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Show Review Wednesday, February 5, 1992 Page 3 'Afterglow' brings 2 albums home from Abbey Road sessions By TOM I1ARALD8EN A pair of PktMnt Orov natives whohavaformadonaoftoday'amMt popular LD8 recording groups art back at home now after spending several wmVs in England late last year recording two new albums. - Kevin Peay and Joel McCausland, better known to thousands of loyal fans as Afterglow, are putting the finishing touches on those albums prior to releases later this year. They completed preliminary work on the albums in London's historic Abbey Road studios in October before be-fore returning to Utah. These latest albums, their 10th and 11th releases, are the products of two long-time friends who really began singing together almost by accident many years ago in Pleasant Pleas-ant Grove. Since then, they've become be-come one of the best-selling IDS music acts in history. Kevin and Joel came from different differ-ent backgrounds, one from a family where members performed regu larly throughout the community, the other from afamily where music was appreciated, but not performed much outside the home. . And their first performance to- Sther came not during an IDS aside or before a sellout crowd on a college campus as is often the case today, but in an empty high school auditorium where one was practicing practic-ing for a school assembly while the other, in full baseball uniform, simply sim-ply decided to join in by harmonizing harmoniz-ing with hi buddy. Prom that beginning in Pleasant Grove 13 years ago, Kevin and Joel have embarked on a career together that led to the birth of Afterglow. Across thousands of miles while both served LDS missions; and during dur-ing times of marriages, childbirth and recording sessions at home and l I xr J T 1 A A 1 ouruau, itevui anaioei Aiiergiow - have remained true to their music, mu-sic, their audiences and themselves. That formula has made After glow one of the most in-demand groups today for LDS Firesides, conferences con-ferences or concerts. Joel, is the fifth of nine children of Jim and Anne Fisher, and he recalls that "we always had a lot of music in our home. There were five of us children who sang together at community events, and though most of the time I fought it, I was usually talked into performing." He took a few lessons on the chord piano when he was 15 from his older brother. That helped me get more involved with popular music," Joel added, stating artists such as Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow and Bread were among those whose music he learned and performed. His first meeting with Kevin, one of three children of Wayne and Geraldine Peay, was in the band at Pleasant Grove Junior High. During their junior years, while Kevin was continuing a successful athletic career in baseball (he eventually even-tually pitched for BYU before leaving leav-ing on his mission), Joel was involved in-volved inmusic and studentgovern-ment. studentgovern-ment. One afternoon Kevin entered the auditorium after baseball practice and saw Joel rehearsing a song he planned on singing in the junior assembly later that week. "I just began singing harmony with him," Kevin remembered, "and before I knew it, I agreed to sing with him at the assembly." That was unusual amonghigh school athletes, ath-letes, who at that point often eschewed es-chewed music or drama. Kevin and Joel spent the next few months singing along with two girls in a group called Inspiration," performing at county fairs and other 'community events. They also sang as a duo, performing at a popular Orem restaurant. During one of those performances, perfor-mances, an LDS bishop from Alpine sing at a fireside in his ward. In a , mas album called "A Christmas real sense, this was the birth of k Wish" in 1986.-and their sixth re- 0 Scholars Continued from front page DeAnn is presently employed at Cedarwood Arabians and Pintos in Provo. There she has shown for them.- ' ' DeAnn is planning to pursue a career in the Equestrian Field. Shannon is the daughter of Bill and Verlene West. She has been a member of the varsity volleyball, basketball and Softball teams. She is a member of the National Honor Society and is currently serving serv-ing as the Esteem Team Treasurer. ' ThroughoutherKfe.Shannonhas -been involved in home economics. As a young' girl she competed in ' county and state 4-H competitions. She haa been a member of the Future Homem akers of America for four years and has served as sophomore sopho-more representative, assemblies chairman, state public relations chairperson and this year she is president of the Pleasant Grove chapter. . She plans to attend Utah State University next fall JaNae is the daughter of Arthur and Karen Stueck. She is the president presi-dent of FBLA and the treasurer of the National Honor Society. She is also amember of the Youth City Council. She has won third place in accounting and sixth place in machine transcription in the State FBLA competition held last year. She work at the Utah Highway Patrol as a secretary. Rebecca is the daughter of Rob and Jill Bigelow. She enjoys studying study-ing piano with Professor Gary Amano of USU, teaching her own students, and accompanying for school and church choirs. - SheisamemberofCloggersWest and loved touring France, Greece and London last summer, and is looking forward to touring Russia this summer with the group. She loves people and serves as seminary class president and has enjoyed serving in the presidencies ' of her Beehive, Mia Maid and Laurel Lau-rel Classes. Shelovesfamilyreunions.camp-. ing, hiking, sewing, reading, singing, sing-ing, and friends. Sara is the daughter of James R. and Anne W. Fisher. She enjoys her classes at school. Music has always been a big part of her life. She has been in the Jazz band, percussion ensemble, marching march-ing band and the symphonic band programs at the high school. ' She is currently serving as the band president and has been in-, volved in All-State Band and many state music camps and contests. . She also enjoys seminary and serving in the Young Women's program pro-gram in her ward. She hopes someday to graduate from college and serve an LDS mission. mis-sion. ' Afterglow as it exists today. With Joel's sister Micki and Kevin's sister Cheri accompanying on the piano, the two performed regularly for a number of months leading up to their LDS mission calls in 1980. Ironically, both received their calls within days of each other, Joel to Japan and Kevin to St. Louis. Their families encouraged them to record some of their songs before they left. Encouraged by friends and family to make some recordings before they departed on their missions, mis-sions, they eventually made two tapes, their first two albums per se, entitledToOur Friends" and"Wor-shipinSong." and"Wor-shipinSong." It was also at that time that the two settled on the name "Afterglow." "After-glow." "By definition, it means 'a glow remaining in a world where light has disappeared," Kevin said. "We wanted people to remember how' music can have a positive lasting effect." Though the albums were never marketed to the public, Kevin and Joel returned to Utah near the end of 1982 to find that sales revenues from those first two tapes purchased by friends had left them enough money to pay for a third album. . Joel said he and Kevin "spoke to each other only a couple of times" while on their missions, but shortly after returning home, the two were back in the music business again, and Afterglow was recording again. In January 1983, the two met Loren Ashcraft, an engineer at a recording studio in Utah County. The LDS music scene was starting to blossom then, thanks to pioneering pioneer-ing artists such as Janice Kapp Perry and Lex de Azevado. Ashcraft helped Afterglow record its first commercial album, titled "Someone is Listening," and continues to serve as their associate producer. The album al-bum was a success. Deseret Book caught wind of the group, and has produced the eight albums that have come out since. Afterglow followed with its second sec-ond album, "The Greatest Gift" in 1984, an all-original LDS contemporary contem-porary recording. It Takes Love" followed in 1985,acollection of original origi-nal pop love songs, and the fourth album, "A Feeling Within," was released re-leased in 1986. Kevin and Joel recorded a Christ- lease, "WhereCan I Turn For Peace," was in 1987. In' 1988, Afterglow began doing pop concerts in addition to continuing continu-ing their regular schedule of firesides, fire-sides, in coordination with release of "Love Notes," album number seven. Kevin and Joel then made their first trip to England, where they recorded two more albums with the London National Philharmonic Orchestra. Or-chestra. In the summer of 1990, those recordings, "A More Perfect Gift" ' and "How Great Thou Art," were released. Like all of the Afterglow albums before them, they quickly found a strong audience in the LDS music market, and beyond. The two returned to England in October, where Afterglow recorded two new albums at Abbey Road Studios Stu-dios - yes, the same studios where the Beatles recorded their famous "album 20 years ago. A new release "this coming April is composed of songs from the LDS children's hymnbook, and the group's 11th album, due out late next year, will ' be a second Christmas album. Both ; recordings are as yet untitled. Through all this success, Kevin and Joel have remained levelheaded, level-headed, very much in tune with their roots and totally dedicated to their families. Joel and his wife, Kelly Bishop, who ironically Kevin .knew while on his mission in St. Louis, have been married since 1983 and have four children. Kevin and his wife, Cindy Jones ofWoods Cross, were also married in 1983 and have three boys. Neither seem anxious to plunge into the bigmoney.bigprob-lem bigmoney.bigprob-lem world of recording nationally, but both would like to see Afterglow continue to grow and develop new avenues for its music. Afterglow will probably perform twice locally in concert in the next few months in addition to its fire-. U o f u Joel McCausland, left, and Kevin Peay, "Afterglow" will perform in concert at the Marriott Center Feb.. 12. side schedule, but after that, Kevin and Joel seem content to take things one day at a time. They use their music to spread a more important message about families and faith. And with literally hundreds of thousands of their cassettes and CDs in the homes of fans throughout through-out the world, Afterglow has shed its light and influence to a greater extent than perhaps even Kevin Peay and Joel McCausland could have ever imagined in that high school auditorium 13 years ago. Note: Tom Haraldsen is a freelance writer living in Bountiful Valentine's Concert Straight from the Heart: Love Songs in Concert, a Valentines Val-entines concert with Afterglow, After-glow, will be held at the Marriott Center at BYU Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at $7 for adults, $5 for children, at the Marriott Center ticket office, UVCCstudentservices and Wasatch front Deseret . Book stores. Tickets may be purchased by phone by calling call-ing 378-2981. 1 " Sawy er Continued from front page aisonCarlene Young has organized a committee in charge of props, costumes, cos-tumes, publicity, and cast parties. Seth Boyer who plays Tom says, "We're a lot alike. I kinda clown around at school, I'm not really se-' rious. I have a lot of fun." Carolyn Walker is Becky Thatcher. She says she is totally different from the character she plays. "Becky is serious about ev-erything.Idon'tworryhkeshedoes." ev-erything.Idon'tworryhkeshedoes." Broberg looks forward to a great show. "The kids work hard and are doing extremely well," she said of the weeks of rehearsals. "It has been a joy." "Tom Sawyer" will run Feb. 7,8, and 9 at 7:30 at the junior high, in addition to dress rehearsal performances perfor-mances for 2,100 elementary students. stu-dents. Tickets are $2 for adults and .$6 for families at the door. peasant Cfrrmie fteuitu ISSN No. 8755-9072 U.S.P.S. No, 4357-8000 Published weekly by Newtah News Group 11 South Main Pleasant Grove, Utah 84062 Telephone Numbers Advertising & Circulation ....... 756-7669 News..............:.........: ...756-5273 ' Publisher Brett Bezant Managing Editor Marc Haddock City Editor Marcella Walker Subscription price $19per year Second class postage paid ;1 . at Pleasant Grove, Utah 'j- .fotnattrMMlaittmdiaigtb SJWNtIMn, Antricsi Fcrii, UtfljB4003 HEALTH INSURANCE Starting $18 Mo. 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