Clem Burke’s 10 favourite albums of all time: “It opened up my young mind”
As an early member of New York’s finest new wave band Blondie, Clem Burke transferred the furious energy of punk and the slinky sounds of new wave to create some of the best rock songs in history. Effortlessly fusing the hybrid duality of NYC’s nightlife, with punk and disco seemingly percolating within the drummer’s veins, Burke and his band were pioneers in their field.
It’s a unique position that saw the drummer become a guided member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Burke’s place as one of punk’s seminal percussionists is, like so much of his work, guaranteed by his appreciation of all types of music. Pulled together in a perfect playlist, it is one of the most truthful ways to pay tribute to Burke.
Blondie would make their name on a fusion of so many of the street sounds that swelled around them. From the Ramones to Talking Heads, NYC was brimming with creative talent, and Blondie, with the metronomic dancefloor beat of Clem Burke, were a shining light of the scene. The band soon became icons of the era and were heralded as the face of new wave.
The new wave icons gained their position through their effortless transfer from downtown to the top of the charts, and judging by the albums Burke selected as the most influential in his life, it’s clear he was consuming the best of the best from the early days. His ear for a pop beat that allowed the grandeur of Debbie Harry’s presence to fill every venue they set foot in can be seen across his selection, which not only pays tribute to the punk legends he shared a stage with but also the foundational rock heroes who carved the pathway for his success.
First up on the list from Golden Mine is the charming harmonies of The Four Seasons who, having come from New Jersey, offered a bit of competition for the British Invasion bands of the time. Burke said: “The production, vocals and musicianship were all fantastic, and what great songs! Once The Beatles showed up, I remember there being endless arguments at school over who were the superior group!” Blondie would even go on to cover the group’s track ‘Big Man in Town’.
Speaking of the Fab Four, the Liverpudlian act had an influence on almost every artist from the 1960s onwards, so it’s no surprise that two American-release only LPs have found their way on to Burke’s list. He picks Meet The Beatles and Introducing The Beatles which were both jam-packed with the dandy pop of Lennon, McCartney, Starr and Harrison.
Burke also picked The Beatles’ counterparts on the musical sphere in The Rolling Stones, opting for their LP England’s Newest Hitmakers. An album filled mainly with cover tracks, it offered a new generation of listeners a chance to connect with the Bluesmen of old. Burke remembered: “It opened up my young mind to artists such as Muddy Waters, Buddy Holly and Rufus Thomas. To this day, this might actually be my favourite Rolling Stones LP.”
The entire list does take a rather big shift following the selection of The Velvet Underground and Nico’s eponymous album, which soon sees the dirtier side of the New York streets start to rear its ugly head. Burke has one tied position, unable to decide on which The Stooges record to have on his list — caught between The Stooges and Funhouse — and also finds space for Iggy Pop’s friend and collaborator David Bowie.
Burke said in the feature that Bowie’s The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars: “I quite possibly might have to say that of all the records I’ve mentioned so far, this David Bowie album was for me the most life-changing of all. David, for me, connected the dots and influences to all the things I was listening to at the time.” For so many artists, the arrival of Bowie’s alter-ego was a life-changing moment. However, it would seem that Burke took it a little more to heart.
The drummer continued to share that one particular concert, Bowie at Carnegie Hall in 1972, not only changed his life but may well have changed some others too: “It turns out that a few of my future CBGB’s cohorts were also in attendance, including Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Joey Ramone, and, oh yeah, Andy Warhol, too.”
Most of those names would find credits on Burke’s next two selections. Picking the Ramones’ self-titled album, Burke says the punks are the second most influential bands of all time alongside The Beatles saying: “Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy changed the whole damn world!” And naturally, there was a final nod to the album that literally changed his life, Blondie’s own Parallel Lines.
He concluded: “On a personal note, this record really did change my life. Although we had some success in Europe with our two previous albums, this is the one that got us to number one in the USA with ‘Heart Of Glass.'”
It concludes a list of albums that would spice up any night on the tiles or otherwise. Filled to the brim with attitude, dripping with energy, with fervent style and distinct dancefloor sensibilities — but considering whose list it is, we should’ve guessed.
Clem Burke’s 10 favourite albums:
- The Four Seasons – Golden Hits
- The Beatles – Meet The Beatles
- The Rolling Stones – England’s Newest Hitmakers
- The Beatles – Introducing The Beatles
- The Who – The Who Sing My Generation
- The Velvet Underground & Nico – The Velvet Underground & Nico
- The Stooges – The Stooges and The Stooges – Fun House (tie)
- David Bowie – The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
- Ramones – Ramones
- Blondie – Parallel Lines
