks and John Russell agreed to take part in a 'Friends' (the After The Fire fan club) reunion where, with John's son Matt on drums and bassist Ian Niblo, they played an informal Karaoke set for brave fans to perform their favourite tracks. Despite a gap of 'some' years it seemed that the fan-base for the band had never deserted them, they were just resting!
This spurred a flurry of activity, resulting in the recruitment of ex-Zipcodes cohort Keith Smith on vocals and a return to The Greenbelt Arts festival in 2004 for a full-on comeback gig some 25 years after the band last played there. A hot and sweaty venue was crammed to capacity where fans were treated to both a trip down memory lane and a band playing timeless classics.
The make-up of the band is different. The charts have moved on. But the band who played over 300 gigs, toured with ELO, Queen, Van Halen and shared a BBC In Concert stage with U2 are back and ready to start a new chapter in their history.
This new phase has seen the release of the bands back catalogue, a 'warts and all' official bootleg of the comeback at Greenbelt on DVD and the release of a single in support of Christian Aid's Trade Justice Campaign, part of the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY initiative.
Back to the Light
After the Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That too much thinking's not good for my brain
Am I floating or sinking?
All this thinking's going to drive this poor boy insane
Then why don't you stop?
I really don't know
Do you want to or not?
Do you want to know peace?
I'm not really sure
Want your worries to cease?
No, let me worry some more
'Cause I've been sitting here thinking
That all this thinking's not good for my brain
I've been thinking and thinking and thinking
And I don't know if I can stand all this pain
You're a fool to yourself
Hey what do you mean?
You can stop if you want
Now your talking in dreams
You've just got to let go
Don't give me no jive
I've got enough worries just staying alive
So I step up and onwards, and what do I see?
There's a mist of darkness and it's creeping up on me
Many times before this road I've been
But never alone, depression walks at my side again
It's creeping up on me
I can feel it in my soul
There in the distance - a tiny point of light
It's growing, and glowing, and swallowing up the night
But I've still got darkness in my eyes
I must turn around, and face to where the brightness shines
It's creeping up on me
I can feel it in my soul
The lyrics of the song "Back to the Light" by After the Fire is about the struggles of the singer as he battles with anxiety and depression. He has been sitting for a while, thinking about his life and the choices he has made, but it seems like his constant thinking is detrimental to his sanity. He wonders if he is floating or sinking as he contemplates his existence. He understands that he needs to stop thinking too much, but he doesn't know-how. He has been consumed by all the thoughts swirling in his head that it has become a part of him, and he can't seem to let go.
Despite acknowledging that his thinking is not good for his brain, the singer is hesitant to stop thinking. He doesn't know if he wants peace or if he wants his worries to cease. He is unsure of his thoughts' direction and doesn't know how to navigate through them. The person he is conversing with tells him that he is a fool to himself and that he can stop thinking if he wants. But, the singer is not ready to let go yet. He wants to worry some more.
Later in the song, the singer encounters a mist of darkness that is creeping up on him as he walks on the road. He battles with depression that has been with him before. However, he sees a tiny point of light that is growing and swallowing up the night. Even though he still has darkness in his eyes, he turns around and faces the brightness where the light shines. He tries to let go and move past his constant thinking and worries.
The song provides a glimpse into the struggles that people battle with, such as anxiety and depression. It highlights the importance of acknowledging these struggles and finding a way to let go or move past them.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been sitting here thinking
I've been contemplating about my life
That too much thinking's not good for my brain
Excessive thoughts can harm me
Am I floating or sinking?
I am unsure of my current state
All this thinking's going to drive this poor boy insane
Continuous thinking can lead to madness
Then why don't you stop?
Someone suggests that I should halt my thoughts
I really don't know
I am unsure as to why I cannot cease thinking
Do you want to or not?
Someone is questioning whether I desire to stop thinking or not
But it won't let me go
My compulsive thinking is beyond my control
Do you want to know peace?
Someone asks if I want peace of mind
I'm not really sure
I am indecisive about whether I crave peace of mind
Want your worries to cease?
Someone is asking if I want to get rid of my troubles
No, let me worry some more
I am choosing to hold on to my worries
'Cause I've been sitting here thinking
I have been ruminating about my troubles
That all this thinking's not good for my brain
My excessive thinking is detrimental to my mental health
I've been thinking and thinking and thinking
My thoughts have been nonstop
And I don't know if I can stand all this pain
I am unsure if I can handle the agony I am going through
You're a fool to yourself
Someone is calling me foolish
Hey what do you mean?
I am asking what the person meant
You can stop if you want
The person is telling me that I can stop thinking if I desire
Now your talking in dreams
The person believes I am unrealistic
You've just got to let go
The only solution is to let go of my thoughts
Don't give me no jive
I do not want to hear false promises
I've got enough worries just staying alive
I am already preoccupied with survival
So I step up and onwards, and what do I see?
I am moving forward, and I notice something in the distance
There's a mist of darkness and it's creeping up on me
I am becoming surrounded by darkness
Many times before this road I've been
I have gone down this path numerous times
But never alone, depression walks at my side again
I always have depression alongside me when I am struggling
It's creeping up on me
The darkness is gradually closing in on me
I can feel it in my soul
I sense the darkness in my inner self
There in the distance - a tiny point of light
I see a small source of light far away from me
It's growing, and glowing, and swallowing up the night
The light is getting stronger and more prominent, and it is overpowering the darkness
But I've still got darkness in my eyes
Despite the increased brightness, I still feel the effects of the darkness
I must turn around, and face to where the brightness shines
I need to let go of the darkness and focus on the light
Contributed by Amelia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Michael Woodruff
I'm really digging this band.
ehrldawg
Not bad !!