This page last updated: 12 Dec 2024

On other pages: Anderson Rabin Wakeman

Jon Anderson's official sites: Jon Anderson Online - Jon on Facebook - Jon on YouTube - Jon on Twitter - Jon on SoundCloud

Overview of the direction of Anderson's career
Anderson has multiple projects on the go, although it appears Zamran, his sequel to Olias of Sunhillow, or his Chagall project will be his next focus. In a Mar 2023 interview, Anderson had talked about the Chagall project and then continued, "That's the future of my life [...] I've only got four other musicals lined up." It is unclear what all of those projects might be. Asked about timelines, he replied, "It will happen when it happens." In an Apr 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, Anderson said, "I'm at a place in my career where I'm feeling like I'm in a very creative mode all the time. I'm finishing four projects for the coming five years. You're going to have a lot of music coming out over the next five years." In neither interview did he specify what all these were. (Are the "projects" from the second interview all "musicals", as in the first interview?) Anderson's key projects involving new music appeared at the time to be the Chagall project, Zamran, 1000 Hands and "Opus Opus". In an interview for Mojo issue 364 (dated Mar 2024, published Jan 2024, presumably conducted late 2023), Anderson spoke of having "10 projects on the go" and picked Zamran as the one he is working on most. He also said there he has no plans to stop making music. Two of those projects seem to have merged: in an interview with Prog magazine (#153, Sep 2024), Anderson said, "It was Zamran and now it's all part of another project, Opus Opus. It's all crashing together." However, his priorities shifted late 2023 to the album True (recorded Nov 2023-Mar 2024 and released Aug 2024) and touring with the Band Geeks. In a Jul 2024 interview, asked if he was working on projects other than True, Anderson said, "Only 10! [...] They're all hovering around. I've been working on [a] musical, Marc Chagall [...] I'm slowly going to be involved in in producing a musical about Marc Chagall [...] I've got three or four musicals that I wrote when I was in a very strange place. I started writing about... it's a famous Greek tragedy called Antigone. And I wrote a rap opera [...] it still sounds great! I haven't found anybody that might be interested but... [...] It's just one of a dozen ideas that are still floating around and one day, I'll find a record company that really says. 'OK, we'll release it, but don't expect any money.' I'll say, 'OK'." In another Jul 2024 interview, he said he wasn't planning on doing a second album with the Geeks and that, after a "couple of years", "other things will come along, like my work with Roine [Stolt; see here], my 1,000 Hands: Part Two, Zamran maybe, you never know." However, he still has further touring plans with the Geeks and has since also said he will do a second studio album with them. In the Prog interview (dated Sep 2024), Anderson said, "I said to Richie [Castellano, leader of the Band Geeks] that it's a kind of miracle that we're doing this, as thought we're meant to be together. Perhaps it's for the next two or three years, perhaps longer, who knows." In Oct 2024 interview with YesShift, he said he is planning a second album with the Geeks, saying they will probably start working on it "next month" but implying most of the work will be in 2025. In another interview that month with SOAL Night Live, he again talked about a second album with the Geeks. When asked about future projects in the same interview, he talked about Chagall. Asked what he will be doing next after work with the Band Geeks in an Aug 2024 interview, Anderson said: "Hard to say, really... I've been working on a follow-up to Olias of Sunhillow. [...] I'll just keep my fingers crossed that, over the next couple of years, I will be able to present Zamran, which is the son of Olias, and it'll happen when it happens." In an Oct 2024 interview, he said, "I'm jumping right into to it [Zamran] at this moment. [...] I reckon by next summer [2025], I'll have everything ready for the Chapter One, coming out, sometime, I'm not going to say when, but I think I know what the first part of it is". In a Sep 2024 interview, discussing True, Goldmine reminded Anderson of his comments to them in 2021 that he was "not going to release another album". He replied, "I meant what I said, and I still do. Except ..."

In another Apr 2023 interview, he had said, "I'm 80 next year [2024]; I feel young and foolish but I'm writing more music than I've ever written in my life and I'm very excited about the future over the next 10 years and so on." In the Rolling Stone Apr 2023 interview, the interviewer asked Anderson if he would be "touring and playing Yes songs in your eighties". Anderson replied, "Oh yeah. Of course." The interviewer next asked about the possibility of retirement. Anderson replied, "Never. There's no point." In the Apr 2023 interview, he then continued, "I have this feeling that, in my mind, in my thoughts, I'm still in Yes, even though I got very ill and they had to carry on [in 2008]. That's what bands do." In a May 2018 article, Anderson said, "As long as I can sing, I want to keep Yes going. Yes is in my DNA. Whatever I do is Yes." To Record Collector #511 (out Oct 2020), Anderson said, "In my heart and soul, I am still Yes." In the Dec 2020 issue of Prog magazine (in an interview conducted early Oct), he said, "For me, I am Yes. It's never left me." More on this below. One of Anderson's main projects had been Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman (ARW), a.k.a. Yes featuring ARW, but the band has ended.

He has multiple further projects on the go, many involving collaboration over the Internet. In an Aug 2020 interview, Anderson said he had "a lot of projects I wanted to finish". In another, he said:

I also just finished a project last week that I'd been working on for three months, and I thought, "Once I've got that done, I've only got six or seven projects left to get done before Christmas, and I'll be a happy guy!" (laughs)

In a Sep 2020 interview, Anderson said, "I'm finishing four or five projects that I've been waiting to finish for the last 15 years or so". In a Nov 2020 interview, Anderson said he hadn't thought about retiring: "I'll keep going. I've got a lot to do, a lot of work to finish, a lot of musicals to finish, a lot of books to write. I just believe that this life is all about finding your true self and to find the divine within, so that's what I do." In a Feb 2021 interview, he said, "I've got up to about seven or eight hours of music that I've been working on for the past 20 years. Everything's MP3s. [...] I'm surrounded by my keyboards and my computer and I'm rewriting music that I wrote in 1981." In another Feb 2021 interview, he said, "I've got about six or seven albums lined up for the next 10 years. I just have to get them finished, that's all." In a Jul 2021 interview, Anderson said, "I've been writing so much music about, er, why did I make music in the first place," and he later continued, "I've got the next 10, 20 years of my life planned musically speaking. I've got so much to do, finish."

A Mar 2014 interview said, "Just this past week, he received new music from friends in Poland, Italy and New York." In another that month, he said he is working on "a lot of different things this year [2014]. I'm in my 70th year so I always believed that 70 is going to be a strong momentum for the next 20 years." In a Sep 2018 interview, he said, "I'm creating very avidly in my 74th year and just thinking about the next twenty, thirty years that I've got to do some really great work." In an interview for Inside MusiCast published in May 2016, Anderson talked about how Invention of Knowledge is "my next step into my next life, my next 20 years of music". In an early Sep 2016 interview, Anderson said: "I'm just chasing ideas that come my way – a dozen or more – it's endless. I just need a few doors open." Anderson said in a Nov 2013 interview, "I think I'm working with about twenty different people at the moment, with twenty different projects." An Oct 2015 interview with Anderson said:

Anderson has "a dozen projects that I want to get finished in the next 10 years," ranging from an album he started working on 22 years ago to another that began last year [2014].

It also quoted Anderson as saying:

I think the days of just going into a studio and making an album are not what I want to do anymore[.] I'm more interested in the adventure of free-form ideas. I know it sounds crazy, but I like it when you're not quite sure what you're gonna do until you get on stage.

In an Aug 2016 interview, seemingly conducted in Jul or earlier, Anderson said, "I'd rather just do, sort of, ideas now and again. I think it's just a different way of thinking. We can release music all the time. I've got this project coming up next year [2017] which encompasses that, the idea that music is more important than how many sell, or even the charts [...] after a while you've gone through that experience, all you want to do is create music without having to worry if people are gonna hear it. So what you do, you make music, you put it on the Internet and eventually people hear it, if they're interested. None of this going through a record company and hoping that they're going to promote it well, and so on and so on." Could this be a reference to the Zamran project (see below)? In an Apr 2017 interview, Anderson said, "I'm just a workaholic when it comes to music. I've got a dozen albums ready to go at the moment, but they're not really finished. I've got ideas for multiple albums going at the same time."

A recent Jun 2017 interview illustrated further some of the diversity of Anderson's activities and the various ongoing projects. The interviewer has raised Survival and Other Stories and how it was made through multiple online collaboration, to which Anderson said he has "5 hours of music", implying made in a similar way. He continued, "I'm waiting to decide how to release it [...] it's so much music and everything is so different. So, it's a question of how to put it into the world and, er, I have some ideas to do it with [...] computer art and also make it like a game [...] I have so many stories that I have been writing [...] 4 musicals, if you like, which is music and songs and me talking about the story. And they will come out at the same time. So it's a large concept idea." We see here common repeated themes of a large backlog of material, and of some uncertainty how best to release it and of releasing it in some unconventional digital way, involving a game or, in other interviews, an app. Anderson has talked about the same ideas with respect to other projects, like the Zamran material. That material often stems from these many online collaborations—as have other projects like Survival and Other Stories or, less directly, Invention of Knowledge—but there is also reference here to 4 "musicals, if you like". Many of Anderson's projects do appear to involve a story element, whether they're still music projects or entail a theatrical presentation in some form.

I decided this year [2013] that I was going concentrate on finishing a lot of work in the studio. My studio is chockablock full of music. I've got to sort it all out and here I am writing a new song now, this morning. It's compounding by constantly creating music, which is amazing, but I've got to get it organized. I think this year I won't do too many shows.

I'm not going to make any more albums. I'm just going to create new music, probably through apps. You've got your app and you've got a couple hours of music. That's what I've got, I've got so much music that I want to put it out there, but it has to be put out there in a certain form other than the norm because we're not living in the norm any more.

I'm not going to release another album — I had an album called 1000 Hands — Chapter One [...] that I thought was going to be a Grammy Award-winning album — obviously not [...] you start thinking, 'I'm not going to aim for that ever again.'

Instead, I'm just going to release all the music I've made over the last few years in various formats — downloads, singles, videos and so on.

Everything I’m doing from this moment on is being visualized, and that’s what I’m really into. I think it’s the way to go, because in the old days we used to have - what was it called - “album covers.” The idea is, you get not so much album covers anymore, so why not create visual art to go with your work. That’s what I’m thinking. More or less, people want to “see” the music like they used to in the old days with a big album cover. So, that’s what I’m working on at the moment.

A Jul 2011 interview had this: "I think people should be able to have at their behest, like, four hours of music, entertainment, visual knowledge, different pathways[.] That's what I'm trying to do with modern technology, not just another song and another song." An interview from around May 2013 had this:

[I've been] thinking about creating an app that I could use to put all this music up I’ve been creating in the last ten years. And then I want to evolve that app, and create a situation where people can get new music every month, and then every six months they’ll get albums that they’ve never heard from me before, with Vangelis or by myself. The idea is that within the next five years, the app itself will have probably all the work I’ve ever done, and be up to 12 or 14 hours long.

[...]

the idea would be to “visualize” everything, so that not only are you listening to music, you’re actually seeing a visualization of it at the same time. In the ’60s you had those lights at gigs in San Francisco with bands like The Doors, they were just projections at first and then it evolved over the years from projection to these large scale giant TV monitors you have [...] now, and you’re getting incredible visuals using computer animation. I think that’s part of the experience of the 21st century, music as a visual experience as well.

In an Aug 2013 interview on Planet Rock radio (UK), Anderson talked about his many Internet collaborators, saying "I'm working with a dozen or so people on a constant level". He then went on to say he and collaborators were "working on an app [...] rather than an album" as a way of "releasing music over a period of time", which would also be accompanied by "visual art" and be "more of a game" that would allow the user to "go into a world that's different every time."

In Sep 2013, Anderson posted the following call to Facebook:

I'm searching for an experienced and knowledgeable Theatrical Agent to help me realize my dreams. I’ve written Musicals, Children's Musicals, Dance Theatre and other works over the years and it's time for them to be seen and heard. I need a fellow dreamer who can be honest with me, and help guide me to the people who can help see these wonderful projects to fruition.

In a Mar 2014 interview, Anderson said, "I'm working on a couple of really interesting theater pieces, one for a local [central California] dance company."

Ideas for Yes music
Anderson has often talked about making Yes-like music or his version of Yes music or re-visiting older Yes material. Several projects on the rest of this page, he's described as being Yes-like. Before the recent Anderson Ponty Band, Anderson had generally eschewed a band format, but had still talked about making more Yes-like music. Back in the Oct 2010 issue of Classic Rock Presents... Prog, he said:

I haven't stopped creating Yes music in my heart. One of the things I realised was that all the solo albums that I ever did had nothing to do with Yes; I didn't want to 'pretend' to be Yes, because I don't want to do that.

But now I feel like that it is part of my DNA, and I can't stop wanting to create large-scale pieces of music that obviously have a very strong connection with Yes, because that's what I did with the band. I helped to create these larger pieces of music.

Asked whether he means to form an alternative group, Anderson replied:

It won't be a band. It's just a collection of musicians that want to do it. [...] [describes the "Open" project] That's one of the things I've learnt over the last five or six years — to work with people via the internet. I'm working with a dozen people round the world, constantly writing songs. They're just fun songs, crazy songs, sad songs, hope-for-peace songs. As well as doing the big pieces I'm still writing [...] short songs, because I still love doing that kind of work as well.

I really want to do the final, great Yes album. I've got an idea of what it looks like, what it sounds like, but I'm not sure how to pull it off. [...] it's one of those things. I know what it should be, I know there's a lot of people who would love it to happen and I would love it to happen as well.

Another interview later that same month raised the question of a reunion:

“I’m very open to it,” says Anderson. “It’s been 50 years now. You think something has got to happen. To me, a great album has to be made. That’s what I think. I don’t know how it’s going to be made, but the final Yes event should happen. I’ve talked to a couple of people about it and they get it. I really want to do this. I’ve even written eight songs for the record that I’m thinking would work with a full orchestra and a choir.”

Is Steve Howe into this idea? “I don’t know,” says Anderson with a sigh. “Maybe he’ll read this article and say ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ I don’t know.”

Anderson: I wish [Squire]'d have called the band something else, it would have been more real, but bands do it, Journey carried on without their singer. I wish them luck; it's not my idea of Yes, obviously. My idea of Yes is "Open" [see below] and what I'm doing now. Emotionally I haven't left Yes at all. [...] I still have a great feeling about the future of my idea of Yes music. I'm still committed to the wonderful Yes music we've created over the years. I want to continue to make that kind of Yes music [...]

Interviewer: [...] Are you open to the idea of an extensive tour with them [Yes]?

Anderson: I wanted to tour in 2009 when I got better and they said no. They turned me down. They said maybe next year [2014]. That's kind of bizarre to me that they'd say they already had a singer, six months later that singer, probably a lovely guy, couldn't handle the touring [...] Now they have another singer, they didn't call me or ask me if I'd be interested, they just say oh he's sick, which is a lot of rubbish.

Interviewer: Would you ever work with them again?

Anderson: Sure, I'd love to. There's no reason why we shouldn't bury the hatchet, get together and make some music and do something very special for all the Yes fans around the world. And there are thousands of people who would like us to get together [...] Rick would have to be in the band. There's no point in just me. We'd probably do some shows or something, some beautiful new music [...] we could make a movie or something like that, just to honor all the fans.

“That moment [when the band continued without him in 2008] really hurt,” Anderson admits. “I think we’d grown apart over the years, and when it came to the crunch, you know, business is more important and that’s what they wanted to do.

“But we’re still brothers,” he adds. [...] Noting that a[...] reunion could happen if Yes ever makes it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [...] Anderson says he’d be happy to sing with them again.

As for a full reunion should it be offered, though, he demurs. “It’s not what I want to do,” he says.

On Patreon and social media
Jon Anderson has started a Patreon. This has 3 levels (Silver, Gold and Platinum), described thus:

• Silver (£9.60 per month in the UK): Early Access to Songs and Projects, Livestreams of Rehearsals and Events; Behind-the-scenes Videos of the Creative Process; Membership to Private Community of Supporters; Early Ticket Access to Select Performances; Access to General Archives
• Gold (£46.20 per month in the UK): additionally offers Monthly Live Q&A; Surprise Gifts Throughout the First Year of Patronage; Access to Jon's Select Archives
• Platinum (£92.40 per month in the UK): additionally offers Surprise Gifts Throughout the First Year of Patronage; Pre-release previews of Jon's work; Access to Participate in Jon's Opus Puzzle; Private Live Streamed Concert with Jon or Live Show with a Guest;
  Access to Jon's Gold Vault Archives
  

He explained to Prog magazine (issue 128, Mar 2022): "Record companies think I'm an old fart who isn't going to sell many records, but I have so much music from the past 20 to 30 years sitting around". There were three MP3s to download in the first ten days, and 32 posts (across all tiers) up to 8 Mar 2022, which were titled:

1. Concerto3
2. Images of Hopefulness, "Hopefulness" being a piece from Opus
   
3. Better by Far: these first three were available at launch
   
4. Roundabout - Live Version
5. Fluorescent
6. Eireland
7. MORE
8. Zamram - New Music: this is a preview of music from Zamran
9. The Opus Puzzle: Prog described this as "a sonic jigsaw made up of more than 20 short pieces [...] which fans can edit together to win a "present""
10. Wondrous Stories, seemingly a live version; up to here was released in Dec 2021
    
11. Real Love - 2009, presumably a version of the Yes song?
    
12. Owner of a Lonely Heart, seemingly a live version
13. Gold Patrons - "AMA" meetings with Jon on the 2nd Thursday of each month
14. Platinum Patrons - Join two Zoom meetings with Jon each month
15. GAMALAN KISSING THE GROUND VOCALIZING 2020
16. Earth and Peace, presumably some version of the piece "Earth and Peace", which Anderson performed live in 2010
17. To be Alive: Prog described this as a new song, although it of course shares its name with a Yes song
18. Reminder! Zoom Tonight with Jon for Platinum Patrons.
19. Tonight is the first Platinum Patron Zoom with Jon!: up to here was in Jan 2022
    
20. Beautiful Image of Peacefulness, a new piece of music
    
21. Real Life, a new piece of music
22. THURSDAY - Gold Patron "AMA" Zoom with Jon
23. OPUS PUZZLE PIECE - Post A
24. OPUS PUZZLE PIECE - Post B
25. Seventh Agreement - Diamond Dreams
26. Innocence
27. OPUS PUZZLE PIECE - Post C
28. THURSDAY - Platinum Patron Zoom with guest Michael Franklin: up to here was in Feb 2022
29. Tony and Me - Paso Show in 10/21, a live version of the song "Tony and Me"
30. Give Hope
31. OPUS PUZZLE PIECE - Post D
32. THURSDAY - Gold Patron "AMA" Zoom with Jon

These are a mix of music and other things. The "Opus Puzzle" is described by Prog as "a sonic jigsaw made up of more than 20 short pieces [...] which fans can edit together to win a "present"". However, the Prog article goes on to say that Patreon will not include any unreleased material by Yes, Yes ft. ARW or Jon & Vangelis. Anderson is also planning to release his autobiography "Survival and Other Stories", through Patreon, chapter by chapter. Uploads have continued, including the 5-song, 24 minute suite "The Sun Stealers" in early May 2022. Jan 2024 brought "Open Open Open" (over 20 minutes in duration), which appears to be a re-working of "Open", with a 5-minute preview available to hear without joining Patreon.

Patreon Q&As have included his playing snippets of upcoming planned releases, including in late 2023/early 2024 songs for True, the album with the Band Geeks.

Anderson continues to regularly upload other music to other social media platforms.

With the Band Geeks
Anderson toured the US in 2023 with The Band Geeks, and they returned summer 2024. A studio album, True (Frontiers, FR CD 1422; duration 58:13), was released 23 Aug 2024 on CD and 2LP, co-produced by Anderson and Geeks leader Richie Castellano. What is described as the "First Two Legs" of the Yes Epics, Classics, and More Tour was announced (tour promo video), with 12 dates in the north-east US 30 May-27 Jun 2024 (27 Jun sold out; 15 Jun show sharing billing with El Monstero), and then 9 dates from east to west coast 21 Jul-16 Aug (with 4 shows having Carl Palmer's The Return of Emerson, Lake & Palmer show in support; a 30 Jul show was cancelled). A third leg saw 7 dates in the north-east US 11-27 Sep 2024 (with two shows having The Return of Emerson, Lake & Palmer in support). (Anderson said they turned down an offer to open for Heart.) Promo described how "the set list will contain numerous YES songs from all stages of the band's [...] career that feature Jon as their lead vocalist and songwriter. The tour also promises the introduction of new material created by Jon and The Band Geeks."

Opening night set: intro music: "Firebird Suite"; "Yours is No Disgrace", "Perpetual Change", "Close to the Edge", "And You and I", "I've Seen All Good People", "The Calling", "Heart of the Sunrise"; interval (with "Counties and Countries" played over the PA as background music); "Shine On" (from True), "Awaken", "Thank God" (from True), "Starship Trooper", "True Messenger" (from True), "Roundabout", "Owner of a Lonely Heart". However, the set soon evolved. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was omitted at 2 subsequent shows and then moved earlier in the set, with "The Calling" dropped. Thus, the regular set by mid-Jun was: intro music: "Firebird Suite"; "Yours is No Disgrace", "Perpetual Change", "Close to the Edge", "And You and I", "I've Seen All Good People", "Owner of a Lonely Heart", "Heart of the Sunrise"; interval (with "Counties and Countries"); "Shine On", "Awaken", "Thank God", "Starship Trooper", "True Messenger", "Roundabout". The 15 Jun set was shorter being at a casino: "Yours is No Disgrace", "Starship Trooper", "Close to the Edge", "I've Seen All Good People", "Shine On", "Roundabout".

In a May 2024 interview, Anderson said they would do "a couple of new songs from the new album [...] But we'll save [...] doing the new album until probably next spring [2025]". To Rolling Stone in May 2024, Anderson said, "My dream is that we can do another tour next year and do an hour of new music and an hour of Yes music. Maybe we'd mix them all together. I don't know yet." In a Jul 2024 interview, Anderson said, "Next spring, we'll do it ["Build Me an Ocean"], when we do a tour. We're talking about touring next year doing both the album [True] and the music we're doing now [...] Next spring, we can do the whole album." In an interview with Prog magazine (#153, Sep 2024), Anderson said, "I don't know if we can do it [True] all at once. [...] But it would be good to play more of it that the three songs we're currently doing." In the Oct 2024 YesShift interview, Anderson said, "we hope to tour next spring doing the Yes hour and then we'll do the True album hour". Asked if they will the tour the UK, he replied, "that's the next step [...] Europe and then Australia". He later added, "when we were finishing the [2024] tour, we actually rehearsed "Counties and Countries" live". In a May 2024 radio interview, he said he would like to add "It will be a Good Day" to the set. In an Apr 2023 interview, Anderson talked about the initial run of dates and said, "The idea was, "Let's give it a whirl. Let's see how the fans react to it and how we do." From then on it'll be, "Let's go to Europe. Let's tour the world."" In a Mar 2023 interview, Anderson said they hoped to tour Europe as well. The band is Anderson (lead vocals, guitar, percussion), Castellano (Blue Öyster Cult, MorningStarlett; bass, additional guitar, vocals), Christopher Clark (Brand X; keys, vocals), Andy Graziano (guitar, additional bass, vocals), Robert Kipp (keys, vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar and controls the video screens), Andy Ascolese (MorningStarlett, Kasim Sultan's Utopia; drums), with Rob Schmoll (acoustic guitar, percussion) guesting in places. (The idea for 2 keyboardists was Anderson's.) By his own account, Castellano is also the musical director, tour manager, business manager, accountant and merch designer for touring.

The 2024 tour announcement on 5 Mar continued, "Jon and the Band Geeks are currently putting the finishing touches on a brand new nine track cd set for release in late summer with a first single and video targeted for release in late June." A May press release then read:

After a [...] 2023 tour with The Band Geeks, Jon Anderson decided to expand the creative partnership [...] to create new material for a potential new studio album. The result of this effort is "TRUE" which will be released on August 23 by [...] Frontiers Music. The 9-song album will be a welcome gift to all fans [...] The album’s collection of songs harkens back to YES’s classic 70’s sounds as well as to their latter-day success with the album "90125". The album’s release will be preceded by 2 singles and videos, the first arriving mid-June for the song "Shine On". The album was co-produced, engineered, and mixed by Band Geek bassist and musical director Richie Castellano.

The video for "Shine On" came 13 Jun 2024 (4:23; video). It was directed by Tom Flynn. In his Apr 2024 Patreon call, Anderson had said the first single would be "Counties and Countries". A second single, "True Messenger" (video), followed 28 Jul 2024. "Counties and Countries" was the third single (video), released the same day as the album. Tracks:

1. "True Messenger" [Anderson/Jamie Dunlap (ex-Anderson Ponty Band, worked on Survival & Other Stories, South Park)/Castellano] (5:50)
   
2. "Shine On" [Anderson/Castellano] (4:17)
   
3. "Counties and Countries" [Anderson] (9:51); side B starts
   
4. "Build Me an Ocean" [Anderson/Jimmy Haun (Arc of Life, CIRCA:, worked with Yes)] (3:19); this is a re-working of the piece "Building" by Anderson and Haun that was released on social media in Sep 2023
   
5. "Still a Friend" [Anderson/Castellano/Ascolese/Clark] (5:01); side C starts
   
6. "Make It Right" [Anderson/Jonathan Elias (worked with Yes, Jon Anderson, Jimmy Haun)/Castellano] (6:07)
   
7. "Realization Part 2" [Anderson/Haun] (3:32)
   
8. "Once Upon a Dream" [Anderson/Elias/Castellano/Ascolese/Clark] (16:31), started with a 2½ minute demo by Anderson and Elias that Castellano then expanded; side D starts
   
9. "Thank God" [Anderson/Robin Crow] (3:48)
   

The Japanese release on Marquee Inc., Japan (MICP-11902) included a bonus track, "Build Me an Ocean (Piano and String Quartet Version)". Writing credits above are as per the liner notes. Writing credits online differ: those on Spotify etc. omit Ascolese and Clark on (5) and (8). The album credits list Anderson (vocals), Castellano (bass, guitar, keys, vocals), Ascolese (drums, percussion, keys, vocals), Graziano (guitar, vocals), Clark (keys), Kipp (Hammond organ, vocals) and Ann Marie Nacchio (additional vocals). The album was produced by Anderson and Castellano, with Ascolese as an associate producer. Musical arrangements were by Anderson, Castellano, Ascolese and Clark. The album was largely recorded at the Band Geeks Studio in Staten Island, NY, engineered by Castellano and Ascolese. It was mixed by Castellano and mastered by Sam Stauff. The album will be available digitally, on CD and on 2LP (black, transparent blue or limited edition orange). There is also a limited edition (1000 copies) gold vinyl edition exclusively at TalkShopLive.

The album did not make the main US album chart, but did make #2 in current rock, #4 in current independent releases, #13 in album sales, #13 in album and track equivalent album (TEA) sales (i.e., factoring in digital sales of individual tracks), #18 in current digital sales, and #19 in digital sales. The album did not make the UK top 100 albums, but did make #10 in rock/metal, #18 in independent releases, #15 in downloads, #46 in album sales and #71 in physical album sales in its first week. It entered the UK progressive albums chart at #2 in Sep 2024; it was still at #19 in the Nov 2024 chart. The album peaked at #17 in the US iTunes chart, and likewise at #4 in Spain, #11 in the UK, #12 in Germany, #14 in Canada and in France, and #28 in Australia.

The first indication of new recordings with the Geeks had come in an Apr 2023 interview when Anderson said: "I sent it [a song, "Counties and Countries"] to Richie and he did a beautiful rendition of it. [...] When we do a [tour] rehearsal, we'll decide whether or not we want to throw that new song in." In another Apr 2023 interview, Anderson said, "I have a song that I've loved for many years that I've never recorded properly and I sent it to Richie and he made a beautiful rendition of it and we're gonna perform that in the middle of the show. New songs are like new blood; you know? They're just like new energy and then you say; maybe we will do an album or that kind of thing." In the end, they didn't play the song live in 2023, but the studio recording of "Counties and Countries" was played over the speakers after the 2023 live shows. The plan had been to release it as a single to promote the tour. In yet another Apr 2023 interview, Anderson said, "I wrote a song a few years ago. I always liked it. Then I added it together with another song, then I sent it to Richie [Castellano] [...] We've already recorded it. We're not sure what to do with it. We thought about it, well, let's give ourselves two or three shows and then maybe we'll throw it in [...] the song list [...] That's when I start thinking, well, I've got about a dozen of these songs, in my bank of songs at home [...] Then I'll start sending 'em to Richie and see how we go. Over the next year, we'll write an album, we'll go on tour, as a band with an album, maybe, maybe... We've just got to get through this first show. (smiles)" In a Jun 2024 interview with Yesshift, Castellano says that, after they had worked on "Counties and Countries", Anderson sent him 30 ideas, including a piece Anderson had developed with Elias. On Patreon in Jun 2023, Anderson said they were working on four more songs. In a mid-Sep 2023 Patreon appearance, Anderson confirmed they are working on an album, with mention of a 16 minute song and an 18 minute song (with a clip played). In subsequent interviews, Anderson has described a 12 minute and a 15 minute piece on the album.

In his 7 Dec 2023 Patreon Q&A, Anderson implied the album was largely completed and talked of going for an Apr 2024 release; participants also got to hear part of a song entitled "Truth is You". That title does not appear on the finished album, but I would guess it is included just under a different name. In the Mojo interview (published Jan 2024, so probably conducted before or around the time of the Dec 2023 Patreon), Anderson said, "we are in the middle of creating" the album. In a Mar 2024 interview, Anderson described how he "sent him [Castellano] 3 or 4 songs" after they finished their first tour. He praised Castellano's work on the material, saying he made the songs "sound like Yes in this moment in time". Later in the same interview, he said, "When we started doing the record, about 3, 4 months ago, I sent them 5 songs, which Richie [...] started to make them into very Yes versions of the song. [...] By the time he sent me the music back of me singing along with it, I was writing lyrics"; and that, "It's very Yes. [...] It's still Yes in my heart." He also said, "I wrote some songs 8 years ago that we're using with the new album". He described the theme to the album is that, "Everything will work out eventually, don't worry. Life is for living and discovering how beautiful you are". The May 2024 Rolling Stone article described the making of the album so:

They wound up with a system where Anderson would send them demos via email, they’d flesh them out as a band, and then compare notes on Zoom. “It was like the Seventies where I would suggest ideas to the guys and because they’re musicians, they’d get on with it,” says Anderson. “I can just play four chords and then I’m done.” (Other songs worked in the reverse order where the Band Geeks would send a piece of original music to Anderson.)

In the Oct 2024 interview with YesShift, Anderson said, "we made it via Zoom [...] we were able to Zoom every Tuesday [...] four or five hours each Tuesday through November [2023], December, January [2024]". Anderson also talked about making the album in the May 2024 radio interview. He described how the "the [2023] tour went very well [...] and about November, two months later, I called up Richie and said, Why don't we do an album?’ [...] because we sound like Yes." (In fact, they had already recorded "Counties and Countries" before the tour.) Anderson continued, "I said, 'I'll send you two or three ideas and you can send me a couple of your ideas, and then we'll stick them together with superglue, and make an album.' And that's what we did. It took three months […] I'd Zoom with them every couple of weeks, and just talk about this and that, and, you know, try some ideas. And they would try them! Very… very much like being in Yes in the '70s actually". He returned to this comparison to 1970s Yes later in the interview, saying:

The idea of the new album is... same game plan, same idea in terms of the spirit of music and how, thankfully, Richie Castellano, the bass player, happens to be a brilliant... producer! So I'd send him this idea that I'd written many years ago [...] "I've seen counties and countries" [quoting a lyric] The whole idea was the song is very... Very simple song: "I've seen counties and countries / The Gardens of Eden / are calling me, calling me home." Because we forgot why we're here, we're supposed to be here to look after Mother Earth, and evolve Mother Earth... into the Garden of Eden. [...] So I sent Richie this song, and then this other little bit, in the middle, was all about a song idea that I wrote about: "Only for you / only for you / only for you [...] To receive from the divine / Who you really are" sort of thing. [...] So I sent them and then about two weeks later, this beautiful, big piece of music comes back and it's Richie, doing a big rock and orchestra and an all magical event, y'know, and I just sat there and went, 'Oh my God. This is fun! Making this album is really, really fun. You never know what's going to happen next, musically speaking, which was very much like being in Yes

The Prog article also interviewed Castellano, who said, "Jon sent me about 30 demos, and these were basically songs people sent him that he would sing over. If something struck me, I would grab it with the help of Chris and Andy. But with other songs, Jon asked me if I had anything".

In the Jul 2024 interview, Anderson explained the title: "when I spent time in Jamaica, I'd sort of bump into the Rastafarian people [...] and I'd say, 'How you doing?', and they'd always say, 'True, man'". In the Prog interview, he said, "I just think it's a true understanding of what this music is, what it means to a lot of people, what it means to me, and that we have to be true to ourselves and true to the idea of Yes". In the May interview, Anderson said True was "all about the truth of where I am at this moment in time". In a Jun 2024 interview, Anderson said, "We had a great tour together, then a couple of months later I suggested that we make the record that everyone is waiting for that Yes hasn't made yet. And that's what we've done. We've created the album that Yes would have made if they were together. [...] I can't believe how good it is." Anderson went on to explain how the album was made: "I had about half a dozen songs in my computer. I sent them to Richie, and he developed them on a major level to make them sound like Yes. I don't know how he did it, but he did. Then he wrote a couple of songs himself, and I sang with him, and that's how the album evolved. Then I found a couple of songs that I did 10 years ago in Nashville with a very good friend of mine. They're beautiful, very quiet songs. We put them into the mix and everything sounds great." In the interview with Prog magazine, Anderson said, "I'd send over short songs and Richie would come back with an extension of that or combine it with something else as we pulled the arrangements together over Zoom." Castellano was interviewed for the same article. He said, "People assume that Jon has nothing to do with the music. They think that he just comes up with melodies and lyrics and then leaves. That's not true. Jon will sing parts to you. He'll say, ' No, instead of doing this, do ba-ba-ba and have the drums go da-da-da,' [...] He's not going to sit at a keyboard and play it for you, he'll sing it, and you've got to play it back to him. [...] He's a proper musician, and a great arranger." Castellano also explained, "I would send him [Anderson] the MIDI track, he would sing the vocals over the demo and would assume we're done. Then I'd have to tell him that we weren't done because then we'd bring the guys in to record the parts and put their own stamp on it [...] we re-recorded everything, and that totally blew Jon away."

In a May 2024 interview, Anderson said the album took 3 months to make. In an Aug 2024 interview, Anderson said, "We actually did everything via Zoom [...] We'd get together via Zoom every other Tuesday and go through what we had. And we sort of built the album together over that three-month period". In another Aug 2024 interview with talkshoplive, asked how long it took to create the album, Anderson replied, "I'd say probably three months. I think it was the end of November [2023] when I suggested that me and Richie would swap some song ideas. And November, December, then January [2024], February, we really started to really sync in how it was going to sound. And then February and then by the middle of March, we had it all locked up. And then you go through different stages of mixing and mastering [...] it was finished around February/March." In a May 2024 YouTube video, Castellano said, "We spent the last 10 or so months recording an album". (He appears to be including the post-recording stages in his figure.) In a Mar 2024 video, Castellano, said the album was "done" and that he had "finished tracking it yesterday [...] I was doing background vocals all day." The Prog interview asked if the album was specifically intended to celebrate the spirit of Yes? Anderson replied, "Absolutely. That spirit was there every time we'd Zoom." In a Sep 2024 interview, Anderson said they wanted to "make the record that everyone is waiting for, but which Yes hasn't made yet. And that's what we've done. We've created the album that Yes would have made if they were together." In a Nov 2024 interview, Anderson reflected on the album, saying:

the thing that comes to mind is that I’m singing [on True] about two things. I’m singing about how we’re surrounded by such a beautiful world. And it’s the idea of developing our consciousness around the world, away from the craziness of wars.

These are crazy times that we’re living in, and to find a balance in the Garden of Eden because the Mother Earth is the Garden of Eden. I know it would be great if every country could build their country into a beautiful Garden of Eden, and shake off the energies of war and stuff, which I think we all want.

In a May 2024 interview, Castellano talked about how he, Ascolese and Clark did a lot of the demos for the album together. Castellano played guitar on the demos. Graziano is the main guitarist on the album, but they kept at least one of Castellano's guitar solos from those demos. Jon's daughter, Deborah has done photos for the release and is credited with artwork, with the album layout by Claudia Morini. She also did photos for the album's promotional campaign. Reacting to some online criticism of the cover, Deborah Anderson said in a comment on Facebook: "Crafting this album cover was born from a wonderful day of play between a father and his daughter and then a decision to create artwork from it. Like it or not, its just art, an expression of love between two creative people."

In the Aug 2024 talkshoplive interview, Anderson talked about the individual tracks. Starting with "True Messenger", he said: "[Dunlap] just sent this music and I sang the song virtually the same right on top of what he sent me. It was just the instant creation. The way I normally do it is, if I like the music, basically, I'll put the microphone on and scat sing it […] make up stuff along the way. But these things that popped out, as you can see by the lyrics […] Eventually you kind of get into the idea that we're in a way, everything eventually is a magic, magical motion. […] It's as though, in our understanding of God, or the gods or the angels, it's a real thing. It's something that's out there in the normal world of experiences. I always say that why we're here is to find the divine energy. And it's there. It's that sometimes you have to slow yourself down in some meditation or creativity. And that helps you to balance out with the divine energy that surrounds us all, surrounds us all in this world. That's what I'm singing about anyway." In the Prog interview, Anderson said, "I said [to the Geeks] it needed a really powerful guitar solo at the end. Can they throw one in? Rather than let the song fade away, suddenly, he brings in North African strings and this astonishing solo."

Describing "Shine On", Anderson said: "Richie sent me the first demo and then I danced through it and sang through it." In a Jul 2024 interview, Anderson had described the creation of the song: "[Castellano] had sent the idea to me after I sent him a couple of ideas for other pieces of music [...] he said, "I've got this song happening, throw some lyrics in there." I said OK and I got into the universal love, you know [...] what are we here for: universal love, isn't it? [...] So I'll sing it [...] [It was] a lot of fun to record [...] we would use Zoom, because I'm [...] on the west coast [...] and he's on the east coast in the New Jersey area [...] we were able to listen to each other's music and ideas and then do it live, Zoom [...] it kind of felt like I was in Yes in the '70s because it's the same sort of... throwing things up in the air and trying things out". In a Nov 2024 interview, he said, "I think Richie sent me the basic concept and the chorus, and I filled it in with ideas."

About "Counties and Countries", Anderson said to talkshoplive, "I wrote that on guitar, 12 years ago, and then I found a little section that could add to it. And then when I started working with Richie, I just sent him the guitar version, which was [...] me on guitar, but I'm singing this song [...] And within five or six days, he sent me a demo and I went, oh my God, this is so beautiful." Later in the interview, he explained further: "There's gonna come a time when the [...] people who live on the planet have got to make the Garden of Eden again. They've got to make this amazing nature that surrounds us all blossom and be taken care of [...] Rather than making bombs." In the Prog magazine interview, Anderson said the point of the lyrics are, "we are here for one reason and oen reason alone, and that's to find the connection to the divine within. The idea of waking up to your higher self eventually and being prepared to be received into the divine energy that we all deserve. [...] [W]hy we're here, it's clear that it is to wake up and dream: if we could transform this world into a Garden of Eden for everybody, not just for the rich." He described being inspired by seeing thousands of trees while driving around New York state, and then continued, "The words 'only for you' are the key; 'only for you to be received by you', by your higher self." He also described how, "I just sent him [Castellano] the [original demo of the] song with a bridge idea and he sent it back with a full orchestral sound [...] It was a big shock to me that Richie could develop it with the keyboard players [i.e., Clark and Ascolese] into a full-blown piece like that." As mentioned above, in an Apr 2023 interview, Anderson had said: "I did write a song for Yes about 20 years ago that we never recorded, "Counties and Countries." I sent it to Richie and he did a beautiful rendition of it." Anderson subsequently also said on Patreon that he had offered "Counties and Countries" to ARW. In 2013, Michael Lewis (Inventioning) worked on the piece for Anderson, recording a full demo (~4 min) with Bridgette Lewis (Inventioning) on lead vocals. The song then was planned for a Jon Anderson project called Ever that never appeared (see below for more).

"Build Me an Ocean", said Anderson, "came from a friend who I, I only met him once [sic] in Los Angeles. We were doing some work on a project and I just met this guy and he said, I wanna send you some music. I said, OK. The second thing that he sent [...] [the lyrics] just came out [of Anderson] [...] We actually created a song complete in one go. It took half an hour. But then it took a while to produce". He also talked about "Build Me an Ocean" in the Jul 2024 interview: "a lot of songs that I write come very naturally, like spontaneous [...] That piece of music was sent to me by a really nice guy, Jimmy Haun. And he just sent me this music and I sang it within an hour [...] and then sent it back to him and said, well, this is what I think it is. It's all about build me a river for souls to deliver life [...] It's a metaphor for the idea that we are spiritual beings and the soul is all interconnected with nature".

Anderson said "Still a Friend" was a "Spontaneous lyric." He continued, "I thought a lot about the song when I listened to it on the tour just now [...] All I could think of was Steve [Howe], and Chris [Squire], and Alan White, and all these people I've worked with over the years. I'm still a friend!" In Patreon calls, Anderson had called this song "Still a Friend of Mine".

In the Prog interview, Anderson discusses the gospel-style section at the end of "Make It Right": "That was definitely Richie and the band[.] They had an idea for that part at the end of the song. I just suggested they repeat it a few more times. It sounds very like Paul Simon and [...] Graceland [...] I took a bit of persuading to keep that in, but now I think it's great."

Anderson described "Realization Part 2": "[I]t's in three parts and eventually all one. And I just remembered the idea that somehow there was a lot of questions and then the answer was that it's what you put in, you get out of it. [...] what you put in something is what you get out of it. [...] Again [...] I'm harping on the idea that, if heaven is here, it would be wonderful." Graziano in a YouTube comment explained that "Make It Right" is the part 1 to this song, but the Prog interview has a different take, with Anderson explaining, "Richie just said, 'What are you going to call it?' And I said, 'Realization' and he said, 'No, that doesn't work. Realization Part Two.' Simple."

The talkshoplive interview included a lengthy discussion of "Once Upon a Dream": "It was one of the songs that actually made itself. It's as though we started on a rhythmic chant idea [...] I actually wrote with [...] Jonathan Elias [...] and this was like the centre part of this will be the last song. We've done all of the other songs. And it became the one that me and my wife, especially my wife Jane, loves. [...] It's just something that happened very organically." The interviewer then asked how long the composition took: "I'd say over a period of the final month [...] I remember starting it off and then we've tidied up a couple of other pieces of music and came back to it again, to get on with it and then we kept going back to it. Is it finished? No, it's not finished yet. We had a very spacey middle section, which reminded me of the middle of "Close to the Edge" where everything was very surreal. And eventually I found a pathway to sing, and that's when Richie found the next level, which was to bring in the introductory vocal [...] in the end section. And all of a sudden he"s playing this most beautiful guitar solo." Referencing the "tiki" section of the song, Anderson explained further: "It was a spontaneous sound [...] And I thought, where am I going with this? And then I left it alone and then went back to it and I thought, well, we've got to get into the next part. Richie came up with the next part, and then I came up with another part, and it was like building a castle, sort of thing, sand castle." In the Prog magazine interview, Anderson said, "Richie started to develop it, and he Yes-ified it! He definitely stretched it out, and I would ask him whether it needed to be so long, and he'd answer, 'Wait until I do what I want to do.' And then a day later, it came back with, amongst many things, the voices coming back from the beginning section. [...] when I started singing it, I just felt so, so happy, because who would have thought that what started off as a very simple idea would become [...] a beautiful, emotional push towards some of the lyrics that I threw in towards the end that were really off-the-top-of-my-head? They just came to me". Castellano said to Prog that "Jon and Jonathan Elias's demo is actually intact in the song as: 'It's enough to stick around looking for it/It's enough to challenge it/Look around.' But when I heard this, I asked, 'Can I go huge with this?'"

"Thank God" was written for Anderson's wife Jane around the time of The Ladder. It was recorded for the unreleased Jon Anderson/Phil Keaggy/Robin Crow album. In the talkshoplive interview, Anderson said, "it was totally [about] Jane [...] I was working [...] on an album up in Canada, at that time, with Yes [i.e., The Ladder]. And me and Jane went to a small, beautiful studio near Nashville that was run by a guy called Robin Crow. And over a period of the Christmas and New Year, we wrote an album, and one of the songs was this song. And it's the only song that will ever come out of that period of time."

Anderson has said different things on doing another album with the Geeks (see discussion above), initially saying not, but since then, in Oct 2024 interview with YesShift, when asked about doing a second album with them, Anderson played a snippet of music and then said, "I wrote that 10 years ago and it's on my cassette machine." He then sang the start of a song, beginning with the line "Bring on the day", before explaining, "That'll be the first song." He continued, "I've got a cassette full of song ideas and I'll send some to Richie, and he will send a few back [...] Probably we'll start thinking about recording something new anyway, for fun of it, probably next month. But we've just got to wait till next year, I think." In another interview that month with SOAL Night Live, he again talked about a second album with the Geeks.

Prior promo had also suggested "The Gates of Delirium" might be played. That piece was mentioned in a Prog article (in issue 128, Mar 2022) by Anderson as well. In an Aug 2022 article, Anderson said he contacted Castellano in Nov 2021, and ideas for the set included "The Gates of Delirium" and "Mind Drive". In the Apr 2023 interview, Anderson also mentioned "The Gates of Delirium" and "Mind Drive". He continued:

People wonder if we’re going to do “Owner of a Lonely Heart.” I don’t know. [Laughs.] I’d rather do “Roundabout” and “Perpetual Change” and songs I remember helping to create. The important thing is to perform them as though they were written this year. They are still… I wouldn’t say different, but still very fresh in the musical sense.

1000 Hands Website; Facebook; Twitter

I'm not going to release another album — I had an album called 1000 Hands — Chapter One [...] that I thought was going to be a Grammy Award-winning album — obviously not [...] you start thinking, 'I'm not going to aim for that ever again.'

Instead, I'm just going to release all the music I've made over the last few years in various formats — downloads, singles, videos and so on.

1. "Now" [Anderson/Chatton] (1:13; Uzlot song)
   
2. "Ramalama" [Anderson/Franklin] (3:49; new song)
3. "First Born Leaders" [Anderson/Chatton] (5:22; Uzlot song), with Chris Squire, Alan White, Larry Coryell (worked with Bill Bruford, Charles Mingus, Kazumi Watanabe)
4. "Activate" [Anderson/Chatton] (8:51; Uzlot song), with Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Robbie Steinhardt (ex-Kansas), Squire, Coryell, Steve Morse (worked with Steve Howe), Pat Travers
   
5. "Makes Me Happy" [Anderson] (3:50; new song), with Rick Derringer, Michael Winslow
   
6. "Now Variations" [Anderson/Chatton] (1:03; variation on "Now")
7. "I Found Myself" [Anderson] (5:05; new song), with and dedicated to Jane Anderson
   
8. "Twice in a Lifetime" [Anderson/Chatton] (5:06; Uzlot song); listed as "Twice Upon a Lifetime" in the liner notes
   
9. "WDMCF" [Anderson/Franklin] (4:11; new song; short for "Where Does Music Come From")
   
10. "1,000 Hands (Come Up)" [Anderson/Chatton] (8:24; Uzlot song), with Squire, Billy Cobham (ex-Miles Davis, ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra, worked with Larry Coryell, Peter Gabriel), Chick Corea (Return to Forever, ex-Miles Davis, worked with Larry Coryell), Jean-Luc Ponty (Anderson Ponty Band, ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra, ex-Frank Zappa, worked with Elton John, Chick Corea), Coryell, Jonathan Cain (Journey)
    
11. "Now and Again" [Anderson/Chatton] (3:40; variation on "Now"), with Steve Howe

The album was arranged by Franklin and Anderson, and recorded and mixed by Matt Brown. Brown also drums, while other notable performers include Tim Franklin (Michael's brother; bass), Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, worked with Pink Floyd, Jan Akkerman; drums), Jerry Goodman (violin) and Steady Joseph (percussion). Videos were initially released for "Now", "Ramalama" (seemingly by Deborah Anderson), "Activate", "Makes Me Happy" (shot with Deborah and Jane Anderson, produced by Deborah), "Now Variations", "I Found Myself", "WDMCF" and "1,000 Hands (Come Up)" (by Michael Byrne). A video of an extended version (8:33) of "WDMCF" was uploaded to YouTube on 30 Aug 2019. A video of a new mix of 1,0000 Hands (Come Up)" (8:33) was uploaded to YouTube on 19 Nov 2019. All these videos were removed in the first half of 2020. There is an alternative version of the "Makes Me Happy" video still online.

Anderson told the story in an interview released Mar 2018, but seemingly recorded Oct 2017: "[Franklin] got in touch with me about a year ago [so, 2016]. He asked me about this project I started 27 years ago, 28 years ago [...] the tapes got put in my garage and I forgot about them, because I was on tour with, with Yes and recording other albums and things like that. [...] So, Michael [...] we got together in California where I live and he said, er, 'Why don't you come over to Orlando and do some work on the tapes and make the music happen.' [...] 27 years later, we're finishing it". In the Jul 2020 interview, Anderson said, "I would listen to the tapes from time to time and think, 'This could have been a great album. One day I'll finish it'." In the Yorkshire Post Jul 2020 interview, Anderson said: "life happened and they never got finished. Brian tried to turn them into more commercial songs – that didn't quite work; I went on tour." In a third Jul 2020 interview, with God is in the TV, Anderson said: "This producer guy tried to work with Brian and mix some of the songs a year later, around 1991, but it didn't sound very good to me, so I just thought "Oh well, I'll just let go of it for now," but he's this guy who lives in Orlando and he's surrounded by musicians everywhere because of Disneyworld, Universal Studios [...] so I mentioned to him that I'd like to..." This was M Franklin, first working on the material in 1991. In a Dec 2022 interview, Franklin said Chatton first brought him in to orchestrate 4 songs. In an Aug 2020 interview, Anderson said, "[Chatton] had an idea of how he wanted to hear the tracks and he actually spent time and money working on it. He sent me the mixes and I said: 'Actually Brian, it's a little bit too overproduced. Love you man! But let's leave it for now.'" The early '90s sessions are the Uzlot sessions and all the Anderson/Chatton co-writes are rooted in this period. In a 6 Feb 2019 Facebook post, Anderson described the Uzlot sessions as having music written by Chatton, but vocal melodies and lyrics by himself, and the sessions as starting with himself, Chatton (keys), Heffner (keys), Gary Barlow (producer/engineer). Further sessions took place with Hamm (bass), Squire (bass), White (drums), Heffner (keys) and others, and at least 8 songs were recorded. All of Squire's and White's contributions are from this period. In the third Jul 2020 interview, Anderson said these original sessions lasted "about three months". Anderson and Chatton remained in touch about the project after those original sessions. A piece by Anderson and Chatton entitled "Welcome Touch" is available on Chatton's MySpace page (dated 2007), but it is unclear when it was recorded; the song also dates to the original Uzlot sessions, although it is unknown whether that recording was from then. Artist Ed Unitsky did a video for "Welcome Touch", which was previously available on Facebook. On ProgressiveEars.com in Jan 2017, Chatton said, "The Uzlot project is still unfinished. We have 7 songs in the pipeline and as soon as Jon has the time, it will be mastered and released."

M Franklin and Anderson re-engaged. In some versions of the story, Franklin approached Anderson about releasing the album. In the Yorkshire Post interview, Anderson described how work re-started when Franklin said he had "some capital" to complete the record. In the God in the TV interview, Anderson says he approached Franklin. They had to bake the earlier 24-track tapes, and new sessions began. The modern recordings were done at Solar Studios, Orlando, FL. Anderson went on in his Mar 2018-published interview to say they were "finishing the album over the next month", although there were additional sessions in Mar/Apr 2018, including shooting for four accompanying videos. In a May 2018 interview, Anderson said some songs may be released to YouTube beforehand. In another later that month, he said he had just completed work on the album. In a third May 2018 interview, Anderson explained: "I had tapes lying around in my garage that I'd been working on for years and I got this great producer and said that I really wanted people who I'd met with throughout my life to play on it [...] and it sounds like it was made last week. Some of the recordings go back years but we have upgraded them and improved them over the years but the songs still sounded great. I've written 3 or 4 new songs to go with it". An Aug 2018 report had that the album was due in Sep 2018, to be released in three parts. In an interview conducted late Aug 2018, Anderson just said the album would be out "next month". In an interview conducted late Jul 2018, Anderson said he was "going to Orlando to finish mixing next week". He described the project there thus: "I started a piece of music 28 years ago in Big Bear, which is southeast of L.A. I was just getting away from the world for three months, and I decided to do an album[.] But it never got finished because life is like that. Now, 28 years later, I'm just finishing five of the songs, plus five new songs and an album called 1,000 Hands." Talking more, he said, "there's one or two obvious good radio songs. Whether they'll go viral or whatever, who cares. You know, it's what it is. But all you want is for people to hear what you do. I even do some dance EDM music on one track on the album. One track on it is very EDM. Because I've been doing some of that [over the] last year." An early Sep 2018 interview has Anderson as having just finished mixing, and again reference to 5 songs being from 28 years ago and some EDM being on the album. On Facebook, Franklin described Grundman as mastering the album on 31 Aug 2018. Anderson, M Franklin, bassist T Franklin and drummer Brown were back in the studio in Sep 2018 for video shoots; Michael described "9 videos in progress" on Facebook. On 7 Feb, Deborah Anderson a picture with her father captioned, "When your dad asks you to create a music video for the first single off his latest album in one day using a green screen to transport him all over the world, this is what happens".

In the Yorkshire Post interview (Jul 2020), Anderson said of the finished album: "In its complete idea it is exactly what I was thinking at that time [when he first started the Uzlot sessions] The lyrics haven't changed in two thirds of the songs, we've been able to add some of the creme de la creme of music on it". Anderson has said the first of the recent sessions was with Cobham on "Come Up" (although in other accounts, it wasn't the first session), while Corea also recorded parts for that song a year later. Ponty's contributions are also recent. Oct 2017 sessions for the album were with Anderson, M Franklin, T Franklin, Brown, Snapp, Scanlon, Galotta, Calton, Steinhardt, Chalk. Other performers mentioned include Jocelyn Hsu (Violectric, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra; violin, backing vocals). In a joint interview with Jon and Ian Anderson for the Aug 2018 issue of Record Collector, Ian Anderson described his contribution, which were done recently, with Ian recording it in his home office, as being for "a long, epic song [...] very much in the progressive rock tradition". Corea was recording in Mar 2018. Travers posted to Facebook about meeting Anderson on 23 Apr 2018 at Orlando, FL sessions with Franklin: he is guesting on a song. He described the music thus: "mostly Jon Anderson sounding. Lots of instrumentation, strings, horns, harp, keyboards, guitar in and out, and a lot of wonderful choral performances. This one is very special." Violinist Michelle Jones (Violectric, worked with Sarah Brightman, Art Garfunkel) also posted to Facebook about doing a recording session (possibly just for the video) with Anderson on 23 Apr.

A Mar 2019 interview confirms that Howe's contribution was recent (but recorded remotely). In another Mar 2019 interview, Anderson said:

I just felt that I was gonna ask if he would play on the last song which was "Now and Again" and he played this beautiful guitar work on it and... 'Cos we met up at the Hall Of Fame and everything, and I kept looking at him saying, "We're gonna sing together! We're gonna work together again!" [...] So he sent this recording back and I just wanted to sing with him so I sang on it, added some lyric and... In fact, the lyric is about me and him. And it was great to [...] sing with him again. We connected again, shall we say.

Drums: Asher Blum, Harry Bricklin, Jack Kelly, Max Makover
Bass: Gabriela "Gabby" Gonzalez, Ben Teolis, Finn Suárez Vora
Guitar: Ben Bricklin, Jake Dittus, Aiden Hammel, Andrei Orasanu, Tess Turner, Vora
Keys: Luke Baron, Charlotte Hamilton, Vora
Saxophone: Jesse Beato
Horns: Oscar Resti
Vocals: Justice Balabuszko, Gonzalez, Isabelle Gottfried, Charlotte Hamilton, Tess Lobell, Jackson Speller, Addie Teolis, Ben Teolis, Naomi Yanos

Jon has asked me to set up some auditions as he would love to have you all singing on Joyfullness.    Jon's criteria is that you should sing light and clear and in time not rock singing. You can send me a brief demo at mick-byrne@hotmail.co.uk and please title the email Demo Opus Joyfullness, this will help me organise them within my inbox.

I was able to concentrate [during pandemic lockdown] on finishing the large scale epic that I started last year [2019]. I've spent three months on that. It's not finished completely – you can listen to the music because I did that last year in the space of one week. If you search for Jon Anderson's Joyfulness, it'll come up on YouTube. It's four movements, but then I decided that I liked the idea so much that maybe I should write songs and lyrics all the way through the whole thing. So it's four 19 minute pieces. For me it's become my focus for the next year [2021]. I still want to add choral and orchestra to it along the way.

You can actually go and listen to the blueprint on my YouTube channel [...] they're called "Hopefulness," "Joyfulness," "Thankfulness," and "Gratefulness." It's music I did in the space of one week, and then I ended up going on the tour with 1000 Hands [...] I came back afterwards [after the tour, late 2019], listened to all this music, and went, "Actually, it works, all together."

They're each about 20-25 minutes long, and now I've spent the last three months writing lyrics and songs and melodies within the framework of what you hear. It's all about Mother Earth

The choral was created and sent to me by my friend Neil Campbell… many moons ago…
As I Dreamed listening to the voices … I realized what a better life it is to Know the Divine energy that surrounds us all all…so I sang over and over "What better life is to know you, to love you, to feel you,"... it just seems logic to me to feel this love and devotion to the Divine Love that loves us all eternally….. "we are everyone"….. we are loved.

I actually worked the [...] last couple of days. I worked with bringing out the hard drives and and trying to do proper mixes for us to review. Because of course when he was here in in Uppsala [with the Paul Green Rock Academy] [...], we talked about it and [...] said, 'Well, we must finish this album.' So I thought, 'Well, we must, we really must finish this album,' you know. So, I brought up the the hard drives and listen to it and I have a pretty good idea of what sections or what songs, I think, would be great [...] There's one little song he wrote together with his son [Damion], y'know, that I absolutely love. Great song. Very melodic. Very poppy, but great.

I'm thinking, it's a kind of a song that you think you hear on on the radio, it could be a hit song [...] Not a dance song, nothing like that. It's more like a... I don't know what to say, what to call it, but it's just like a very radio friendly song [...] Maybe three and a half, four minutes.

So I mean, that's great stuff. There's progressive stuff and more developed, y'know, orchestral things. So we've been working on lots of stuff, but I think now is the time to, to pin it down [...] and decide what can be recorded and [...] y'know, track the drums and bass and all that. A lot of the guitar work is done already [...] and some keyboard works, but I'm sure we're going to add things. [...] I'm trying my best to to make it happen

a couple of weeks ago [...] I started digging into the files again [...] I have kind of a symphonic piece that’s probably like 15 or 20 minutes that’s just instrumental. And I was aiming at doing it orchestrated with a real orchestra, but that was 10 years ago or even more [laughs][ ]and nothing happened really. [...] I just felt like, well, this is probably something that Jon could sing. Because he’ll sometimes say, Oh, send me anything…send me some music and I’ll sing over it! Maybe I should just compile the best of the songs that we’ve done up to this point, because there’s probably seven or eight songs that I think are really strong. And one or two of the songs he wrote together with his son. So I think there’s great material already. And then I was just thinking that maybe if I take this symphonic piece and let him sing whatever he wants to sing on it, that makes an album!

[...] I haven’t spoken to Jon in a couple of weeks or a month or something like that. So, I have no idea where he’s at with that, but I’m thinking that maybe I just send it over to see. [...] It’s strange time for all of us. It’s about a couple of different things, we have other projects, but it’s also about survival. So we need to find ways to get the money in. Transatlantic for me is a good way of that, and The Flower Kings [...] sometimes I have to give priority, you know, and which I kind of regret sometimes, but it’s reality. [...] Sometimes I’m too much of a dreamer. So I just think about all these projects with other people that I want to do and it just goes on and on and on. Sometimes you spend a lot of time on projects that don’t generate a lot of money.

Next album is in the works - we make nice progress. Very happy about it - Jon's voice is now back in top shape (at 72 !!) - We work on a super-monster-epic-track. - Hey- it's prog & we owe it to you - and us.
Yep - we're both excited - All going well - and much smoother/faster these days - very promising times ....

We talked about next summer [2017] doing some special event. It's very hard to know. The more I listen to the album [...] the more I think this would sound beautiful with a full orchestra and a choir and a lot of musicians and some incredible graphics [...] Because originally most of the songs were written for an idea for an installation that we are constantly re-inventing ourselves

I worked with a friend of mine [...] guitarist Michael Lewis[.] We’ve written two or three songs together, and he’s friends with Jean-Luc [Ponty]. I suggested we put some violin on one of our tracks, and Michael got Jean-Luc to add some to one of our songs. So now we have this connection, and last year [2013] we talked about putting a band together with Jean-Luc, so I got in touch with some guys [...] all of a sudden we have a band. We’re just trying to figure out the step. We’ve written about five pieces of music together through the Internet. That’s what the Internet is for — it’s like a modern studio. We should be up and running for a tour next year [2015].

M Lewis began working with Anderson in Jan 2007 and was working extensively on projects for Anderson from early 2013. He spent much of 2013 working on Anderson's planned release Ever (see below), which never appeared, including cutting a demo of "Counties and Countries" (a song that was later used on True). He described in Mar 2014 "a large pile of music that has yet to be released. In fact, we were on the verge of releasing another solo project for Jon that I was heavily involved in when we made the decision to [form the new band]." He explained more in an Aug 2014 press release:

While producing ‘Some People,’ a song I had co-written with Jon, I asked Jean-Luc Ponty to cut a violin track on it — which led to an offer from Jean-Luc’s management for Jon and me to do a U.S. and world tour with Jean-Luc. I first raised the concept of the band with Jon while hanging out at his hotel during one of his visits to Seattle in 2012. But he was reluctant to get back into a band situation at that time.

When YES was nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year [i.e., Oct 2013], I again approached Jon about touring with me and my group of Nashville players who had played on the recordings I had produced for us. This time, Jon felt he was ready to tour with a band again. I arranged for Jon to meet Jean-Luc’s manager. Afterwards Jon told me ‘We are a band!’ And Inventioning was born.

M Lewis, who had been financing Inventioning, was surprised by Anderson's decision to part ways with him. Asked about his exclusion, he said on Facebook in Aug 2014, "We're all wondering. Not really sure... guess it didn't work out. Might ask Jon?" He later told me, "I was not surprised by the news of the Anderson-Ponty band because I knew they had ostracized me from the group and planned to continue on without me. I was surprised that Jon didn't try to work things out with me so that we could continue to work together. In all the years we had been working together, it's not like we had never had a disagreement before and we had overcome all our obstacles before. Why not now and what was the unforgivable sin? I don't have the answer to that question." Lewis announced plans to the continue Inventioning as a separate project to the Anderson Ponty Band, based on material co-written with Anderson that they had been developing and with the musical team who had been working on those songs. Inventioning said they planned to release an album, Affirmation; a prior digital single, "Walking Talking", has come out, with lead vocals by Anderson. A sample from the song can be heard on the band's ReverbNation page, along with a cover of Yes's "Onward" (also released as a single) and further pieces. In total, the album was planned to include 4 songs with vocals from Anderson, one of which ("Some People") also has violin from Ponty. The new Inventioning line up was announced as M Lewis (guitar, keys), Bridgette Lewis (Michael's daughter, One Street Over; lead vocals, or backing vocals when Anderson has sung lead), Brian Fullen (worked with Shania Twain, Peter Frampton; drums) and Adam Nitti (worked with Shane Theriot, Peter Erskine, Dave Weckl, Scott Henderson; bass). More recently, album plans appear to have evolved and the band has looked to crowdfunding.

Inventioning released the first song they worked on, "Some People" (YouTube), on 21 Oct 21, with M Lewis (acoustic and electric guitars, keys), Ponty (electric violin; recorded in 2012), Anderson (lead and background vocals; recorded parts in 2007 and in 2013), B Lewis (lead and background vocals), Fullen (drums), Adam Nitti (bass) and Oliver Wakeman (additional keys (piano, Moog); recorded in Nov 2014). B Lewis sings lead on the verses, with Anderson singing lead on the choruses. The piece was written by M Lewis/Anderson. The song was produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by M Lewis, with additional vocal production by B Lewis, and additional engineering by B Lewis and Jordan Lewis. Work began on the piece in Oct 2007 and continued through to an original mix being produced in 2014, while further recording and mixing has since been done for the piece. Affirmation was released Oct 2021 as an EP of "Some People", "Walking Talking" and "Onward".

A follow-up to Survival and Other Stories, to include a new version of the digital release "Open" (see below), had been completed, but awaited a label; nothing has been heard about this in recent years. A sequel to "Open", called "Ever", was expected digitally, but a report in Jan 2013 had that Anderson was planning to re-record the piece in a different style to the work to date. He said in a Feb 2013 interview that he is focusing on "finishing a lot of work in the studio" in 2013, but also that he is "not going to make any more albums", instead releasing new music "probably through apps".

In the Mar 2014 radio interview, Anderson also talked about writing a piano concerto. In the Apr 2014 interview, he said more: "I'm actually working on a piano concerto at the moment. For some crazy reason. I went to see this concert about a month ago, Rachmaninoff's Third [...] the guy that performed was so good, and I met him [Robert Thies] afterwards, and I told him I was writing something and he said he'd like to help. [...] So I'm working on presenting him with some music".

I put an advert on my Facebook saying, “Musicians wanted, send a minute of your music and if I like it, I’ll get back to you.” And I got about a hundred people over a period of a year or so. And I got back to about 20 of them, 25 of them.

And I’m still in touch with them because they were really talented and they understood that they could create music. And I would sing something that I would never sing with anybody else because it’s them, because they are this music. And met so many wonderful people over the years via the internet.

Survival and Other Stories compiled material from across many of these online collaborations. The album (as OPIOCD1) was initially only available on sale at Anderson Wakeman live dates in the UK in Oct/Nov 2010. Anderson's former PR company said 500 "demo copies" were available on the tour and these appear to have sold out. The album was then released by Gonzo (HST079CD) in 2011. In a mid-Apr 2011 Facebook message, Anderson said the general release would be "with some remixing here and there". Anderson's PR had said in mid-Jan 2011 that, "The final album to be released will include additional material." However, the track listing is unchanged, there are no additional pieces and it appears there were no changes from the first release.

Anderson has previously talked of Survival and Other Stories being only the first of a series of albums made in the same way. In an Apr 2011 interview, Anderson said:

"Open" and "Ever"
"Open" is a 21-minute piece with 4 movements by Anderson, released digitally Oct 2011. A follow-up of comparable length had been expected, called "Ever". A new version of "Open" was expected to be included on a solo album (see above), while "Ever" was expected to be released digitally. Work on the piece was occurring c. Nov 2012. In an interview published Nov 2012, Anderson said: "I'm trying to put together a long form piece; I've been working on it. I'm redesigning it today; I was working on it earlier." I would guess this is a reference to "Ever". However, a report in Jan 2013 had that Anderson is planning to re-record the piece in a different style. In a Feb 2013 interview, he said: "I'm halfway through my second piece". In an interview from around May 2013, Anderson said, "I'm actually working on a second one now [...] called "Ever" and I might have said there would be no orchestra this time, but I just put an orchestra on it this morning! It's kind of betwixt one and the other right now." Michael Lewis (Inventioning) was working on "Ever" in 2013, including working on a version of "Counties and Countries" (a song later released on True) for the release. Promo for the Anderson Ponty Band tour in Jul 2015 said that Anderson "continues to record new music" for "Ever".

Anderson said in a Sep 2011 article: "if people really like it ["Open"], I'll put it out with other songs next spring or something like that[.] That's what I was thinking." Publicist/backing vocalist Billy James described on Yesfans.com in Oct 2011: "in the spring [2012] release OPEN (with possibly a different mix) with other tracks that fit the theme on CD." He continued in Nov 2011: "on the CD planned for Spring release a diff mix of OPEN and other tracks like Sing To Me and Surfing With God". However, orchestrator Stefan Podell said on Facebook in Nov 2011 that he was not aware of any plans for a CD release. In a Jun 2012 interview, Anderson said: "I might release it later this year [2012] with another... er, I've got five or six songs that I'd like to get out there and put it out as an album before Christmas. I'll have to wait and see. Actually, I want to do a vinyl." And then in the aforementioned May 2013 interview, asked whether he might release "Open" and "Ever" on a CD or whether he is just doing digital releases, Anderson replied:

I think I’m just going to work toward Internet releases and using the app [see here] right now. But there’s a record company that’s releasing all the classic Yes stuff, Audio Fidelity, and they’re a very, very nice company and if they wanted to release some of my work I’d be very happy to work with them. I’ve even thought about vinyl as well, for fun.

None of this has happened and no further news on "Ever" or a new release for or version of "Open" has been heard more recently.

In a late Sep 2011 article, Anderson said he was "just finishing" the piece "Open"; he was reportedly still mixing on 14 Oct. The Sep 2011 interview with Anderson described the making of the piece:

I haven't stopped creating Yes music in my heart. One of the things I realised was that all the solo albums that I ever did had nothing to do with Yes; I didn't want to 'pretend' to be Yes, because I don't want to do that.

But now I feel like that it is part of my DNA, and I can't stop wanting to create large-scale pieces of music that obviously have a very strong connection with Yes, because that's what I did with the band. I helped to create these larger pieces of music.

Asked whether he means to form an alternative group, Anderson replies, "It won't be a band. It's just a collection of musicians that want to do it." He then goes on to describe what appears to be the same project: "the orchestration on the new piece is done by a guy who lives five miles away [presumably this is a reference to Podell] and the guitar work is being done by a guy who lives in LA. Then the kids who live in New York and Philadelphia [part of the Paul Green School of Rock Music] they do drums, keyboards and piano".

A Jun 2018 article for the 2018/9 School of Rock entry described a "year-round program" to include "a recording project with Yes frontman Jon Anderson". I don't know what happened with that. In a Dec 2020 interview, Anderson said he was working with students at the Paul Green Rock Academy, a related body. He said in a Feb 2021 interview:

I started working with my good friend Paul Green [...] We did some Zooming with the kids, and I said, "Send me anything you've got because I'll work with it." This girl sent me a lovely piano song, and I wrote some lyrics and melody for it and sent it back. This guy sent me some drums, and I did some vocalizations.

Tim Morse was also working with Anderson. Awaken is a 2022 release by the Yes tribute band Parallels that was led by Morse. It contains the track "Opening Sketches" (6:33) performed by Morse and drummer Jim Hefter that presents sketches of Morse's collaboration with Anderson: see main page for details. "Opening Sketches" is a different arrangement by Morse and Anderson of the piece Anderson released as "Open" ("Opening" was its working title). (A prior mastering of the track was available on Morse's 14-track album Miscellanea, only available with a purchase from his website.)

Work with Jonathan Elias, Jimmy Haun and Michael Sherwood
Anderson has been working with Jonathan Elias and Jimmy Haun (CIRCA:, ex-Yoso, ex-Chris Squire Experiment, subsequently Arc of Life), both together and separately. All three and the late Michael Sherwood (ex-Conspiracy; Billy's elder brother) were working on album project, which came to a premature halt in 2013. Anderson, Elias, Haun and Sherwood worked together on the ABWH tracks on Union, which were produced by Elias, who also co-wrote and played some keys, while Haun played most of the guitar parts and Sherwood contributed backing vocals. Haun and Sherwood were childhood friends and worked on numerous projects together, and both worked regularly with Elias after Union. Sherwood passed away in 2019. Elias and Haun both worked on Anderson's 2021 Sunlight album of production music.

Anderson's album True with the Band Geeks includes two songs co-written with Haun and two with Elias. (I wonder whether this represents re-using of material from the aborted 2013 album or something else?) On 21 Sep 2023, Haun had posted to Facebook a collaboration with Anderson called "Building", writing, "Excited to be working with Jon Anderson again on some new and old stuff we've written together. This is one of his favorites that he wanted to drop first. It's a soulful and spiritual track." The song had been released on the Jon Anderson YouTube channel about a week before (but has since been taken down), credited to "Jon Anderson & Jimmy"; vocals are by Anderson, while Haun played all the instruments. In answer to a question on Facebook, Haun said the plan was for songs to be included on 1000 Hands: Chapter Two. However, "Building" became "Build Me an Ocean" on True. In a Jun 2023 Patreon call, Anderson played a song he did with Haun that he said would be part of Zamran (I don't know if it was this same piece or not).

In his 6 Mar 2024 Patreon call, Anderson talked of having a lot of unreleased work with Elias. On 23 Dec 2018, the Jon Anderson YouTube channel uploaded a piece entitled "Born Again" credited to "Jon Anderson with Jonathan Elias and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan". There is a 2013 version online by Elias with Khan, and without Anderson. On 17 Sep 2020 came another piece, "The Given Love", credited to Jon Anderson and Jonathan Elias; Anderson wrote, "I wrote this with music from my good friend Jonathan Elias". This piece can be traced to an abortive Anderson solo album with Elias, Haun and M Sherwood.

In a Feb 2021 interview with SOAL Night Live, Haun talked about the old project, beginning, "It's so fucking great. The music is so good." He described how Anderson said it got "a little too proggy for him [...] He was getting into something different at that point [...] He loved this band Battles [...] He was like, 'Can we do something like Battles?' [...] Jon didn't want to go down that road [progressive rock] again." (Anderson went on to guest on a 2019 Battles album: see below.) Haun continued, "I have these recordings and [...] God, I would love to, one day, be able to show people this stuff [...] Jon was very much a part of everything, and he was loving it, loving it, loving it. And then all of a sudden, it was like he changed his mind. And he wanted to do reggae and stuff. [...] But the music is there. So, I dunno, maybe one day he'll be like 'Let's just do it.'"

The project, produced by Elias and featuring music written by Anderson/Elias and by Anderson/Haun, was expected around spring 2013, but then stalled. Around the end of 2013, Sherwood said on Facebook: "I did five tracks with Jon A and then it stopped suddenly. Holidays, live gigs whatever.. Anxious to see what happens with those pieces. They were sounding pretty great. Hopefully we'll pick up where we left off." On 8 Jan 2014, he said, "The JA thing came to a screeching halt, but I remain optimistic about the work we did. We shall see. Perhaps we'll even pick it up where we left off. I did at least five things." On 16 Jan, he said:

re: the JA project [...] here are some working titles to chew on.... The Given Love, The Remembering Gate, Children Yet To Come, Songs of Solomon and some nine minute orchestral thing which I think was called The Given Love part 2...They were all sounding so good. Also some Anderson collabs with Mr. Haun were taking place. I'll ask around and see what's next. Quite a bit of work was done. Then came the holidays....M S

In an Aug 2017 Facebook post, Sherwood referred to 9 pieces that "just languish in the ether".

In an interview conducted Nov 2011, Anderson described working with Elias: "Yesterday I was singing on a new piece with Jonathan Elias and we're writing some songs." He said more in a May 2012 interview: "I was writing a couple of songs yesterday with an old friend, Jonathan Elias. [...] we're actually writing a project together." An interview with Anderson in the Jul 2012 issue of Prog magazine refers to a 20-minute piece with Elias. In Sep 2012, Haun and Sherwood broke the news on Facebook that they have both been working on the project as well, including sessions from late Aug through to 6 Sep. Haun had these comments on 8 Sep:

"We've been working on it a few months now [...] I didn't want to say anything till all the ducks got in line! Jon is absolutely on fire and there is other surprises popping up as well too......."

"Jon just spent 2 weeks with us in the studio and is gone now for 5 weeks to tour. So we have tons of material now from him to work with. It's mostly the JA-JE stuff right now (which I was blown away with!!!) but when he gets back we dive into the stuff he and I wrote."

Sherwood said this the same day:

It's really taking shape . it's wonderful. Jon sounds better than ever.. Jonathan Elias is an awesome talent. A friend and champion of Mr. Anderson for years.. [...] All keyboards will be played by Jonathan and myself, as well as orchestral arrangements. . We're making a very fine record. Truly a labor of love.

Haun (7 Sep) said Elias "has written some astounding orchestral pieces for this [...] You are gonna get inspired music that is not trying to be pop or mainstream (Which I felt Union was). It is Classic. In the sense of Traditional YES and modern music and say, Stravinsky!!!. To me, quality and real organic stuff!!!" Sherwood (7 Sep) said: "It's actually a combination of JA, JH and JE tracks. I'm working the edges.. In charge of color and extra texture . Perhaps some vocal action again. Strings French horns etc." And he also mentioned: "I'm in the middle of a 9 minute french horn arrangement." On 1 Jan 2013, Sherwood said, "Right now I'm knee deep in the new Jon Anderson solo project. (Keys and BG Vox)".

In an 8 Nov 2012 interview, Anderson said:

Anderson: I'm [...] working with a good friend of mine, Jonathan Elias [...] he's a great composer.  We've written some really beautiful songs together.  We're just putting that album together as we speak, over the next couple of months.  We’ve been working on it on and off, most of the year [2012].  Spending a week here a week there, because he's a very busy guy too.  It sounds really, really good.  I'm very excited about the album.  It'll be my first studio album in maybe, gosh, 15 years I think.

Interviewer: What do you mean by that; “first studio album?”

Anderson: Well, where I go and work and record in a studio with other musicians and that kind of thing.

Live solo shows and DVDs
Orchestral shows
Anderson has talked about "his DVD projects currently underway (including performances with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland and the Tribute To Freedom Concert in Slovakia)." Anderson performed with the 100-piece Contemporary Youth Orchestra plus a 60-piece choir in a sold out show entitled 'State of Independence' in May 2010 in Cleveland, OH, following a week's rehearsal together; set: first piece, "Starship Trooper", "Long Distance Runaround", "Music is God", "Show Me", "Give Love Each Day/Earth & Peace", "Big Buddha" (a.k.a. "This is (Buddha Song)"), "Owner of a Lonely Heart", "Children Yet to Come" (4 movements: "Children Yet to Come", "Earth Singing", "Breathing", "Love is All"; world premiere); intermission; "And You and I" (abbreviated), "I've Seen All Good People", "Change We Must", "State of Independence", "Roundabout", "Soon"; encore: "Starship Trooper", "State of Independence", outro jam. Anderson played acoustic guitar as well as singing. Stefan Podell (worked on Survival and Other Stories) was one of the arrangers of "Children Yet to Come" and he also co-wrote and arranged the opening piece. (There is an ASCAP entry for a piece entitled "Opening" by Anderson/Kardush-Podell, which may be this piece. Another report has this piece as an extract of "Open" (see below).) The show was filmed in HD for broadcast on HDNet, who have now become AXS TV (see promo video here). The broadcast set omitted a few pieces: "Starship Trooper", "Long Distance Runaround", "Music is God", "Show Me", "Earth and Peace", "Big Buddah", "Owner of a Lonely Heart", "And You and I", "I've Seen All Good People", "Change We Must", "Roundabout", "Soon", "State of Independence". In a 13 Jul 2010 Facebook message, Anderson said, "the Cleveland DVD is looking reaaly good....just finished mixing 12 songs...hope to get them to you asap..."

The CYO gave copies of a (non-HD, 480p resolution) double DVD (Region 1) of the show to those donating to the CYO in late 2012. This was then put on sale more generally on 2 Jan 2013 entitled "State of Independence: Jon Anderson and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra" (Artistic Prophet Studios), also with a documentary with artist Steven Kelso on his work with Anderson, including a video tour of his work for Songs of Zamran and about the organisation of the concert. This release appears to have been put together by or with Kelso. This was a small-scale release, on DVD-Rs rather than mass produced DVDs, and there have been complaints about the quality of the audio. However, this DVD and artwork by Kelso celebrating his collaboration with Anderson have now been removed from sale. This appears to be following a complaint from Anderson about the legitimacy of the release. Anyone with more details about this, please e-mail me.

In Dec 2019, Anderson uploaded to YouTube audio for "Music is the God of Love", performed with the CYO on 24 May 2010.

Anderson appeared at the Tribute to Freedom Concert in Bratislava, Slovak Rep., in Aug 2009. Anderson performed a solo set (in no particular order): "Yours is no Disgrace", "Long Distance Runaround", "Roundabout", "Your Move", "Starship Trooper" (excerpt). He then performed with a band led by Peter Machajdík (keys); set (in no particular order): "Count Your Blessings", "Nous Sommes du Soleil", "Music is God", "I'll Find my Way Home", "Polonaise", "State of Independence", "And You and I" (abbreviated arrangement), "Close to the Edge" and "Sadness of Flowing" (excerpt; from Machajdík's album, Namah); encore: "Owner of a Lonely Heart", "Soon". The band included Machajdík (keys), Miki Skuta (ex-Capella Istropolitana; piano), Juraj Burian (ex-Klobása; guitar), Oskar Rózsa (Marian Varga; bass), Martin Valihora (ex-IMT Smile, ex-Midi, ex-Prúdy; drums), Eugen Prochac (cello), Jozef Luptak (cello), Jan Slavik, Marian Varga and Prazsky Vyber II. Three tracks ("Count Your Blessings", "I'll Find My Way Home", "Close to the Edge") were broadcast on the Slovak national TV channel in Nov 2009. In a Jun 2011 interview, Anderson said they have made a DVD of this show and that, "It's going to come out this summer [2011], I think." It has yet to appear. In an Aug 2009 interview, Machajdík quotes Anderson as saying he wants to continue working with this line-up of musicians, who he said played at least as well as Yes, and he would like to do a tour with them in 2010. While that didn't happen, a second show along similar lines took place in Aug 2012 in London. Anderson and Machajdík were planning further collaborations (see below).

I've been working on a follow-up to Olias of Sunhillow. And I've studied ideas and written down ideas and I've got four hours of music. And it's driving me crazy! I want to try and put it together in a totally different manner, along with other stories that I put music to. It's become a collection of ideas and how you can put it together again and... who knows? I'll just keep my fingers crossed that, over the next couple of years, I will be able to present Zamran, which is the son of Olias, and it'll happen when it happens.

I said, '[...] I don't think I want to go through that stuff again!' And here I am going through that stuff again, with the son of Olias, I'm actually creating that. And I've found the pathway now, it took me four or five years to discover the path, and by listening to Olias, I realised all I've got to do really – not all I've got to do – but what I've got to do is uh lose that sense of that album, soundwise and tonal wise and everything, just take it into the next step, and it'll be a four-part project, probably lasting four hours, five hours or something like that, over a period of a couple years. So I've now found the path to Zaman. I'm going to call it The path to Zaman.

[...]

I'm jumping right into to it at this moment. [...] I reckon by next summer, I'll have everything ready for the Chapter One, coming out, sometime, I'm not going to say when, but I think I know what the first part of it is

here I am, [...] with the son of Olias. I'm actually creating that. And I found the pathway now. It took me four or five years to discover the path and, by listening to Olias [the original album], I realised all I've got to do really – not all I've got to do – but what I've got to do is not lose that, that sense of that album, sound wise and tonal wise and everything, just take it into the next step. And it will be a four-part project, probably lasting four hours, five hours, something like that, over a period of a couple years. So I've now found the path to Zamran. I'm going to call it The Path to Zamran.

[...]

I'm jumping right into it at this moment and, uh, I reckon by next summer [2023?], I'll have everything ready for the chapter one, coming out some time. I'm not going to say when, but I think I know what the first part of it is.

I've just finished five hours of music, about two weeks ago, and it's [...] completely off-the-wall stuff. [...] It's going to be called Zamran: Son of Olias. Now, Zamran is the word I came up with 10 years ago [...]

For years, I've used it over and over again, as an idea. I've worked with a dozen people around the world, musically speaking, to help to put it all together and it all came together over the past two years – because like most people, [...] you had to stay away from the COVID and everything. I just worked 20 hours a day on it. I don't know what it is yet. I'm still trying to figure out why it is and all that. [...] I know why I've done it and I know what it's about, but putting it into words that make sense is another story.

It exists [...] It's four and a half hours long. It's getting to be five hours. [Laughs.] [...] I'm actually mixing in surround sound, and not many people have surround sound at home. So it's a shame really, because ... you know, a lot of people have it on their television. So every song, every second of the music is visualized by a friend of mine in Ireland called Micky Byrne, who's done videos for everything. To me, it's just a trip – a very crazy, wonderful, long trip. I'm just trying to decide how to put it into sections.

I've been creating this music relating to what I call Zamran — the path of Zamran, which is just a word for the evolution of the planet earth, the ancient days before the human experience, any why these incredible structures were created way, way before the human experience. Where did it come from, where did the energy come from, and what did it all mean?

The 'Son of Olias' has become the 'Sun of Olias,' because the Sun is the Zamran energy which created the light. We are from the sun, it's our god energy, our force field, and we still haven't figured out how to use it properly and that's why we're stuck with petrol. [...] I was talking to a friend here in my studio just the day before yesterday, and I said, 'Yeah, it's a puzzle. I've got to create a puzzle.'

[...] that's what it's going to be, a gigantic puzzle. I'm not going to release another album [...]

Instead, I'm just going to release all the music I've made over the last few years in various formats — downloads, singles, videos and so on. There's five hours of it [Zamran], and anybody who can piece it all together in its original form will get an hour with me on Zoom. It's a big puzzle.

I'm up to about two hours of music [...] I still haven't figured out how to project it. I know what it is. I can sense what it should be. Having done about three or four different versions of each song, it still hasn't become clear how to project it, like, "part one of a seven part piece." It's a wonderful, exciting jigsaw puzzle. But some time I've just gotta let go and go on with other stuff. It gets to the point where I'll spend two weeks solidly on Zamran. [...] [It's about] this intensity helping to create some of the structure of the planet Earth. [...] there's a structure within planet Earth made up of crystal streams called Ley Lines. It's an interesting observation that mother Earth is an almighty computer.

I'm [...] working on music now that I've been promising to finish myself for 15 years for my son [...] He's been asking me for 20 years now, basically, 'Why don't you do Son of Olias, dad?' [...] So I started writing it 15 years ago and it's slowly but surely... Now, it's coming through. And there are times [...] if you just don't feel right about it, you put it to one side again [...] So, this is music that I've had for 15 years because... I'm still building on it. I was actually writing last week some parts, new parts to it and now it seems to be forming itself, without me pressuring the album to be created. Y'know, I know exactly what it's about. It's about [...] the idea that the, er, actual planet, Mother Earth, is made up of this incredible crystal stream energy—they call it ley lines

Zamran will happen sometime in the upcoming year [2019]. We already have what you would call a version of that album. But it’s like an app. You have this app, and you can go into different levels of songs I’ve written and worked on over the years. Plus there are a bunch of new songs and stories. It’s like the encyclopedia of my brain!

In an Aug 2016 interview, seemingly conducted in Jul or earlier, Anderson said, "The next big [project] will be next year [2017] [...] probably next summer, when I release the Zamran project [...] an all-encompassing project, relating to 6 interrelated projects that I've been writing over the last 10 years. [laughs] Doesn't sound real, but it is." In a Jul 2016 interview, Anderson referred to the project, saying, "Putting it together is part and parcel of all this music I've been writing over the past 12 years now. And it's just a large amount of musical ideas that all seem to interweave with each other. And, er, work. And now it's a question of how do I put it out there". The idea is the "music is everlasting, music is forever and music is timeless. That's the whole concept. And it's a lot to do with the Golden Mean". (I think Anderson means the Golden Ratio.) In a Mar 2016 interview, Anderson said Conrad was working on visualisations. He continued, "We've done rough ideas of being able to create four, four to five hours of music [...] every time you go to the app... application, you can go on different musical journeys every time you go there. You don't have to just listen to the album over and over. You can do that, but also you can listen to all the al... all the music of all the albums at the same time like a long journey, every time you go. [...] with visuals, and computer animation, there's storytelling and, uh, information about the world and the planet and how things work. [...] Once we set up the project, it runs the rest of my life and I continue to add music to it every year. It's an ongoing exploration of musical ideas, erm... storytelling and information that comes through the Internet from, yeah, things that I see and read about, I explain in the project. So people who join the experience and be able to learn as much as I'm learning every month [...] yesterday, I was learning about the future of holography and it was incredible, so I will put this into my project, and people then will spend time listening to music, reading, looking at art and at the same time learning what I'm learning".

It's been in the works for now 6 years, 7 years. Um, I'm actually up to 5 hours of music […] There's a guy, a friend of mine in Poland, who's doing some visualisation of it, er, computerisation and we're going to try to put it out as an app that people can go in there and, er, go on as many journeys as they like, mussical journeys, visual journeys, information journeys, like a library of information.

its an ongoing procession of ideas and musical events [...] its getting clearer as to how it all shapes and how it comes and how it works. [...] It sort of very, very connected to the origination and development of the Earth Mother and how it works. It is sort of a very powerful idea and the more I worked on it the more I realised that it should be a large scale piece, and I have said this before, but I'm up to about 3 or 4 hours of music at the moment with songs. So I am just waiting until it all fits together like a big jigsaw puzzle and hopefully I will be able to visualise it as well, like an app will probably be the best way of putting the music out because it is a long stream of music over a period of time.

I shouldn’t have said anything about it until I’d finished it, but it’s going to take another couple of years to finish. It’s nearly four hours of music as we speak and I’m just trying to figure out how to present it, you know, because I just don’t want to put it out on the internet on iTunes; I want to put it out as a visual experience. I have a couple of very good, talented filmmakers and there’s music from North Africa, a lot of music from Asia, a lot of music from Europe and some music from South America, so it’s sort of a constant evolvement of music.

There’s some incredible computer animation out there [...] I’m just very interested in working with that medium as well, with the music and songwriting and what the songs mean and how it locates and relates to the earth, and the earth as Mother.

I have written with a lot of musicians through the internet, including with a guy in Australia and someone from France and America. It is a slow process. It will happen when it happens

Kelso and Baez held a series of exhibition of Zamran and "Fiefdom of Angels" (see below) art. There was also a small exhibition of art by Kelso at Anderson's show with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra (see above), covered by a short documentary available here. In that video, Kelso says, "Jon has a lot of work coming out from many different people, so... er... we've got the website coming up soon, we have the music, new album".

Back in a Jul 2005 interview, asked what he was currently up to, Anderson replied, inter alia, "working with this dude 'Chris at his Polish Animation company and A Canny dude in Scotland, and Brad in South Bend .....and this guy John Banks who is perfect for my stories etc.........all these guys are very happening in the Art world..a lot of this work is based on the next 'OLIAS' saga..." (Anderson has also been working on other projects with John Banks; see below.) In a Dec 2005 interview for Delicious Agony, Anderson said he was working on "the next 40 minutes of new music, which is the beginning of maybe 6 episodes of the return of, not Olias, but the son of Olias, who's Zamran." In that interview, Anderson describes having written a story outline of about 20 pages. He again talked about working with animators on the project. Anderson put out a call on his website for animators: "Jon Anderson is seeking talented animators to help him with one of his upcoming solo projects, which he describes as a "return to Olias". If you are an animator capable of producing professional-quality 3D and graphics animation, this may be an opportunity to gain international exposure for your work." In the Jan 2005 Rockline interview, Anderson said he was working with six animators on a project, presumably the same one.

The relationship between 'The Big If' and The Songs of Zamran is complex. In a post to his MySpace page in Aug 2006, Anderson said: "All this new work has been evolving for many years under the title, "the Big If". Eventually it will be known as, "The songs of Zamran". (Son of Olias)." However, other comments have suggested that 'The Big If' or elements of it have a separate existence to The Songs of Zamran. Anderson has long talked about a sequel to Olias of Sunhillow, both in the sense that Anderson is playing all the instruments again but also in terms of continuing the story. In a Feb 2005 interview, Anderson said he's been working on the project for two months and that it will take "two or three years to finish it". In an Oct 2005 ProgRockRadio.com interview, Anderson said, "I'm starting next year [2006] with the second installment of that idea, so for the next two or three years I'll be doing sort of the Return of Olias and the Songs of Zamran, which is the son of Olias and the next step in the evolvement of the planet." (In reported remarks to a fan in 2004, Anderson described the Olias project as actually a prequel to Olias of Sunhillow, although that seems incompatible with the repeated references to a son for Olias.) In his Aug 2004 MSN Chat, Anderson said: "I'm working on trying very hard to piece together this large jigsaw puzzle of music that I've been working on for the last 10 years. It will become, hopefully, a DVD or a series of DVDs. It's a lot of music, it will happen. It's Olias' Return." In a late 2003 interview in iO Pages, Anderson said the project would not be finished for three years (so, 2006). He has also said that the album is planned as the first in an ongoing series and, in Jun 2003, "If I do it right, this project will just continue, and it'll be the next ten years or so of my life"; "In my head I can see and understand everything about this project and how the stories should be told, but to put it all down in the proper order is a challenge."

Interviews going back some years refer to this/these project(s). In one from around Oct 2001, Anderson said: "I've been working on this piece of music for a year now [...] I did [...] "Olias of Sunhillow" where I performed all the music, and I'm getting back to that place again." Asked whether this would represent a sequel to Olias..., he continued, "Yeah, I'm trying to figure it out as we speak. It has a lot to do with the mysticism that surrounds us. We're going to go through a period now, because of the Lord of the Rings movie coming out. There will be a lot of interest in the mysticism of life and things like that." In a NftE interview seemingly done in 1999, Anderson said: "I've been working on [a] project for a couple of years and that's going to be the next one. It's going to take me another year to fulfill what it is and figure it out and then I think I want to record everything myself, like the Olias album. I want to go back to that point in time and reinvent that whole idea of a pure solo album and do it that way."

On tour in Mar 2010, Anderson said he is looking into playing the whole of Olias at some point in the future. In Apr 2010 on Facebook, Anderson said, "I also met a guy called Stefan , he wants to perform 'Olias' with a full orchestra and choir next year [2011], amazing thoughts...I met him, and he is very talented..." Stefan is a classical pianist based in South America. At a show in Sep 2010, he hinted at "next year [2011], or maybe the year after [2012]" playing Olias with live a group of musicians. In the Jun 2011-published interview, Anderson said: "I'm actually going to perform it [Olias of Sunhillow] next year [2012] with an ensemble, a group of people [...] and an orchestrator out of San Francisco. They want to do a production of it and I think, "Go ahead. I'll get up and sing it." And ... poof!" Stefan has now joined forces with this rock group led by Thomas Deis as Project Moorglade to work on live shows with Anderson. In May 2011 on Facebook, Anderson talked about what seems to be a different possible collaboration along similar lines, working with classical pianist Stephen Prutsman (who performs a version of "Sound Chaser" in recitals). He said:

Stephen Prutsman, quite amazing work....we have become friends l, he came to our home a month agao, and suggested OLIAS as a possible concert with Orchestra and Choir and visuals.., I heard him play songs from Olias...I was truly excited about the idea

In the Aug 2011 interview, Anderson said: "there's a group of musicians out of Philadelphia who are working on Olias. And they sent me five of the songs yesterday, and they're sounding so amazing. They want me to perform them with them when they finish the whole album. So maybe late next year [2012] I'll be performing Olias for Christmas!" He then adds:

My dream next year [2012] is to perform “Awaken” in three different places.  In London, I’ll be doing it with those people who are doing Olias.

I talked about it with a friend of mine Thomas Diaz [Deis] who is one of the guys that's going to be helping with [a] company of people [...] It[']s just a question of finding a good promoter, producer to help put it together because it costs quite a bit of money to put on a show that it might just be a one-off experience and its just a question of putting it together and making a DVD, maybe in 3-D or something with the right visualisations and everything, it could be amazing, so it might take another year or so before it happens but why not?

Anderson has also launched Olias-themed jewellery, available here.

In an Oct 2009 interview, Anderson said:

I have a violin concerto with my friend, Bill. It's a wonderful story about a street violin player who finds a big case in a dumpster when he was looking for food. Inside it has a crystal violin and when he plays it, it transports him to a different place and time in the world. I have a few things I'm going to finish up in the next year [2010]. One is an opera about The Alchemist. Wonderful book.

Over Christmas [2006], the Mormon Tabernacle Choir [link] sang a song of mine from an album called "Change We Must," which I did with the London Chamber Orchestra. The guy that actually conducts and does the orchestration for the choir asked me if I would be interested in writing something, and it turns out I've had this piece of music for about 20 years and it's about singing to the children to come. Singing to the souls of the children in heaven who are gonna come and wake us up and make us realize how beautiful life truly is.

In a Feb 2013 interview, Anderson described how he "always wanted to play and sing in China" and again described the archaeological discovery of instruments, before concluding, "I went to China and I was going to work there, but the guy that was financing it smoked too much marijuana I think (laughs)." A mid-2012 interview with Anderson had this: "Also on tap: The debut of a new album in Asia this summer. "It's a coordination of songs and tranquil ideas that have been hovering around me for the last couple of years[.]""

Chagall and First Born
Anderson has long been working on a musical about the artist Chagall, sometimes known as "The Color of Love" or "The Story of Chagall". Less often, he has also mentioned another piece he wrote around the same time, circa 1980, called "First Born" about Daphne Charters' (1910-1991) experiences with fairies, as described in her 1950s book "A True Fairy Tale". (In the Dec 2020 issue of Prog magazine, he described how, after leaving Yes in Feb 1980 and before making Song of Seven, he made an album for Virgin (who rejected it), with one side of the album being "Chagall" and the other side being the fairy project.)

A Jan 2023 article described the genesis of the Chagall project, recently:

Color of Love had been percolating in Anderson's mind since he met the legendary painter in the south of France in the late 1970s, a meeting arranged by the pair's mutual friend, Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman. "I met Chagall on his 90th birthday," Anderson said. "And we just kind of smiled a lot at each other." Anderson visited the artist at his home, where he would play guitar and sing for him, and soon was writing songs about Chagall's extraordinary life, aided by famous French pianist Jacques Loussier, winding up with about 20 minutes of music he envisioned as more of a ballet or dance piece.

Eventually, Anderson wound up in New York explaining his musical to Herman Krawitz at the American Ballet Theatre. "I can see it: All the art that he did, and music and dancing and singing and la da da," Anderson continued, recalling his pitch. "And then I realized behind him [...] was a photo of Chagall. So I said, 'Oh, you've got his photograph there,' and Herman says, 'Yes, I'm managing him.'" From there, the idea eventually evolved from a dance piece into a musical, and then into a multi-media experience utilizing projections of Chagall's paintings.

In his Oct 2024 interview with YesShift, Anderson explained he didn't know about Chagall when he went to the 90th birthday party with Wyman, who lived near to Chagall: "I didn't really know so much about him [Chagall], but within a month, I knew everything about him. And then I started writing songs about him. So, [I] made a musical that was finished maybe 30 years ago, and now, all of a sudden, I bumped into a couple of friends up in the wine country here [...] they just happened to be very interested in musicals, and I said I just happened to have a couple, y'know. So he's working on it at the moment and [...] working on theatre presentation next spring [2025], next summer, something like that, and even found this wonderful, wonderful guy who loves the idea of Chagall. "The Color of Love" is the project. His name's Kelsey Grammar and he's such a character, and a great singer, beautiful singer. So he's helping along the way." In the Mojo interview (published Jan 2024), Anderson said of the Chagall project, "I'm working on it again [...] and we're looking at a possible musical or film, The Story Of Chagall. Kelsey Grammar is interested, and has talked about directing it." In an interview with Prog magazine (#153, Sep 2024), Anderson told a similar story: "I bumped into a friend up in Napa [...] he asked me, 'Is there anything you've done [...] that you'd like to get finished?'" Anderson replied with the Chagall work: "Thankfully, he just happened to be a guy who liked Chagall's work and that's how it evolved as a project for performance. One of his friends is Kelsey Grammar, so he's got involved. [...] but it all takes time. [...] they're talking about doing a rendition of it next spring [2025]. Kelsey started singing a couple of the songs". On the Jon Anderson 1000 Hands Facebook page in Oct 2024 was posted: "Jon Anderson[']s friendship with legendary artist Marc Chagall has become a musical. It will hit the stage in the future. I [I think this is Michael Franklin writing] am very proud to have written and perform some of the music. The show will have music that spans Jon's career. I know once released it will be a must see event."

Anderson has been working on the book of the musical (that is, the spoken dialogue parts) with Quay Hays. Hays contacted then contacted San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) Opera and Musical Theater Chair Heather Mathews, who organised a free student workshop by the SFCM entitled "Marc Chagall: The Color of Love", with selections from Anderson's work, on 22 Jan 2023. This is part of the SFCM Opera and Musical Theatre program. Mathews who explained in the Jan 2023 article, which was by SFCM, "I wanted to give students the experience of working on a new musical with a living composer in a very expedited fashion[.] They had the music, they had the book, but they only had five days, and singing over tracks like these is different from singing with an orchestra, so that was new for them as well."

The event webpage gave the credits as follows:

Music and lyrics by Jon Anderson
Created by Jon Anderson and William Quay Hays

Stage Director - Heather Mathews
Music Director - Lauren Mayer
Music Production - Eric Ronick

Cast:
Young Jon Anderson, Young Chagall - Seth Hanson
Chagall, ensemble - Kurt Winterhalter (alumni guest)
Mama, ensemble - Megan Mateosky
Young Bella, ensemble - Monica Slater
Bella, ensemble - Natalia Hulse
Young Vava, ensemble - Grace Craig
Vava, ensemble - Ashley Troester

Programme:
1. Prologue - Chagall's First Song, Jon Anderson
2. Twice Upon a Lifetime, Young Jon Anderson
3. The Nature of My Life, Young Chagall, Mama
4. Is It Love, Young Chagall, Young Bella
5. Mother Russia, Young Chagall, Young Bella, ensemble
6. For Evermore, Chagall, Bella
7. Such is the Man, Vava
8. Take Your Time, Young Vava, Chagall
9. Where Does Music Come From, Jon Anderson
10. Unbroken Spirit, Chagall

While such workshops often just use piano, pre-recorded tapes, including with Anderson's vocals, were used. Mathews explained, "[Anderson] has a very unique sound with a lot of electronics and synthesizers, so a workshop with just piano would not have been good enough. So we worked with Eric Ronick, who's a composer and keyboardist who's worked with Panic! At the Disco, and he was very instrumental in making the mix we used for the show that the students sang over." Images of Chagall's painting were used in the show, including two large projections. Projection design was by Peter Crompton; projection mapping was by Frédèric Boulay.

Anderson's original demo of the album was leaked and has the following track list, for comparison: Part 1:

1. "Introduction"
2. "First Words"
3. "Waterfall"
4. "Man in the Moon" (unrelated to the Yes song of the same name)
5. "Home"
6. "Colour of Love"
7. "Song of Bella"
8. "St. Petersburg"
9. "Welcome to the Big City"
10. "Nijinsky"
11. "Such is the Reason"
12. "Wedding White"
13. "Is it Love?" (used on Jon & Vangelis' Page of Life)
    
14. "Such is the State"
15. "Mother Russia"

Part 2:

1. "Introduction II"
2. "Paris Dance"
3. "Picasso" (also performed by Yes)
4. "Renaissance"
5. "Big City USA" (reprise of "Welcome to the Big City")
   
6. "USA Kingdom"
7. "He's a Star"
8. "Duet" (became "Chagall Duet" on Anderson's Change We Must; another version is called "Punta del Este" on Anderson's Searching for the Songs)
   
9. "Which Way"
10. "Stained Glass"
11. "Poet"
12. "Fanfare"
    

The last two songs at the workshop appear to post-date this earlier version. "Where Does Music Come From" is from 1000 Hands: Chapter One. "Unbroken Spirit" is a song Anderson did with Jann Castor that was released on YouTube. Michael Franklin said on Facebook (17 Jan 2023), "January 22nd is the release of "The Color of Love", a musical of the life of artist Marc Chagall. Performed by Jon Anderson. Tommy Calton and Michael Franklin contributed to the music behind Jon's vocals. The song "Where Does Music Come" written by Jon and me is used in it's [sic] entirety."

In a Mar 2023 interview, Anderson described the performance as an "abbreviated version" and that "now, we're thinking—fingers crossed—to be able to go and perform it in a dome in, in Las Vegas." In an Apr 2023 interview, he said, "we're in the brink of getting it produced". He then continued:

We actually did a short performance of the project in San Francisco just a month ago. We’re testing the idea of it visually, musically. It was an abbreviated version, but it’s given us a lot of impetus to get on with it and possibly get it into production this year or next year.

An Aug 2020 article described Anderson as working on "Chagall". Around 2016, he was in contact with Joe Curiale about Curiale helping with orchestrations to finish the piece. Asked about "Chagall" in a May 2018 interview for Mannheimer Morgen, published in German, Anderson explained that the project still fascinated him and so he wants to work on it further. He said that he wanted to perform the work with an orchestra, choir and dancers. In an Oct 2009 interview, he said:

In an Oct 2005 interview with Progressive Rock Radio, he said of "Chagall", "I created a sort of musical interpretation of his life. I should finish it! I know that a demo of the project got [bootlegged] I'm thinking of putting it out as it was originally recorded and finished 18 years ago [...] and then take it on the road as a new version. I'll probably release it next Spring [2006] and then hopefully [in 2007] I'd love to do a one-man show of the idea and that takes a lot of work." In a Dec 2005 interview for Delicious Agony, he talked of working on a "better quality production" of "Chagall" for 2006, but that he was seeking the required permission from Chagall's estate. Prior reports suggested it had undergone significant changes from the version widely bootlegged. In the Dec interview, Anderson talked of "First Born" and then continued, "There's Uzlot. There's about four or five different albums that have never got out there. So over the next couple of years, we're to release them, slowly, so people can build up a sort of library [of his music]." In the Dec 2005 interview with Anil Prasad of Innerviews, Anderson explained:

When I hit 60 I thought "I really gotta get stuff finished." I have the Chagall project which has never been projected onstage. I finished the recording 15 years ago and someone bootlegged it. Now, I'm thinking of putting out the correct version of it in 2006, along with another work I did at the same time which was about the fairy kingdom—the devic world—called First Born. The Fairies of the devic world are the interdimensional light beings that surround us and our world. We live in a world where they say there are eight specific dimensions and we're living in the third dimension, moving into the fourth. The fairies and devic beings are moving from the fourth dimension to the fifth. What's helping us move from the third to the fourth is computer-laser energy

I'm going to put that ["Chagall"] out too. I never wanted it to come out, but it's already out there bootlegged. A very bad copy was stolen from my studio so I'm going to put that out along with [...] a sort of children's fairy tale about a musical kingdom. It's kind of beautiful, funny and a little quirky. I'm going to put that out at the same time.

I`ve been working on recordings of the great Yes music using midi files to produce Yes with some teenagers singing all of the songs.  It sounds unbelievable.  The purists won`t like it which is OK but this is to introduce Yes to young people of the 21st century with very cosmic sounds. [...] I`m doing some mixing at the moment.  I think we`re going to call it 21st Century Yes and we`ll be doing visuals for it as well.  We`ll probably release it on the internet on You Tube or something so people can just find it and watch it.

I wrote the symphonic piece about 20 years ago. [...] it's all in demo form, it's keyboards and very ready to be performed by a full orchestra when the time comes. And then I wrote a piece for [...] a choir, and singing with an orchestra. That's something else that I was working on. And there are so many different kinds of orchestral pieces. Generally working on keyboards. [...] Even about two months ago, I started writing on a different level that I never tried before, and so I sort of broke through a barrier, musically speaking, in my mind anyway, and that will take another two, three years to evolve correctly, until that time comes when I can get together with the right people to be able to produce it correctly.

Although the planned context isn't very clear, Anderson has repeatedly talked of late of writing Yes-style music. In a May 2011 interview, he said: "now I'm writing a piece that's in that sort of classic Yes style. It'll be ready for the summer and I'll put it out there on the internet. [...] It should be done next month when I come off this [solo] tour [which ends 25 May]." He has also talked about re-visiting older Yes material. A Jul 2011 interview describes how:

Anderson has "over an hour's worth of music from Yes from the old days that I'm revising and looking at," primarily in acoustic versions. "I think modern musicians do that," Anderson explains. "Music is very flexible." A possible outlet for these new treatments of the songs, he adds, may be online and via special apps.

"The Big If" material reportedly has some sort of theme running through what has been written already and future planned material, although the precise nature of that remains unclear. In an interview published in Jan 2004, Anderson described the album as being an hour long song cycle. Anderson has also talked about writing more autobiographical lyrics, like "Tony and Me" about his brother, while an Oct 2003 interview reports a slightly different slant:

His next solo album, Anderson says, will consist of long musical pieces with lyrics based on his observations of and relationship with the natural world.

"I think the lyrics I've been writing have been close to the first albums but more refined," he says. "I think that more than anything, I come from the hippie world of peace, love and forgiveness. [...] I'm working more in the spiritual sense of being."

I’m actually working on a piece yesterday with a friend of mine in Australia and when we started it, it was called ‘The Big If.’ I had this big idea for ‘The Big If.’ If is right in the middle of life, you know, the word ‘life’? And then, I found out there’s a book about it called The Big If and it was just minds thinking the same thing at the same time. We did all of this music and then the guy sadly, had a sort of mental breakdown. He was very confused about this and that. Then we linked up again three months ago! Yesterday, I was composing some music with him.

It's a very simple idea. Hillary gets to become President and [...] on the first night she sleeps in the White House. She has a visistation from all the children in Vietnam that were killed [...] all the children of the wars, and all the children of the [...] terrible, er, destruction of the Native American culture. And they come to visit her, and they sing for her, and dance for her. And she eventually becomes this, er, very evolved women within the space of one night, so she goes and starts speaking to the press the following day and they freak out [laughs] because she starts to change the world.

I actually wrote with this guy, Jeremy, and it's been very hard to pin him down. We wrote probably three quarters of the work and then I couldn't find him, he never wrote back to me, he had another life going on [...] I actually sent a near-finished piece to a company in North Carolina because they were interested in working on the project. This was [...] when she was running for President against Obama. And, you know, you go through these things, and try these things out, and if it happens, great, and if it doesn't, hey, it wasn't meant to be. Or it will happen when it happens.

With Andrew Rubin
Andrew Rubin (Facebook; worked with Tommy Shaw, Contemporary Youth Orchestra) is a young guitarist who met Anderson around 2009, aged 13. Anderson has been mentoring Rubin and suggested he wrote a guitar concerto, citing Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" as an example. The two co-composed just that and the piece for two guitars and orchestra, orchestrated by Rubin, was premiered live by Rubin (performing on one of Anderson's acoustic guitars) and the San Luis Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jim Riccardo, on 25 Oct 2015 as part of a larger programme by the orchestra including two pieces performed with folk-pop band Shadowlands, Aaron Copland's "Outdoor Overture" and Robert Schumann's "Symphony No. 1". (Anderson was not present, touring with the Anderson Ponty Band at the time.) A digital release through Bandcamp followed 1 Oct 2016. Tracks for Guitar Concerto by Andrew Rubin and Jon Anderson are:

1. "Movement I - Part One" (3:06)
2. "Movement I - Part Two" (1:54)
3. "Movement II" (2:49)
4. "Movement III - Part One" (3:25)
5. "Movement III - Part Two" (2:55)

With Fritz Heede and John S Banks
Anderson was collaborating with composer Fritz Heede (MySpace page) and artist John S Banks. Banks has previously worked with Anderson, including visuals for his solo touring, and those visuals appear on a new DVD from Banks and Heede: "Ritual Path" (Artek Images, distr. Koch Entertainment). The DVD, a sequel to their "Illuminated Manuscripts" DVD, is about an hour long. It contains 10 tracks of images to music and an additional 14 environmental loops, all in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. Music is by Heede; Anderson wrote lyrics for and sings on "Come By (Waterfall Ascent/Descent)" (dur. 4:08), used for the short film "Ascent/Descent". An accompanying 14-track soundtrack CD (Aeon of Horus Music/Magical Eye Records) is out. The other vocalists on the project are Heede's wife Nijole Sparkis (singing and co-writing plus loops, on 3 pieces), kaRIN (Collide) and Molly Pasutti (worked with Spock's Beard).

Heede and Anderson co-wrote an album called Dream Dancing (previously going under the working title of Trance-scendent Dance), with Heede (guitars, piano, sitar, electronics, vocals), Anderson (layered vocal rhythms), Gilbert Levy (ethnic percussion), Suzanne Teng (native flutes), Terry Glenny (violin), Sparkis (choral background singing, vocal arrangements, engineering and possibly some songwriting), Pasutti (choral background singing). Heede described the album to me as "The album will not be traditional trance music (rave) ... it is much more sophisticated. It is groove-based so it will have a natural uninterrupted flow. The songs develop over long arches with Jon sing[ing] a dozen or so layers of pulsing rhythmic chants." The album, with at least four tracks, was announced for 2009 on Voiceprint, billed as by 'Jon Anderson with music by Fritz Heede', with an accompanying DVD in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound also planned. This is presumably the project(s) Anderson first mentioned in 2004: in his MSN Chat of Aug that year, he talked about 'trance' music, but seemingly in the context of a Yes project (see under Yes news), while in an interview from circa May 2004, he said:

I was talking to a guy an hour ago about a project I've had in my head all summer [...] I'm getting into trance music [...] Not rave but trance. [...] it's going to be very exotic and it's going to be transforming and transcendental. [...] I heard about this great music from India that lasts seven days. I love that, that it would last so long. And I start thinking, that's what I should do!

With son Damion
A Jun 2011 interview had this exchange:

Anderson: Me and my son, Damion, we’re writing songs together as we speak.

Interviewer: [...] Will the writing that you’re doing with Damion be on the next two albums [following Survival & Other Stories].

Anderson: More than likely, yeah. I think so.

And in a Sep 2011 interview, Anderson says, "I'm working with my son on a couple of new songs."

With Alessandro De Rosa
Anderson has talked about an opera based on "The Alchemist", although work evolved away from that description. The project was written by Italian composer/arranger/guitarist/promoter Alessandro De Rosa (worked with Ennio Morricone), who co-wrote "Music is God" with Anderson. De Rosa describes the piece as a "a symphonic – theatr[ic]al poem"; he composed the music with Anderson contributing vocal melodies and lyrics. De Rosa continued on his webpage, which included a 5 minute sample of the music:

Internet collaborators
In 2006 and 2007, Anderson's websites requested submissions from people interest in collaborating with him. The first, in Aug 2006, read, "Jon Anderson is looking for fresh talent! Specifically, he seeks Symphonic and World Music keyboard players and orchestrators to contribute to an array of musical projects he is planning." In Jul 2007, Anderson announced on his webpage:

A while back, we posted a message calling on keyboard players to contact us if they were interested in collaborating with Jon. The response was tremendous, and as a result Jon is currently working with a number of excellent musicians on some exciting new musical projects.

Jon [...] is now inviting additional "Symphonic and World Music keyboard players and orchestrators" to submit samples of their work for possible collaboration.

Jon has also started work on three large-scale choral projects and a work he calls a "rap opera", so he has expanded his search to talented choral singers and rap producers as well!

In an interview for the May/Jun 2007 issue of the Classic Rock Society magazine, Anderson talked about the results of the first call: "I was lucky that in November last year [2006] I put an advert on my website, 'Keyboard players wanted.' I finished up with 15 really good keyboard players and am now working with somebody in Switzerland, somebody in Italy, somebody in France, somebody in Canada, 3 or 4 guys in the USA, couple of great guys in England. One guy called Neil Campbell [link; MySpace page] and we're writing a large piece of music [...] He's a beautiful musician and we are working on something all about inventions. It's very cosmic music. He's actually playing in Liverpool with a young orchestra and choir; he's just running through it to see how it sounds."(The work with Campbell has now been used in Invention of Knowledge: see above.) Anderson has repeatedly talked about continuing to work with a large number of people online from around the world. For example, in this Jun 2012 interview, he said, "Currently, 'm working with a couple dozen people around the world. Writing music with people anywhere from North Africa, France, Australia, New Zealand. Some guys from LA." And in an Aug 2014 interview:

I write music constantly. I opened the door on my website once [...] six, seven years ago. I got in touch with a couple of dozen players and I’m still working with some of them on different projects: musicals, music for children, some symphonic work.

I put an ad on my website: “Musicians Wanted” and got hundreds of replies. I said send me music and I will get back to the people I could. I got back to a dozen or so people… and I’m still in touch with them. We create music on an open level. It’s not business.

[...]

I started working with a lot of different people and I must’ve written about 300 songs. They’re going to come to fruition one day.

When the album [Survival & Other Stories] came together […] the idea was to use all these songs that I've been writing [through online collaborations]. And it's like a dozen of a hundred songs that I've been writing over that first sort of 6 year time period […] I was actually working on a piece this morning from a guy that I met in Canada, who actually lives in London, and he's a reggae master. [laughs] Keeps sending me these wonderful reggae tracks, and I sing them, and we've got a collection of 7 or 8 songs now over the past three years. And one day they'll come out. I don't know how or when  […] I know that it's inspiring to me to sing about so many different things and with so many different combinations of music

[Anderson] told me that he had hundreds of unfinished musical ideas that he wanted a collaborator to help fully realize. [...] the music came, two CDs full.  And later on, MP3s in emails.   The music was meandering and nebulous like a cloud forming, but there were lovely melodies and intriguing chords lurking in there.  Much of it was played on layered-up keyboards..   I had to listen and listen and listen to pick out the individual notes and melodies.  Music that Jon sent me later included harp and even vocals. [...]

The final versions include quite a lot of my ideas. [...] I had complete musical freedom to arrange, orchestrate, develop, et cetera.    I gave them voice, structure, and harmonic development.  But their heart and soul is still Jon's. [...] The majority of the pieces I created using Cakewalk Sonar and Synful Orchestra.  A couple of the pieces contain live or electronic percussion [...] and one guitar concerto, on which I played acoustic guitar. [...]

Jon has told me about many ideas he had for this music: films, videogames, webcasts, even a  ballet!  Jon's a man of many ever--changing ideas.   So far I'm not sure what the future of this music is, but [...] I look forward to amazing things.

In autumn 2007, Alimar did orchestrations of two of Anderson's "musical drafts" for what he described as "a large project [Anderson] was working on". They were then working on a broader collaboration in which Anderson plans to add lyrics and vocals to Alimar's orchestral-style work, including Alimar's piece "Eclipse". In Dec 2009, Alimar uploaded a piece called "Tribal Love", based on his earlier piece "Tribal Wave" to which Anderson has added vocals. In Nov 2009, he said:

Anderson was writing with John Young (ex-Asia, ex-John Wetton, ex-Fish). Young said in his MySpace blog in Aug 2007:

Jon Anderson and myself are writing together albeit a somewhat long distance affair as Jon has been in Hawaii whilst I soldier on in darkest Bucks. (Isn't e-mail a wunnerful thing).
The results are most enjoyable and I hope that it won't be too long before we can share them with the outside world.

Another collaborator is Dan Spollen. He said in May 2009 that, "For the past few months I've been creating music with Jon. We have several tracks, most of which are works in progress and slowly evolving." There is a piece with Anderson entitled "Vocal EXP" on his MySpace page and Spollen said, "Jon has some additional melodic layers for this that will be added eventually." A Yes medley on acoustic guitar by Spollen was on Anderson's Facebook page (as "Going for the One" medley). In Oct 2009, he said, "Jon and I are still working on tunes- one is really coming along well...can't wait to release it." Further samples became available and a piece with Spollen appeared on Survival and Other Stories. More now apepars on Invention of Knowledge: see above for details.

Ryan Fraley has also been working with Anderson on orchestrations, while Anderson guested on two Yes covers by Fraley's band, Wave Mechanics Union, on their album Further to Fly. Members of Wave Mechanics Union have produced a big band track for Anderson called "Sweet Jazz". The piece was written "many years ago" by Anderson, and has been arranged by Fraley and performed by Wave Mechanics Union with vocals from Anderson. The recording is for release on an unspecified future Anderson solo album. In Nov 2009, Fraley said on Yesfans.com:

I've finished one more arrangement for Jon since this one (not jazz) and discussed at least two other possible ideas with him. As for when / where this jazz tune will be out, I still don't know. Jon seems to take things one day a time.

In the May 2016 Inside MusiCast interview, the interviewer mentions one of the Yes covers on Further to Fly and Anderson replied, "We're doing variations on many Yes songs as well, acoustic versions of Yes songs, and this is all part of the collection of music that eventually will come out." (Although I'm not entirely sure Anderson here is only referring to work with Fraley or more generally with a range of collaborators.)

Another collaborator is Rich Goodhart (MySpace; Facebook page); to Yesfans.com in early Oct 2009, he said:

All I'll tell you is that I'm collaborating with Jon on some material... some of which may be a part of Zamran... and I've heard things that are intensely deep and inspired... lyrically, melodically, compositionally, spiritually. So much so that I am knocked out by both the power of his voice still, as well as the depth that he can tap into when the elements align.

In Nov 2009, he added: "As one of the many collaborators, I have spoken with Jon directly about his plans, visions, concerns and uncertainty around releasing some of this vast accumulation of music. As with most of us in this business at this time it is nearly impossible to be much sure about anything in regard to releasing music and how best to do it." Goodhart and Anderson's "Spirit Grounding" went up on Anderson's Facebook page in Jan 2010. Goodhart's 2CD solo release Shaman Mirror Medicine Tree, available from his website, included a piece with Anderson entitled "Good Love Coming". Goodhart said of the track: "When I sent him the track I suggested the idea of a "We Have Heaven" type of multi-voice chant, and as far as I am concerned he delivered wonderfully." He's also said: "It's another acoustic world music instrumentation backing, with the primary instruments being the west African dousongoni and the Brazilian berimbau, plus hand drums and percussion." The song also includes a live cover (with Anderson) of "Moon Ra" from Olias of Sunhillow. Daevid Allen (Gong; glissando guitar on several tracks), John Ragusa (flute, additional vocals), Jim Ballard and David Macejka also guests on the album. Goodhart provides vocals and performs various instruments, including bouzouki, and did the cover art. "Spirit Grounding", for which Anderson provided lyrics and vocal lines, then appeared on Goodhart's next album, the 2CD Forest River Pathway, released Sep 2017. Also guesting are Athena Burke (vocals), Roger Mock and David Duhig (Jade Warrior).

There have been multiple further collaborators as yet unknown to the public.

With Stephen Layton
Anderson was working with keyboardist Stephen Layton (ex-The Expression, ex-Like Oxygen) on various projects for several years. Their song "Love and Understanding" appeared on Survival and Other Stories (see above) and they have worked on several other songs. Layton had a significant role in Anderson's planned Zamran project (see above). Layton and Mark "Truey" Trueack (Unitopia) made contact in 2009 and planned a project called The Hope to feature multiple guest musicians around the world, which led to Anderson contributing backing vocals to a song called "The Water". This appeared on Fall in Love with the World (InsideOut) by the United Progressive Fraternity (Facebook), released 2014. Aug 2016 saw a BlueMountain remix of "The Water" with Layton released on YouTube. This version was credited to Trueack/Timms/Williams as writers, with lyrics by Trueack, vocals by Trueack and Anderson, and all instruments by Layton.

The Hope was initially expected in 2015, but has evolved considerably since then (and with Anderson no longer involved). A first part came out, with Jon Davison guesting, and a second part is due 2023: see on main page.

In a late 2008 interview for YesFANZ, Layton talked at length about his work with Anderson. Their collaboration began with Anderson's rap opera:

I received [...] pretty much the content of his entire rap opera [...] I was actually shaking with excitement that day. I thought I’m through, I’ve got the gig, and I’m Jon’s producer. Because, although he has got people working on the orchestrations, they were working off my compositions or expanding my ideas. As the producer I am pretty much expanding the basic ideas. Much of the opera section is Jon’s composition. I was supplying the beats for those [...] I spoke to him over the phone. I said ‘Jon, I think we need the rap section which is kind of a ghetto feel; it is very black, very dark. I think that should be very organic, very dirty sounding, but the opera, I think we should go for a very contemporary electronic beat, very clean, very pristine.’

‘Great idea, perfect’.

So I added very little to the opera except for Kraftwerky kind of simple beat. In some places more like Vangelis where I would add one of those kind of Chariots of Fire ‘duh duh duh’ bass lines. [...] We worked very intensely, very closely probably for about three months.

[...] we got to the end of the assigned work and he said ‘We need six new songs’. He was continuing to elaborate the story. He’d fax me the storyline and he came up with an idea for a bit of comic relief in a character in the story [...] we wrote a song together [...] he is a very funny character, he is one of those recurring light comic relief.

Jon can work extremely quickly [...] I think that is one of the reasons we did work so well together. I work very fast. [...] I could work on maybe three songs a day, send it back to him and he could do a vocal overnight here in his studio and bounce all three back to me the next day with maybe five or six overdubs. This one particular comic character, Jon blew me away because I don’t think anyone in the world would know that Jon Anderson can do one hell of a Louis ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong impersonation. You would not think Jon with that high pitched voice can do that really deep growly voice. [...]

We got to the end of the project and we still needed three or four songs and he said ‘Can you give me some….like we need a love song between this character and that character and it still needs to have this kind of beat.’ So I sent him some basic chord structures, he’d write lyrics to them very quickly, ‘they are just rough but these will do.’ We finished the first draft of the project early this year [2008].

[...]

I am going to have to get some clearance from Jon because I have signed confidentiality agreements on the rap opera so [...] I can’t tell you anything about the nature of the story. Somewhere in between starting and finishing Jon realised that it would make a very good film [...] he seems to be, if not confident, optimistic that he can get this made into a film. Therefore it would be released as a soundtrack rather than as a Jon Anderson solo project. [...] I have probably got maybe three hours of running time just on my computer because some things we’ve let run long. Because at one stage he had a view of just putting it on stage and he said that’s great for choreography. We can extend this section and that can be used for a dance sequence. [...] So which is why as what I think of myself, I might be confabulating my role in the whole thing, as co-producer of the venture, Jon has said that I will want you here when we finish it. Because in its present form, it’s the digital equivalent of two kilometres of unedited tape and none of us are quite sure where to cut and splice

It remains unclear at least in my mind what constitutes a finished product because if it is to be for a stage musical it only needs to be presented in a rough format to be scored [...] He may find that he can’t get the backing for it to go on stage or as a film soundtrack and he might decide to just get fresh vocal performances in because he’s sourced his opera singers, his rappers and he might just bring me in and we’ll tighten the whole thing up and release it either as a double or single CD. Or who knows, the third possibility is that it may fizzle out. I would like to think not

Layton then talks about their subsequent collaborations:

I thought now that is pretty much the end of that. [...] [Then] there was another email [...] ‘Send me some more of those songs with the beats, [...]’ [...] At first I didn’t really know quite what to do. I had a few tracks just lying around which had been discarded by other singers or weren’t to their liking which I thought had potential. And he very quickly wrote some, which were some of the other songs that I had previously [...] on MySpace. There is probably five or six of those which are in a very rough state. [...] none of them had I specifically written for him.

And then [...] I wrote ‘Shine Shine Deliverance’. Now this really grabbed his attention [...] he said ‘You’ve got to release this’. I don’t know where he thinks my connections are, [...] I’m certainly in no position to be releasing anything. But he said, ‘This is a single, we have got to get this out there, but the ending has got to have a gospel choir.’ [...] I don’t know quite where he thought I was going to get a gospel choir from. He obviously was very intent on the idea because I saw on You Tube that when he had the School of Rock together once he had the backing track of Shine Shine Deliverance. He had them singing the backing vocals trying to get them to record it. [...] I think he obviously saw that it wasn’t really happening either because it never went any further than that.

We then had a series of discussions about how would we release this? [...] ‘Are you going to release this as Jon Anderson solo material?’ He said ‘no, no, no no, I don’t see that in my future.’ I don’t know exactly what he meant by that. But I said whatever we call it, it’s your voice and you are the voice of Yes.

[...]

After that point Jon started asking me to write Yes type music. He said ‘Can you give me some lighter, acoustic Yes-flavoured music?’ [...] He said ‘[...] write your music but write the kind of music you would like to see Yes doing now. Pick out everything that’s your favourite and give it to me and I’ll sing.’ Which is what I did with Sacred Balance, I just picked out everything that I felt my perfect Yes song would have [...]

But Jon, before he got a chance to finish it, started having health problems and it’s missing the last vocal section but I’m hoping that it sees its way onto any potential project. [...] We’ve been working on three or four tracks which again he asked me to do them in a Yes style. [...] I kind of reflect on the Time and a Word period as where I see Jon being now. [...] he writes much more rhythmically than melodically. His mind thinks in terms of rhythm first. He places less emphasis on the ebb and flow of the melody than he does on the impact of the beat of what he is singing.

[...] In view of producing Jon in the here and now, I see him more as going back to the simple Jon, the Olias Jon or the Time and a Word Jon where he communicates simple messages in a simple fashion. I don’t think anyone else that he is working with is approaching it like that.

As for progressing to a release of any of this material:

there is my view of it and there is Jon’s view of it. My view is in the realms of the known; Jon’s is in the realms of the unknown. Because Jon just has so many things going on and it causes immense frustration, well it did to me at first and I got used to it, but there are people out there who have worked with Jon who really harbour a good deal of resentment towards him. He has used them for a song and then ignores them for a month or two. And they’ll let him know. [...] I think from what I now know of Jon, when he is very focused on one thing, then that is what he is focused on. When he is on something else you have just got to let him go on to whatever else he is doing. When he is not thinking about me he is not thinking about me and it doesn’t do me any good to email him and chase him because out of the blue he will get in touch with me and I will be the centre of his world for the next two weeks and we will continue working on the material. [...] we probably have sufficient material right now if his voice was up to it that we could finalise. But his voice won’t be anywhere near up to it, I would say probably, and I’m no expert, until mid 2009. [...] I’m not expecting him to place any priority on our project.

Personally I’m pretty sure that the first thing that he’ll want to get finished is the opera project. That’s got, as far as I know, an immense amount of work to do. He has requested for me to be present for future work at his studio. There is only so much we can do via email.

With composer Peter Machajdík
Anderson guested on "Sadness of Flowing" on Peter Machajdík's album Namah (Music Fund Bratislava/Musica Slovaca, MAMAH SF 00542131). Details in Yescography. Read my interview with Peter Machajdík about the collaboration with Anderson here. Machajdík has done some further work with Anderson, orchestrating some of his songs.

In 2009, Anderson appeared live with a band led by Machajdík (see details above), the show subsequently broadcast on the Slovak national TV channel. A DVD release has been expected. In an Aug 2009 interview, Machajdík quotes Anderson as saying he wants to continue working with this band, who he said played at least as well as Yes, and he would like to do a tour with them in 2010. While that didn't happen, there was a show in Aug 2012 in London: see above. Machajdík also talked about doing futher work with Anderson: "Budeme spolu robiť niečo s klasickými nástrojmi, ak budú peniaze, tak aj väčšie obsadenie a dlhšie kompozície." That is, something with classical instruments and, finances permitting, larger compositions.

In a Mar 2010 interview, Anderson described a project with a male collaborator in Slovakia, who I take to be Machajdík:

I’m just working on a musical dance piece about heraldry.  I’ve always loved heraldry, since I was a kid. [...] I think there should be new heraldry.  I think that cities and countries, places should use their flags of heraldry and rejuvenate our conscious knowledge of totem – worldwide totem knowledge - not just American Indian totems. There is indigenous totem everywhere, which is knowledge of the eagle, the coyote, the wolf, the bear, the dragonfly, the ant [...] to rejoice in that and to use it in a dance mode, using it in an artistic mode, by banners or flags or things – which is basically heraldry. So, that’s something I started doing just last month actually.

With Sean McKee
As a filmmaker, Sean McKee has worked with U2, Rage Against the Machine, Slash, Chickenfoot and Gail Zappa, while as a musician, he has worked with Chip Z'Nuff and Ike Willis. He has worked on a number of projects with Anderson. In a Jan 2019 interview, McKee and Anderson described having recorded a double album; this will be with accompanying "visual gaming and virtual reality experiences" according to the interviewer. McKee and their engineer Ryan Black were to be teaching a class (Musical Soundscape Design & Mixing in 5.1) at Columbia College Chicago on mixing in 5.1 Surround Sound, in which students were to contribute to the mixing of this album, with Anderson inputting via Skype. In McKee's description of the YouTube clip of the interview, he expands, saying, "And in a Columbia College first, the project will be multi-departmental, creating visual, gaming and virtual reality companions to the album." Anderson described how they have been working on the album for 5 years, largely collaborating over the Internet (Anderson said they have only met "three or four times"). McKee described the album as "written together", and described it thus: "while there is traditional music, some of it is moods and soundscapes, kind of like cinematic, as you'd hear in a movie". A Feb 2019 article additionally hints at "high-profile guests artists on the album". Citing McKee, it describes the album as having been "six years in the making", but with "no set release date". McKee emailed in Jun 2020 to say that they had started work on a 5.1 mix in 2019, but decided to switch to Dolby's Atmos system. They were going to start mixing in Mar 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic stopped that from happening. They planned to return this in summer 2020.

In an Aug 2020 interview, Anderson said, "I was actually working on a piece this morning, that is the finale of a large piece that I started with [...] Sean McKee [...] and we've been at it now for 10 years, working on this idea [...] I've been challenging myself to do orchestration".

Previously, a website seemingly from 2013 said, "McKee is currently composing his most ambitious work to date, working with Jon Anderson [...] to create an exotic concept album filled with epic length songs." In late Jan 2016, McKee explained online, "Jon and I have been working on an exotic, longer form concept album made up of epic length songs that is nearing completion". In a Jul 2015 Prog interview, Anderson described writing film music, saying: "It's a very surreal concept film about the truisms of magic. Sean's a visual artist as well as a music-maker." It is unclear if this is the same or a different project.

Other collaborations
In a Feb 2021 interview, Anderson said, "I just recorded [The Beatles' "A Day in the Life"] with the great Jake Shimabukuro." Shimabukuro is a Japanese-American ukulele player. The song appears on his album Jake & Friends (Mascot Label Group), out 12 Nov 2021 on CD or 2LP. The album is co-produced by Ray Benson (Asleep at the Wheel). The Japanese CD release has a second disc with further collaborations, including Cyndi Lauper, but mostly with Japanese artists.

Sangeeta Kaur performed two songs by Anderson in her appearance on season 10 of the US public television concert series Front and Center, broadcast 19 Sep 2021 and available here [go to 18:00]. She described how Anderson wrote "Sun and Rain" for her and she is accompanied by a pre-recorded Anderson on backing vocals; this piece was arranged by Steve Bartek (Oingo Boingo, works with Danny Elfman). She then performs a second piece, "Love is All", written by Anderson. Shimabukuro (see previous paragraph) also appeared separately in the episode.

In a Jun 2012 interview, Anderson said, "I just finished doing a project with a friend in Los Angeles and now we're going to get into the production. We've written about a dozen new songs and it[']s a very exciting time." It is unclear which collaborator this is, however. An interview in the Jul 2012 issue of Prog magazine refers to several otherwise unidentified projects:

• a project with, to quote Anderson, "a friend who lives in San Francisco, who does North African music. I figured out he'd have the rhythms I needed for another piece I'd written.";
• "electronic music, very different, with a couple of guys. Not sure when that will come out, but it's coming".

In a Jun 2011 interview, Anderson had said, "I'm working with a sort of African/North African band of musicians that are very talented." In this 2013 interview (approximately Aug), Anderson said, "Working with music from North Africa, a group of people in San Francisco that play North African music, I've been writing songs with them." The May 2016 Inside MusiCast interview has more about the former:

I know that it's inspiring to me to sing [...] with so many different combinations of music, even Middle Eastern music. I'm working with a guy […] in San Francisco. And we've written quite a lot of music in the last few years. And I just bumped into a vocal person here who works as a percussionist in a sort of ensemble out of the local university here at Cal Poly, and they have a 20 piece – 12 singers and 12 musicians, doing Middle Eastern music, so I'm going to get together with them and probably produce a project with them for next spring next year [2017].

Tim Wheater (worked with The Eurythmics, Donovan, The Grateful Dead) was reportedly working on a new album with Anderson.