"After the Fire" is a song from the solo album Under a Raging Moon released by Roger Daltrey of The Who. The song was written by Pete Townshend, also of The Who. It was considered a hit for Daltrey, receiving extensive play on MTV. The song was played during the second season finale of Miami Vice during a flashback scene.
The song was originally planned to be played by The Who at Live Aid, and is about famine in Africa. [1] However the band committed last minute and was unable to rehearse the song, so it was given to Daltrey to record for Under a Raging Moon. Pete Townshend explains that it was specifically written for Live Aid and is comparing the situation in Africa as a fire, and that the concert would be figuratively putting it out. But despite this, it will always still “smolder and burn”. [1]
The recording was produced by Alan Shacklock and recorded at RAK Recording Studios and Odyssey Studios, London. The album Under a Raging Moon was released on the Atlantic label (81269-1) in the U.S. in 1985,[2] and singles were also released in other countries in the same year.
Townshend performed the song live, as part of his 1985 Deep End concerts with David Gilmour on guitar.[1]