Clem Burke

From punk to disco and rockabilly to pop, Clem Burke has done it all. He tells Rhythm about grabbing your attention on Blondie’s new record and why it’s so hard to define his band and their sound.

- David West

Blondie have just arrived in London from Paris, where they played the night before, when Rhythm meets Clem Burke in a West London hotel. Stepping out of a taxicab, luggage in tow, Burke seems quite unfazed by the travelling, but then he’s practically a one-man rock’n’roll institution. While Blondie might be the band for which he’s best known, he’s worked with an exceptional collection of artists including rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson, The Eurythmics, Bob Dylan, The Romantics, Pete Townshend, Nancy Sinatra. When not with Blondie, he has two all-star super groups, The Empty Hearts and The International Swingers, or he’s inside a laboratory at Chichester University for the Clem Burke Drumming Project, exploring the physical and mental benefits of drumming. “There’s more to it than having a beer and walking on stage,” he says. In a world of identikit session musicians, Burke is a star in his own right. Perhaps it’s the influence of his heroes, Keith Moon and Ringo Starr. “They were rock’n’roll stars, they weren’t just the guy in the back,” says Burke. “I find that very inspiring. Keith, he had a presence, a style, he stood out. For drummers, that’s a pretty unique thing.” You can’t miss Burke behind the kit. The first track on Pollinator, Blondie’s new album, begins with Burke putting his unmistakeable stamp on the proceedings. It’s a return to form for the band on their 11th studio album, recorded at The Magic Shop in their New York City hometown.

Pollinator opens with a drum break! Whose idea was that?