How the CBGB shaped Blondie into legends: “That whole nucleus”
In the majority of instances, the reason a band or artist gets big is based on the strength of their recorded material, but Clem Burke of Blondie never seemed to see things that way.
Of course, the strength of early singles like ‘X Offender’, ‘Rip Her To Shreds’ and ‘Denis’ all played their part in helping the band gain a solid, if small, reputation for their work. These early singles proved to be relatively successful in certain overseas territories, with the latter of the three reaching number two in the UK upon its release in 1978, but they were yet to crack the mainstream in their home nation.
The band then went on to actually have success in the rest of the world with their breakout single, ‘Heart of Glass’, and its parent album, Parallel Lines. Hitting the top of the charts not only in the US but in six other major nations, it was clear that they’d struck gold with this new wave and disco hybrid track that oozed charm and confidence.
They’d essentially perfected their own new wave sound that was in vogue, and they’d done it at the right time for them to be able to hit their peak rather than missing the boat entirely. The world wasn’t quite ready for this new invention at the start of their career, as the public wasn’t quite done with punk, but they would later realise the artistic merit of what Blondie had to offer as the boundaries between these genres began to bleed.
However, despite them having honed their craft on record, another major part of their success was the live show, and drummer Burke always maintained that it was the fact that they were able to play early shows at the iconic New York nightclub, CBGB, that they even stood a chance in the first place.
Speaking to BBC Culture in 2024, Burke explained the importance of the club and how owner Hilly Kristal had fostered an environment that allowed people to be free in their creative outlets, playing exactly what they wanted rather than having to fit into a specific scene or archetype.
“It was like a rock ‘n’ roll high school,” the drummer reflected. “When you see people from back in the day, there’s a shared history right away, there’s a connection that endures. If we were not at CBGB, Blondie would not have had the success that we had – that was the stepping stone.”
He continued: “That whole nucleus of the first wave of bands created an energy that propelled us into international awareness. Without that whole contingent of bands, you wouldn’t have had the success of the few. All the bands propped one another up.”
Known for having propelled the likes of The Ramones and Talking Heads to greater levels of fame, and having played host to a number of other icons such as Lou Reed and Patti Smith, CBGB was the club that understood the New York underground scene better than anywhere else. Blondie may well have made it to the next level had they never been a part of this movement, but having so much other creativity to immerse themselves in around them at the club was arguably what made it a much easier and more tangible prospective.
