Kasim Sulton

Kasim Sulton
Sulton performing in 1978 in Arcosanti, Arizona with Todd Rundgren's Utopia
Background information
Birth name	Kasim Anthony Sulton
Born	(1955-12-08) December 8, 1955 Staten Island, New York United States
Genres	Rock and roll
Occupations	Musician, Songwriter, Arranger, Music director, Producer
Instruments	Vocals, bass, keyboards
Years active	1976–present
Labels	Sphere Sound Records
Associated acts	Cherry Vanilla, Utopia, Joan Jett, The New Cars, Meat Loaf, Blue Öyster Cult
Website	Kasim's webpage
Notable instruments
Archer KBASS v2 K Sulton Signature Series Black Electric Bass Guitar[1]

Kasim Sulton (b. December 8, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia,^[2] Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States. As a solo artist, Sulton hit the Canadian top 40 in 1982 with "Don't Break My Heart,"

Sulton has been a frequent collaborator, bassist and singer on many of Todd Rundgren's projects and solo tours.^[3]

Biography

Sulton attended and graduated from Susan E. Wagner H.S. in 1973. Sulton started his musical career playing piano and vocals for Cherry Vanilla before gaining a place in Utopia in 1976. During his time with Utopia they recorded nine albums, and toured extensively.

He has toured with Blue Öyster Cult, Meat Loaf, Hall & Oates, Cheap Trick, Patty Smyth, Akiko Yano and Richie Sambora, amongst many other artists. As a studio musician, he has played on albums by Patti Smith, The Indigo Girls and Steve Stevens, and appeared on an album of traditional Irish music by Eileen Ivers. He was a member of Joan Jett's backing band, The Blackhearts, touring with them and playing on Jett's album Up Your Alley (1988) as well as contributing a number of tracks to her compilation album The Hit List (1990).

Sulton was the bassist and sang background vocals on the breakout Meat Loaf album Bat Out of Hell. He and Thommy Price collaborated on an album, Lights On, which Sulton co-wrote. The song "No T.V. No Phone" was featured in the 1987 film The Allnighter, starring Susanna Hoffs.

Sulton recorded a solo album on September 4, 2002 entitled Quid Pro Quo. The album was released on Sphere Sound Records, and Sulton played all but two instruments on the album.

Sulton sang background vocals on Meat Loaf's album Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, joining his backing band, Neverland Express, touring for three years on the Everything Louder Tour. He also recorded on Meat Loaf’s album Welcome to the Neighborhood, arranging and singing background vocals on most of the tracks. He went on to become Music director for Meat Loaf, rehearsing Meat Loaf's band, Neverland Express, in preparation for touring. The Very Best of Meat Loaf album was released with three new tracks, one of which, "Is Nothing Sacred", was later re-recorded as a duet with Patti Russo and produced by Sulton, with the track reaching No. 15 on the UK charts. Sulton also produced the Meat Loaf StoryTellers album, and toured with the band on the Night Of The Proms Tour in Europe and the "Meat Loaf Just Havin' Fun for the Summer" and "Winter" Tour in the US and Europe, where he and Patti Russo both served as opening acts. He also toured on Meat Loaf's "Couldn't Have Said It Better" tour where he played a short solo acoustic set to open the concert at most venues. One of Meat Loaf's shows on this tour was filmed for the DVD Bat out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Kasim also toured on the 2005 "Hair of the Dog" Tour and the 2006-2007 "Bat Out of Hell III" tour, and he is featured as bassist/backing vocalist on the album. In summer 2008, he rejoined Meat Loaf for the Casa de Carne tour.

Sulton played bass in the pit orchestra for the Twyla Tharp-choreographed musical based on Billy Joel music called Movin' Out on Broadway.

After a brief stint with the reunited band Scandal in 2004, Sulton joined The New Cars in 2005, replacing original Cars bassist and co-lead vocalist Benjamin Orr, who died of cancer in 2000. The band also included original Cars band members Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes as well as Todd Rundgren and Prairie Prince from Journey and The Tubes. An album, It's Alive!, was followed by a tour in 2006, with Sulton singing lead on The Cars' hit "Drive".

Sulton continues to appear live playing bass, keyboards, and guitar on most Todd Rundgren tours, including the 2008-09 "Arena" gigs, 2009-10 performances of the classic 1973 album "A Wizard/A True Star" in the U.S. and Europe, and 2010 "TR's Johnson" shows. He was in the band for the six show "Todd/Healing Albums Live" tour that began Labor Day Weekend of 2010 in Akron, Ohio, and played a solo show before the premiere. He also played in the second run of "Todd/Healing Albums Live," a five-show tour that began on March 25, 2011 in Hartford, CT.^[4]

In 2011 Sulton replaced Matt Bissonette as the bassplayer in the Beatles tribute supergroup Yellow Matter Custard.

In 2012 he joined the classic hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult.

Discography

• L Steve Hillage (1976, CBS Records)
• RA Utopia (1977, Bearsville Records)
• Oops Wrong Planet Utopia (1978, Bearsville Records)
• Bat Out Of Hell Meat Loaf (1978, Cleveland International Records)
• Back To The Bars Todd Rundgren (1978, Bearsville Records)
• TRB Two Tom Robinson Band (1979, EMI Records)
• Guitars & Women Rick Derringer (1979, Blue Sky Records)
• Frankie Eldorado Frankie Eldorado (1980, August Music)
• Wasp Shaun Cassidy (1980, Warner Bros.)
• Adventures In Utopia Utopia (1980, Bearsville Records)
• Deface The Music Utopia (1980, Bearsville Records)
• Bad For Good Jim Steinman (1981, Epic Records)
• Swing To The Right Utopia (1982, Bearsville Records)
• Kasim (1982, EMI America)
• Utopia Utopia (1982, Network Records)
• Party Of Two The Rubinoos (1983, Berserkly Records)
• Oblivion Utopia (1984, Bearsville Records)
• Hits Out Of Hell Meat Loaf (1984, Cleveland International Records)
• POV Utopia (1985, Passport Records)
• Good Music Joan Jett (1986, CBS Associated Records)
• Lights On Price Sulton (1986, CBS Associated Records)
• The Burns Sisters The Burns Sisters (1986, Columbia Records)
• Never Enough Patty Smyth (1987, Columbia Records)
• Dream Of Life Patty Smith (1987, Arista Records)
• Trivia Utopia (1987, Gem Records)
• Unfinished Business Ronnie Spector (1987, Columbia Records)
• Less Than Zero Soundtrack (1987, Def Jam Records)
• Light Of Day Soundtrack (1987, Blackheart Records)
• Saftey Love David Drew (1988, MCA Records)
• Up Your Alley Joan Jett (1988, Blackheart Records)
• Nearly Human Todd Rundgren (1989, Warner Bros. Records)
• Prime Cuts Meat Loaf (1989 Sony)
• Indigo Girls Indigo Girls (1989 Epic Records)
• Atomic Playboys Steve Stevens (1989 Warner Bros.)
• Anthology Utopia (1989 Rhino Records)
• The Hit List Joan Jett (1990 Blackheart Records)
• Tall Stories Johnny Hates Jazz (1991 Virgin Records)
• Two Rooms Music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin / Various Artists (1991 Hall & Oates)
• Todd Rundgren: An Elpee's Worth Of Productions / Various Artists (1992)
• Leap Of Faith Original Soundtrack (1992 Various Artists)
• Rock And Roll Hero Meat Loaf (1992 Sony Records)
• Utopia Redux '92 Live In Japan (1992)
• Patty Smyth Patty Smyth (1992)
• Quid Pro Quo (2002, Sphere Sound)
• The Basement Tapes (compilation; 1998, Slick Music)
• Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell Meat Loaf (1993 CBS Records)
• Now That's What I Call Music 26 (Compilation; Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1993)
• Brit Awards 1994 (Compilation; Various Artists; Meat Loaf 1994)
• In the Air Tonight: Virgin's Greatest Hits (Compilation; Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1994)
• Kerrang!: The Album (Compilation; Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1994)
• The Best Rock Album in the World ...Ever Compilation; Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1994)
• Now That's What I Call Music 27 (Compilation; Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1994)
• Traditional Irish Music Eileen Ivers (1994)
• Let There Be Drums, Volume Three (Compilation; Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1994)
• Heaven and Hell Meat Loaf & Bonnie Tyler (1994)
• Rock Hits of the 70s Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1995)
• Now That's What I Call Music 32 Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1995)
• Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the 80s Volume 1 Various Artists; Utopia (1995)
• The Meat Loaf Definitive Collection Meat Loaf (1995)
• Cleveland International Records Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1995)
• Welcome To The Neighborhood Meat Loaf (1995)
• The Patti Smith Masters Box Patti Smith (1996 CBS Records)
• Ultimate Rock'n'Roll Collection Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1996)
• Now That's What I Call Music 33 Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1996)
• Required Rocking Rick Derringer (1996)
• Wild Blue Eileen Ivers (1996)
• Rock'n'Roll Relix Volume Five Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1996)
• Falling Into You Celine Dion (1996)
• Soft Rock: 36 Classic Rock Ballads Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1996)
• Free Spirit Bonnie Tyler (1996)
• The Best Of Rick Derringer: Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo Rick Derringer (1996)
• Palookaville Glen Burtnik (1996)
• Live Around The World Meat Loaf (1996)
• Oblivion, POV And Some Trivia Utopia (1996)
• Best Rock Anthems in the World Ever Various Artists; Meat Loaf (1996)
• With A Twist Todd Rundgren (1997)
• Poptopia! Power Pop Classics Of The 80s Various Artists; Utopia (1997)
• Fit To Be Tied-Greatest Hits Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (1997)
• The Very Best Of Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren (1997)
• I.De.A. Kyosuke Himuro (1997)
• All Sides (compilation; 2007)
• An Evening With Kasim Sulton: Live in Atlanta (DVD; 2008)

References

External links

• Kasim's webpage
• Authorized fansite
• Kasim's Store for Music and Merchandise
• Kasim's MySpace
• The New Cars
• Kasim Sulton radio interview on Rundgren Radio