After The Fire were formed in the UK in 1972 by keyboard player Peter Banks, Andy Piercy (guitar, bass), Ivor Twidell (drums) and John Russell (guitar). The market was responsive to UK adult-orientated rock during the early 70s but the band's mixture of "pomp Christian pop" was slow to break through. They eventually secured a contract following the release of their debut album on their own label. CBS Records invested in them and they were rewarded with a UK Top 40 hit, "One Rule For You", in 1979. The accompanying album, although polished, sold only to the converted. The band's subsequent recordings were minor hits until the unexpected major success of "Der Kommissar". Originally recorded by Falco in his native Germany, After The Fire's version went on to sell over a million copies worldwide, and made the US Top 5. However, by the time it charted, the group had already broken up, frustrated by record company indecision and the Christian ethos that "made things worse, as we couldn't have a good old swearing and slanging match." Banks built his own studio before becoming managing director of Maldon Computer Company, a software and networking enterprise. Twidell released three Christian rock solo albums, Waiting For The Sun (1981), Secret Service (1981) and Duel (1983), after leaving the group following the debut album. He then became a member of the Bedfordshire police force. Russell was last sighted working in a hi-fi shop. Piercy retained the rights to the name, although it was now abbreviated to ATF. Still a practising Christian, after submitting an unreleased solo album for CBS he went on to do production work for the Truth, T'Pau (when they were known as Talking America) and Gary Numan. (Source : VH1)

Pilgrim (Released 1978)

Narrator
One day as I lay down to rest
In a den for my safe keeping
I closed my eyelids for the best
And I quickly fell to sleeping
Was then I had the strangest dream
Which I shall now forthtell
All of a man who lived in fear
For the thought of going to hell!
I saw him reading from a book
And his legs they were a-shaking
The more he read the more he shook
Till I knew his heart was breaking
But I could not ask why he wept so
As I said, I was only dreaming
But I'm sure that for some means of escape
Was the way his mind was scheming

He looked around this way and that
As if to make a run
But the burden that was on his back
It surely weighed him down
And as he wept he cried out
"What must I do to be saved,
And to stop this burden from dragging me down
Even further than the grave?"

Evangelist
Head over there, you'll find a gate
Keep the light in your eye
That is the way of your escape
That is the way you must...
Head over there, you'll find a gate
Keep the light in your eye
That is the way of your escape
That is the way you must ... fly

Pilgrim
So I journeyed as a pilgrim
Never to return
Many dangers lay before me
Lessons I must learn

Up the highway of salvation
My burden there I lost
Fell away and rolled right from me
When I saw the cross

Then on an on I bravely went
Through the "Valley of Humiliation"
Was there I fought for my life
With the one that I used to serve
Then the "Valley of the Shadow
of Death" it hung over me
I never thought that I'd see the light of day again

Then I found a friend, oh what a friend
We travelled together
Till at "Vanity Fair" they did him in
But somehow I got away and I quickly met with another
And together we travelled right to the end

But we strayed from the way
And got caught by the "Giant of Despair"
He kept us and beat us, I never thought
We'd get out of there. But we did
And we reached the "Delectable Mountains"
And across the "Enchanted Ground"
We saw the city that was our desire!

Arrival
Open the gates of the city wide
Welcome home Pilgrim, won't you step inside
Open the gates of the city wide
Welcome home Pilgrim - come inside

Open the gates of the city wide
Welcome home Pilgrim, welcome home
Open the gates of the city wide
Welcome home, welcome home, welcome home
WELCOME HOME!!

Music Lyrics