In 1981, Anderson played on Wakeman's concept album "1984" and released his second album with Vangelis in July 1981, "The Friends of Mr Cairo". The album produced two singles, "I'll Find My Way Home" and "State of Independence". The album was also notable for the title track, which was an ode to classic Hollywood gangster films of the 1930s and 1940s with voice impressions of Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre and James Stewart which paid homage to "The Maltese Falcon" (1941). In 1982, Anderson released "Animation", and in 1983 appeared on "In High Places" from "Crises" by Mike Oldfield. Also that year, he performed with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones and attempted to form a band with Wakeman and Keith Emerson, but it fell through.