Five Great Performances from Jon Anderson

Jon Anderson is one of rock’s most distinctive vocalists. An alto tenor, he was the primary voice of Yes for most of the period between that group’s inception in 1968 until his departure from the band circa 2008. Anderson’s career as a recording artist predated his tenures with Yes; a professional musician from 1962 onward, his first recorded vocal was released in 1965. During and after his years with Yes, Anderson released a number of solo projects, and lent his unique and instantly recognizable vocals to the work of other boundary-pushing artists in and beyond the progressive rock genre. In celebration of his recent 80th birthday, here are five notable vocal performances from Jon Anderson.

“Prince Rupert Awakes” by King Crimson from Lizard (1970)
Pioneering progressive rock group King Crimson collapsed shortly after the release of its landmark debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King. Guitarist Robert Fripp continued with session musicians to make a follow-up, In the Wake of Poseidon. By the time of sessions for 1970’s jazzier Lizard, a new (and ultimately short-lived) lineup was coalescing, but the album still featured an assortment of session players. Singing lyrics by Peter Sinfield, Jon Anderson guested on the evocative and mystical “Prince Rupert Awakes,” a section of the larger side-long Lizard suite. Anderson’s appearance was a rare instance of Fripp enlisting a guest vocalist for a King Crimson record.

“Heart of the Sunrise” by Yes from Fragile (1971)
Though 1971’s The Yes Album was itself a tour de force, serious Yes fans often point to its follow-up Fragile as the beginning of the group’s peak period. The album certainly marked a commercial surge for the band, reaching #4 on the Billboard album chart. While both “Roundabout” and “Long Distance Runaround” made up two sides of a Top 40 single, the complex, ambitious and epic “Heart of the Sunrise” was the album’s centerpiece and closing track. Over the course of 11 minutes, the song provides room for each of the band members (including Anderson) to shine. Highlighting the song’s enduring popularity, to date no less than 11 official live versions of the track have been released.

“And You and I” by Yes from Close to the Edge (1972)
Remarkable Jon Anderson vocal performances show up on every record with which he has been involved. But perhaps his finest moments within the framework of Yes come on this track, one of two centerpieces of the band’s fifth studio LP Close to the Edge. A ten-minute, four-part suite featuring lyrics by Anderson, the song showcased both the epic side of the group and its ability to craft accessible, ear candy tunes. To that end, an edit of “And You and I” was released as a single, nearly cracking the U.S. Top 40 (quite a feat for a progressive rock tune in any era).

“The Friends of Mr Cairo” by Jon and Vangelis from The Friends of Mr Cairo (1981)
When Yes fell apart during early sessions for what would become Drama, Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman left the group. Anderson soon teamed up with another keyboard virtuoso, Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou, better known as Vangelis. The Greek composer was already riding high on the success of the acclaimed Chariots of Fire soundtrack when his collaborative album with Anderson was released three months later. The title track of The Friends of Mr Cairo featured a simmering beat, cinematic sound effects, and a film noir-ish music video to accompany it all. Anderson’s vocals take on a dramatic-meets-playful tone here.

“Shine On” by Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks from True (2024)
Longtime fans like to spar over the supposed “authenticity” of every Yes lineup. Fine as it is, the 2024 edition of Yes features no original members: guitarist and current leader Steve Howe joined in 1970, in time to be pictured on the sleeve of – but not play on – Time and a Word. And the most recent Yes albums haven’t quite measured up to the breathtaking heights of their prime-era work. But if listeners close their eyes and listen to “Shine On,” the spotlight track from the now 80-year-old Jon Anderson’s latest solo album, they will hear music that captures the spirit of vintage Yes more faithfully than anything – from anyone – in many years.