Remembering Carl Anderson

It’s the birthday of the late, great American vocalist Carl Anderson (1945-2004). He would have been 80 today.

In the past I’ve done whole series of posts celebrating Carl at around this time of the year (see, for example here, here and here). This year I’m opting to simply share an example of Carl doing what he did best – singing with heart and soul.

But first . . . I dare say that for most people, Carl Anderson is best remembered for playing Judas Iscariot in the 1973 film adaptation (right) and numerous stage productions of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar. (For more about Carl’s groundbreaking portrayal of Judas, click here, here, here and here.)

Yet it would be remiss of me not to state the obvious: There is much more to Carl Anderson than Jesus Christ Superstar. Indeed, for over three decades Carl was an accomplished and well-respected song stylist, artfully blending jazz, soul, pop, and R&B influences into his own unique and unforgettable style.

Between 1982 and 1996 Carl released nine albums. In addition, he made memorable duets with other artists and provided solo guest vocals on a number of songs by others.

Artists Carl worked with included Weather Report, Nancy Wilson, The Rippingtons, Michael Paulo, Maynard Ferguson, Gerald McCauley, Eric Marienthal, Brenda Russell, Lisa Deveaux, and Linda Eder.

It’s one of these collaborations that I share today in celebration of Carl’s birthday – “You Let Me In,” a track on Dan Siegal’s album Late One Night for which Carl provided the lead vocal. Enjoy!

Talk to myself
Laugh in thin air
Don’t go to my room ’cause there’s no one there
I played the part, shut down my heart
Trying to hide what I feel inside

And just when I think
I got it all under control
You smile and I know you’re the one
I’ve been waiting for

You let me in
You unlock all the love inside of me
You hold the key to set my lonely heart free

Too many times I sacrificed
I walked the line only later to pay the price
It was there all the time
But I closed my eyes
To lonely to see what’s in front of me

And just when I turned
I caught you staring back at me
Then we touched
Didn’t know that I needed your love so much

You let me in
You unlock all the love inside of me
You hold the key
To set my lonely heart free

You let me in
When I thought I had nothing left to give
You’re all I need to believe in love again

Next to me is where I want you to be
Safe within my arms
I wanna thank you for
The love you brought to me
That made me feel like I’m alive again

The Wild Reed’s February 2021 Celebration of Carl Anderson:
• Remembering an Artist and Vocalist Extraordinaire
• An Electrifying Spectrum of Emotions
• “Fare Thee Well, My Nightingale”
• “He Was Bigger Than Life . . . Very Philosophical, Very Warm and Honest”

The Wild Reed’s February 2020 Celebration of Carl Anderson:
• Carl Anderson: On and On
• Carl Anderson and The Black Pearl
• Carl Anderson in The Color Purple
• Carl Anderson: “Let the Music Play!”

The Wild Reed’s February 2019 Celebration of Carl Anderson:
• Remembering and Celebrating Carl Anderson
• Carl Anderson: “Pure Quality”
• Carl Anderson’s Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar: “The Gold Standard”
• Carl Anderson’s Judas: “A Two-Dimensional Popular Villain Turned Into a Complex Human Being”
• Carl Anderson: “Artist and Vocalist Extraordinaire”
• Playbill Remembers Carl
• Remembering the Life of Carl Anderson: “There Was So Much Love”

For more of Carl at The Wild Reed, see:
• Remembering Carl Anderson (2024)
• Carl Anderson: “Still One of the Greatest Interpretations of Judas on Film”
• Remembering Carl Anderson (2022)
• Carl Anderson: “Like a Song in the Night”
• Carl Anderson: “One of the Most Enjoyable Male Vocalists of His Era”
• With Love Inside
• Carl Anderson
• Acts of Love . . . Carl’s and Mine
• Introducing the Carl Anderson Appreciation Group
• Forbidden Lover
• Revisiting a Groovy Jesus (and a Dysfunctional Theology)

Related Off-site Links:
A Profile of Carl Anderson – Part I: A Broadway Legend with Lynchburg Roots – Holly Phelps (LynchburgMuseum.org, May 12, 2015)
A Profile of Carl Anderson – Part II: The Legend Lives On – Holly Phelps (LynchburgMuseum.org,June 10, 2015)
Carl Anderson – Jazz Legend: The Official Website
Carl Anderson Memorial Page
Carl Anderson at AllMusic.com – Ron Wynn (AllMusic.com)
Carl Anderson Biography – Chris Rizik (Soul Tracks)