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Utopia | |
|---|---|
 Utopia, 1977. L-R: Roger Powell, Willie Wilcox, Todd Rundgren and Kasim Sulton. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Todd Rundgren's Utopia (1973–1976, 2011, 2018) |
| Origin | New York City, United States |
| Genres |
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| Years active |
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| Labels | Bearsville,Network,Passport,Epic,Rhino |
| Past members | Todd Rundgren Jean Yves "M. Frog" Labat David Mason Hunt Sales Tony Sales Mark "Moogy" Klingman Ralph Schuckett Kevin Ellman John Siegler Roger Powell John "Willie" Wilcox Kasim Sulton Doug Howard Jesse Gress Gil Assayas |
Utopia was an Americanrock band formed in 1973 byTodd Rundgren. During its first three years, the group was aprogressive rock band with a somewhat fluid membership known asTodd Rundgren's Utopia. Most of the members in this early incarnation also played on Rundgren's solo albums of the period up to 1975. By 1976, the group was known simply as Utopia and featured a stable quartet of Rundgren,Kasim Sulton,Roger Powell andJohn "Willie" Wilcox. This version of the group gradually abandoned progressive rock for more straightforward rock andpop.
In 1980, they had atop 40 hit with "Set Me Free". Though often thought of as a Rundgren-oriented project, all four members of Utopia wrote, sang, produced and performed on their albums; "Set Me Free", for example, was written and sung by Sulton. The group broke up in 1986, but reunited briefly in 1992. In 2011 the earlier prog-rock incarnation known as Todd Rundgren's Utopia was revived for a series of live shows. In 2018 Rundgren, Sulton, and Wilcox reunited for a tour with new keyboardist Gil Assayas under the name Todd Rundgren's Utopia.[citation needed]
On his 1973 albumA Wizard, a True Star, Rundgren had sung the line "Wait another year, Utopia is here."
For a short period of time (1973–74) Todd Rundgren's Utopia consisted of Rundgren plusHunt Sales andTony Fox Sales together with the late David Mason (a musician fromFlorida, not to be confused with the formerTraffic guitaristDave Mason)[1] and "M. Frog" (Jean-Yves Labat), who initially played rhythm guitar and later synthesizers. However, the Sales brothers had left by the time the band recorded its first release, being replaced by percussionist Kevin Ellman and bassist John Siegler.
The first two albums —Todd Rundgren's Utopia (1974) andAnother Live (1975) — featured lengthy, complex and highly arrangedprogressive rock pieces, performed by a six-piece multi-instrumental ensemble composed of Rundgren (guitar and vocals), Ellman (drums and percussion), Siegler (acoustic and electric basses andcello),Mark "Moogy" Klingman (keyboards), Jean-Yves Labat (now on synths), and Ralph Schuckett (keyboards). Klingman had played with Rundgren as early as his first albumRunt; both Klingman and Siegler had played on Side 4 of Rundgren's third albumSomething/Anything, and together with Schuckett they had also played on Rundgren's fourth albumA Wizard, A True Star. Meanwhile, Rundgren had played on Labat's solo albumM. Frog. Ellman debuted with Rundgren on the albumTodd.
The debut album contained only four tracks and ran for almost sixty minutes total, opening with "Utopia Theme" — recorded live in concert — and closing with the extended concept piece "The Ikon", which ran more than thirty minutes and took up all of side two of the album. Soon after this first album was completed, Labat left the band.[2] The remaining five-piece lineup was referred to by Rundgren as the "Rhythm Kings" and recorded the song "Real Man", later released on Rundgren's 1975 albumInitiation, along with other Rundgren solo material. FormerMoog programmerRoger Powell joined the band on synthesizer, restoring it to a sextet. Ellman left the band to become an executive at his family'sBeefsteak Charlie's restaurant. He was replaced by John "Willie" Wilcox, who had been the drummer withHall & Oates on the Rundgren-producedWar Babies album.
The live LPAnother Live (1975) featured new members Powell and Wilcox. The record showcased several extended progressive tracks which were not released in studio versions and also displayed Rundgren's continuing interest in theBroadway musical via a version of "Something's Coming" fromWest Side Story. Also included was "Do Ya", written byJeff Lynne and originally recorded byThe Move; the liner notes characterized this recording as a return gesture for the Move's having recorded "Open My Eyes", a song written by Rundgren and recorded by his earlier band theNazz. Shortly after these sessions, Schuckett and Klingman both left the band, leaving Powell as the lone keyboard player.
On October 9, 1975, Utopia played their first UK concert at theHammersmith Odeon in London with the trimmed-down lineup of Rundgren, Siegler, Powell and Wilcox, with backing vocals by future soul starLuther Vandross and Anthony Hinton (a former member of Vandross' early 1970s vocal quintet Luther). This concert was recorded by the BBC for broadcast and has since been widely bootlegged. The audio material from this concert was released in 2012 on Floating World Records'Todd Rundgren's Utopia Live at Hammersmith Odeon '75.
In 1976, the Rundgren/Powell/Siegler/Wilcox lineup of Utopia recorded an instrumental album entitledDisco Jets, which included a disco arrangement of theStar Trek theme as well as original compositions. Bearsville Records passed on releasing the album, and it was shelved. (Disco Jets eventually surfaced in 2001 as part of a Rundgren rarities box set, and was finally issued on its own in 2012.) The same lineup recorded Rundgren's 1976 solo albumFaithful. Siegler left the group shortly after the recording of this album.
Siegler, Schuckett, and Klingman were among the many musicians who played with Rundgren for the concerts recorded and released as the live double-LP setBack to the Bars in 1978.
By mid-1976, the group became known simply as 'Utopia' and settled into a four-person lineup of Rundgren (guitar, vocals), Kasim Sulton (bass, vocals), Roger Powell (keyboards, vocals) and Willie Wilcox (drums, vocals). This line-up remained stable until the group's demise. All four band members wrote, sang, produced and even engineered material for the band.
The first Utopia albumRa (1977) continued showcasing the group's progressive leanings, opening with an electronic arrangement of the "Overture: Mountaintop and Sunrise" theme (fromBernard Herrmann's score for the filmJourney to the Center of the Earth), but it also contained several shorter, more accessible songs. Utopia's subsequent albums increasingly featured more concise and pop-oriented material that showed the influence of the prevailingnew wave trend.
1977'sOops! Wrong Planet was an even more pop-oriented album, and the song "Love Is the Answer" became Utopia's main set-closer. "Love Is the Answer" later became a big hit forEngland Dan & John Ford Coley, charting No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary list in 1979, but the Utopia version failed to chart.
Utopia had only oneBillboard top 40 hit: "Set Me Free", from their best-selling albumAdventures in Utopia (1979), peaking at No. 27 in the US in early 1980. The same year, the band issued the LPDeface the Music, which was an overt pastiche of theMerseybeat and Sgt. Pepper-era music ofThe Beatles. Though the album received some positive critical notices, the move away from new wave derailed the band's career momentum.
In August 1979, Utopia played atKnebworth Festival in England - billed as Todd Rundgren and Utopia. The headline act at both their appearances at the festival, over two consecutive Saturdays on 4 and 11 August, wereLed Zeppelin.[3]
Utopia managed to hold on to their cult status throughout the '80s with their albums, concert performances and videos that were shown on MTV in its early years. The group had a number ofalbum-oriented rock hits including "Caravan," "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" (co-written by bassistDoug Howard, who replaced Sulton during his brief hiatus from the group in 1982), and "Love In Action." The video for "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" memorably featured the band dressed in insect costumes. The albumSwing to the Right (1982) featured satirical political songs, and the Canadian top 40 hit "One World", but its primary purpose was to fulfill the band's recording contract withBearsville Records, which had stopped promoting the group, concluding that Utopia albums had a guaranteed audience of Rundgren fans but weren't likely to attract new listeners. While the band was without a label, Sulton decided to leave the band and was replaced byDoug Howard; however, once the band signed withNetwork Records (distributed byElektra Records), Sulton decided to return and Howard left.
The follow-up self-titled LPUtopia (1982) was the band's first album for Network and spread 15 tracks across an LP and a bonus unlisted EP. In addition, a video album was released. During this time Elektra/Asylum records decided to move their offices from New York to Los Angeles. During the consolidation they decided to cut Network Records out of its distribution causing the label to fold and left Utopia without label support once again.[citation needed] Utopia then signed a three-album deal withPassport Records, then a subsidiary ofJem Records.
The band's final two albumsOblivion (1984) andPOV (1985) were neither commercially successful nor critically well-received, partly because the Passport label on which they were issued folded. After issuing the compilationTrivia in 1986, which included tracks from their previous three LPs plus two previously released outtakes, Utopia split up.
Rundgren had a successful solo career before, during, and after Utopia, as did his bandmates, although to more modest levels. Powell toured withDavid Bowie for the live albumStage, and previously worked as protégé forRobert Moog. Powell's solo albumAir Pocket was voted No. 1 in 1980 byKeyboard Magazine, but after the demise of Utopia he had to give up performing for some time due toRepetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Prior to Utopia, Wilcox recorded the Rundgren-producedWar Babies album and toured withHall and Oates. Wilcox was the senior composer and sound designer for NBC Universal Television from 1999 to 2005, and wrote and programmed "We Connect", the No. 1 dance hit for artistStacey Q. He continues to write and produce for television, film and artists with his company Willie Wilcox Music. Wilcox composed the ringwalk music used by the boxer,Manny Pacquiao. BassistKasim Sulton issued a solo LP in 1982, which contained the Canadian top 40 hit "Don't Break My Heart", and has toured as a band leader forMeat Loaf, and performed withJoan Jett and the Blackhearts,Scandal, Hall and Oates,Blue Öyster Cult, and others.
Though Utopia officially broke up in 1986, they reunited briefly in 1992, yielding the albumRedux '92: Live in Japan, but they were unable to secure a new label arrangement so they disbanded permanently. Various members have continued to work with Rundgren in the years since. In 2005, Rundgren and Sulton began working together again in a new lineup ofThe Cars using the nameThe New Cars. AfterElliot Easton broke his leftclavicle following a tour bus accident, The New Cars took a hiatus. During this hiatus, Kasim took on some work with Meat Loaf and Rundgren to supportBat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose.
Rundgren, Powell, and Sulton were reunited on stage during the debut live presentation of Rundgren'sA Wizard, a True Star presented by RundgrenRadio.com in 2009. Due to ongoing health issues with hearing loss and arthritis (which had precipitated his retirement from performing in the 1990s) Powell did not participate in the extended tour,[4] for which he was replaced by founding member Ralph Schuckett, continuing the trend of former Utopia members to remain connected musically.
On January 29–30, 2011, a reunion of most of the members of the 1974 Utopia Mark II band (Rundgren, Moogy Klingman, Ralph Schuckett, John Siegler, and Kevin Ellman) was held for two nights at the Highline Ballroom in New York City. Proceeds from the shows went to defray medical treatment for Klingman's bout with cancer. Material was drawn from the 1972–75 catalogs of Rundgren and Todd Rundgren's Utopia. This marked the first time this lineup performed together in over 35 years. Fellow musiciansJesse Gress and longtime Utopia (1977–86) memberKasim Sulton performed on some of the songs.[citation needed]
Ten months later, in November 2011, the band toured live as "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" for the first time since 1975, with the same lineup of Rundgren, Klingman, Schuckett, Siegler, Ellman, Gress and Sulton. Klingman died on November 15, 2011.
A 4-CD, 2-DVD box set entitled "Live From Peekskill and New York City, Todd Rundgren's Utopia - Benefit for Moogy Klingman," was released byPurple Pyramid Records in 2020. It includes the two complete shows from January 29, 2011, at the Highline Ballroom, New York and November 18, 2011, at The Peekskill Performing Arts Center, Peekskill New York.[citation needed]
In late 2017, Sulton put together a Utopia tribute band called Kasim Sulton's Utopia, made up of himself, Jesse Gress (guitar and vocals), Wade Preston (piano and vocals), Christopher Clark (synth and vocals) and Andy Ascolese (drums and vocals). This grouping began touring in February 2018.[5]
In February 2018, Utopia announced it would be touring as "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" starting that spring, with a lineup of Rundgren, Sulton, Wilcox, and Schuckett.[6] In March 2018, the band announced that Schuckett would not be able to participate, and called for keyboardists who are familiar with Utopia's catalog to submit audition tapes.[7] The band ultimately choseGil Assayas after one of Rundgren's sons saw him perform.[8]
In May 2018, the band performed at the Chicago Theater, which was recorded and released in April 2019 as a four-disc collection on both DVD & Blu-ray video format and two audio CDs, featuring the new line-up with Assayas on keyboards.
After bowing out of the group's 2018 reunion tour due to unspecified health issues, Ralph Schuckett died on April 7, 2021, at the age of 73.[9] No cause of death was announced. One time guitarist Jesse Gress also died in 2023 at the age of 67.[10]
| Years | Lineup | Albums |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 |
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| 1973–1975 |
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| 1975 |
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| 1975–1976 |
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| 1976–1982 |
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| 1982 |
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| 1982–1986 |
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| 1986–1992 | Disbanded | |
| 1992 |
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| 2009 | Surprise "reunion". Seven performances as the opening set for theA Wizard, a True Star Live shows
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| 2011 |
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| 2018 |
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| Utopia discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 10 |
| Live albums | 4 |
| Compilation albums | 4 |
| Singles | 3 |
The discography of Americanprogressive rock band Utopia includes ten studio albums, four live albums, four compilations, and three singles that charted on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100.
| Year | Album information | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [11] | CA [12] | UK [13] | ||
| 1974 | Todd Rundgren's Utopia
| 34 | 28 | – |
| 1976 (Unreleased) | Disco Jets
(Released as part of the Todd RundgrenDemos and Lost Albums 2-CD set) | – | – | – |
| 1977 | Ra
| 79 | – | 27 [14] |
Oops! Wrong Planet
| 73 | 66 | 59 | |
| 1979 | Adventures in Utopia
| 32 | 84 | 57 |
| 1980 | Deface the Music
| 65 | – | – |
| 1982 | Swing to the Right
| 102 | – | – |
Utopia
| 84 | – | – | |
| 1984 | Oblivion
| 74 | 94 | – |
| 1985 | P.O.V.
| 161 | – | – |
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USHot 100 [15] | USMSR [15] | CAN | |||
| 1977 | "Communion with the Sun" | – | – | – | Ra |
| "Love Is the Answer" | – | – | – | Oops! Wrong Planet | |
| 1980 | "Set Me Free" | 27 | – | 55 | Adventures in Utopia |
| "The Very Last Time" | 76 | – | – | ||
| "Second Nature" | – | – | – | ||
| "I Just Want to Touch You" | – | – | – | Deface the Music | |
| 1982 | "One World" | – | – | 34 | Swing to the Right |
| "Lysistrata" | – | – | – | ||
| "Hammer in My Heart" | – | 31 | – | Utopia | |
| 1983 | "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" | 82 | – | – | |
| 1984 | "Crybaby" | – | 30 | – | Oblivion |
| "Love with a Thinker" | – | – | – | ||
| 1985 | "Mated" | – | – | – | P.O.V. |
| National | |
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| Artists | |
