Kasim Sulton

Kasim Sulton
Birth name	Kasim Anthony Sulton
Born	December 8, 1955 (1955-12-08) 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, The New Cars, Meat Loaf
Website	Kasim's webpage
Notable instruments
Archer KBASS v2 K Sulton Signature Series Black Electric Bass Guitar

Kasim Sulton (b. December 8, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, 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.

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 Hall & Oates, Cheap Trick, Blue Öyster Cult, 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 performing at Arcosanti Arizona with Todd Rundgren's Utopia, 1978
Photo: Courtesy Mitchell Weinstock

Sulton was the bassist on the 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.

Kasim produced demo CDs for Patti Russo and Elaine Fiddler's band.

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 #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, 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.

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

Sulton lives in Staten Island, New York. He has a son named Tarik Sulton

Discography

• Kasim (1982)
• The Bassment Tapes (1993)
• Quid Pro Quo (2002), Sphere Sound Records
• All Sides (2007)

DVD

• Kasim Sulton - Live in Atlanta (2008)

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