Blondie drummer Clem Burke passed away on April 7 at the age of 70 due to cancer, as announced in a statement by the band. Described in the statement as “the heartbeat of Blondie,” Burke leaves behind a legendary legacy that far outstretches just his contributions to the band.
Burke joined Blondie in 1975 after seeing an ad in the New York weekly alternative publication The Village Voice looking for a drummer with “freak energy”. He would remain the drummer of Blondie for the rest of his life.
Blondie emerged from the same dive bar, CBGB, as many other notable punk and new waves acts did, including the Ramones and Talking Heads. Burke’s Phil Spector-influenced drumbeat is the first sound you hear on Blondie’s debut single, “X Offender.”
Burke’s drumming style was a mix between the energetic and frenzied fervor of The Who’s Keith Moon and the steady time keeping and precision of the Beatles’ Ringo Starr, two of his biggest inspirations.
Other inspirations of his included the Wrecking Crew’s Hal Blaine and rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Earl Palmer. These varied influences were reflected in his ability to play in a wide variety of genres.
His drumming felt just as at home in a reggae song, like in their cover of “The Tide is High” by the Paragons, as it did in hip-hop tracks like Blondie’s “Rapture.” On their 1978 album, “Parallel Lines,” he goes from playing a double backbeat rock rhythm on “Sunday Girl” to delivering a disco groove to “Heart of Glass” on the very next track.
Not only did he have a diverse repertoire, but he could play in these styles as well as anyone. “Rapture” is considered the first song featuring rap lyrics to go to number one in America, while “Heart of Glass” remains a dance music classic.
One of his most enthusiastic beats came on “Dreaming” from Blondie’s 1979 album “Eat to the Beat.” Believing the band was just recording an initial run through of the song, he consciously overplayed because he thought that the result would never see the light of day.
Instead, the live recording was used as the backing track on the finished song. Because of these circumstances, the song completely captures Burke’s maximum ability as a drummer, delivering a blistering and unrestricted performance. The tom-heavy rhythm that begins the song and drives it throughout is one of his performances that was most clearly inspired by Moon.
Even though he purposefully overplayed, something Burke believed kept the song from being more commercially successful, “Dreaming” is now remembered by many as Burke’s best performance and one of Blondie’s greatest recordings.
Burke’s ability and joy for drumming were captured perfectly during a performance of “Dreaming” during Blondie’s 1980 appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” Wearing a shirt featuring an homage to the logo of The Who and Moon, the camera was locked in on Burke from the beginning of the performance.
Drummers are stereotypically thought of as the forgotten members of the band. Debbie Harry was one of the most iconic front people in the history of rock, someone whose fame transcended her music. Despite both of these factors, Burke is the star of the performance and demands attention throughout, as the camera continuously returns back to him.
He caps off the performance by jumping over his drum set to join the rest of the band at the front of the stage, almost in an act of triumph.
Between when Blondie split up after 1982 and when they reunited in 1997, Burke was one of the most sought-after session drummers in the industry for rock, new wave, and punk acts. He featured on recordings and performed live with well-known acts including Bob Dylan, Eurythmics, Iggy Pop and Joan Jett.
He was once a member of the Ramones for two gigs, using the stage name Elvis Ramone. He was also a member of the Romantics for 14 years, from 1990 to 2004. He continued to play live until his death, with the same intensity and punch that he showed at the beginning of his career.
Burke leaves behind a legacy as not only one of the most influential drummers of all time, but as someone whose passion for drumming was matched by nothing else. He was someone who would play with Blondie tribute bands just to get on stage and do what he loved.
He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Gloucestershire after participating in an eight-year study that examined the physical and psychological effects that performing has on professional drummers.
Burke’s entire life was drumming, something he took pride in and something he loved to do. Enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of Blondie, the reach of Burke’s influence has rivaled that of his own inspirations. He will forever be remembered as one of the greats and one who enjoyed every second of his time playing.