Tony Sales (David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Todd Rundgren)

Tony Sales (David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Todd Rundgren) | Know Your Bass Player

Tony Sales (David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Todd Rundgren)

His overdriven, deep-in-the-pocket Bo Diddley / Armed Forces Signal Call inspired bass motif defines one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest anthems as rendered by the former James Newell Osterberg – “Lust For Life.”

Tony Fox Sales, son of the iconic comic Soupy, is among modern rock’s most inventive bassists. Given his show-business pedigree, Tony’s musical career took off at a relatively young age. With his drummer brother Hunt, Tony’s first band was aptly dubbed Tony and The Tigers, which featured guitarist Jon Pousette-Dart. They waxed a few singles and appeared on the Steve Allen Show, and Hullabaloo programs hosted by their dad’s famous pals.

At 19, Tony and Hunt anchored Todd Rundgren’s Runt ensemble, which cut two extraordinary slabs: Runt (1970) and The Ballad of Todd Rundgren (1971).

The Sales brothers hooked up with Iggy for Kill City (1975), Lust for Life (1977), and TV Eye (1978) and several tours with Bowie and the former Stooge.

Anchoring the unfairly maligned, still ahead-of-its-time Tin Machine collective with Hunt, David Bowie (sax/vocals), and virtuoso guitarist Reeves Gabrels, Tony rendered bass passages that belied harmonic tradition yet propelled the ensemble’s quirky canon by way of old school rhythm and blues phrasing throughout their triumvirate of absolutely essential releases; Tin Machine (1989), Tin Machine II (1991), and the live set Oi Vey Baby (1992).

Among Sales additional collaborations of note included Checqered Past with Michael Des Barres, Steve Jones, Nigel Harrison, and Clem Burke; and Hired Guns with Hunt.