Clem Burke, drummer for Blondie, dies, aged 70

[ElectricBlue]

Sad news.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-08/blondie-clem-burke-dies-aged-70/105149478

 

[AllenWoody]

One of my favorite bands of all time. I know it's a cliche but their early albums were probably their best, especially Plastic Letters and Parallel Lines. I saw them live in the mid-eighties. Deborah Harry is petite, but had a powerful stage presence and put on a great show.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Clem Burke drove that band musically through all of their styles, keeping that ragged bar band together, whether it was reggae like Tide is High, rock like Detroit 442 or Hanging on the Telephone, disco like Heart of Glass, funk like Hardest Part, surf like Dreaming or ballads like In the Flesh or Union City Blue. He kicked serious ass. Great talent. There would be no Blondie without Clem Burke.

 

[StillStunned]

Whenever I watch Blondie videos on YouTube, it seems half the comments are "Debbie Harry is gorgeous" and the other half are "Clem Burke is a god!"

Sad that such an important element in one of the defining sounds of my youth is gone.

 

[lovecraft68]

Debbie Harry was my first crush, meaning the first band who's albums I either borrowed from older cousins or scrapped up to by with my allowance. Harry was the face, but Clem drove the band.

I never think of my age until my daughter's birthday's roll around (My oldest turned 35 in March, #2 will be 32 this month and I'll be 57 this week. )

Same with the music and movies I grew up with, you hear an album you bought turned 45 and I'm like damn, and of course seeing those people get older or pass gives you that 'wow, time is flying' feeling

RIP

 

[pink_silk_glove]

A couple of unforgettable tracks featuring Clement Burke.

Pure surf pop energy.

Especially love this one, it changes between funk, pounding rock and groovy disco. You can't not shake to this (and great lyrics too).

 

[ElectricBlue]

Whenever I watch Blondie videos on YouTube, it seems half the comments are "Debbie Harry is gorgeous" and the other half are "Clem Burke is a god!"

Sad that such an important element in one of the defining sounds of my youth is gone.

Have pity on us old farts who had to see Keith Moon depart, followed not long after by John Bonham. Too fucking young, those guys!

And the even older, who copped Jones, Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison all in a row.

Funnily enough, the one I remember most vividly, because I can still picture the dining hall that day at breakfast, was when someone came in and said Elvis Presley had died. That felt strange.

 

[SimonDoom]

A couple of unforgettable tracks featuring Clement Burke.

Pure surf pop energy.

Especially love this one, it changes between funk, pounding rock and groovy disco. You can't not shake to this (and great lyrics too).

I was focusing on the drums on both of them, and I marvel at how he could make it through a whole concert playing that way.