Jon & Vangelis

Between 1980 and 1991, Jon Anderson—the lead vocalist of progressive rock titans Yes—joined forces with Greek synthesizer genius Vangelis to issue four albums of arty electronic pop under the Jon & Vangelis name, generating several international hit singles along the way. Prior to that partnership the pair had already crossed paths: Vangelis had auditioned as a potential successor to Rick Wakeman after the keyboardist’s initial departure from Yes in 1974, while Anderson contributed vocals to Vangelis’ classic 1975 album Heaven & Hell. Further appearances by Anderson on Vangelis’ Opera Sauvage (1979) followed, and by the time Anderson exited Yes in 1980 the duo had already placed Short Stories on the market. That debut proved successful enough to prompt a swift sequel, 1981’s The Friends of Mr. Cairo, which delivered the major hit “I’ll Find My Way Home” together with “State of Independence”—a track that Donna Summer would later turn into a hit of her own in 1982. A more restrained outing, Private Collection, surfaced in 1983. Anderson returned to Yes that same year; an attempt to reconvene with Vangelis in 1986 yielded material that remained unreleased for some time. Page of Life finally emerged in 1991, yet its American release was delayed until 1998, when Anderson revised the track listing—an action taken against Vangelis’ wishes that brought the collaboration to a close.