| Clive Burr | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 8 1957 East Ham, London, England |
| Genre(s) | Heavy metal, hard rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Drums |
| Associated acts |
Iron Maiden Samson Praying Mantis Gogmagog Trust Elixir |
Clive Burr (born March 8 1957, East Ham, East London) was the drummer in the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Previously a member of Samson, Burr joined Iron Maiden in 1979. An acquaintance of then-Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton, Burr played on their first three records: Iron Maiden, Killers and their breakthrough release The Number of the Beast. Burr left the band in 1982 due to Iron Maiden's tour schedule and personal problems. He was replaced by the band's current drummer, Nicko McBrain. Burr wrote one song on The Number of the Beast, "Gangland", and another song, "Total Eclipse", that was cut from the album and showed up later as a b-side and on the Number Of The Beast remastered re-release. After leaving Iron Maiden, Burr briefly played in the French group Trust, thus switching places with McBrain. Burr was featured in the shortlived NWOBHM supergroup Gogmagog which also included ex-Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di'Anno. He also had a band known as Clive Burr's Escape (later known as Stratus), which disbanded after releasing one album. Clive then joined Dee Snider in his post-Twisted Sister outfit Desperado, which was never fully realized due to a falling out with the band's record company. Burr performed with British bands Elixir and Praying Mantis in the 1990s, but did not become a member of either. Burr has since been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the treatment of which left him deeply in debt. Iron Maiden staged a series of charity concerts and were involved in the founding of the Clive Burr MS Trust Fund. For several years, Iron Maiden tribute bands have staged a charity festival, Clive Aid, where they play and support Burr. Clive usually attends these festivals. Clive's signature white drumkit was donated to the Hard Rock Cafe in London in 2005.
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Clive Burr style of Drumming
Clive had a unique style of drumming when playing for Iron Maiden, often he would craft fills and beats which closely followed the riffs played by the bass and guitars. Excellent examples of this are "Phantom of the Opera","Wrathchild" and "Genghis Khan" - Iron maiden songs where the band played many pieces as a unit with the drums mimicking almost identically what was being played by the bass and guitars. This unique approach by Clive gave the band a very tight, clean recording and live sound. His style continued to develop on successive albums. By Iron Maiden's third album, the classic "The Number of the Beast," his playing was economical; tight but still exciting. Songs like "the Prisoner", "Number of the Beast" and "Run to the Hills" were played simply but aggressively which added to the overall sound of the album which became the biggest-selling album to date of Iron Maiden.
Equipment
Clive used Ludwig drums and Paiste Cymbals on the first two Maiden albums. His most recognised kit was his 1982 custom Tama kit used on the "Beast on the Road Tour": Bass Drum
22x16
Toms
8x9 10x9 12x11 13x12 16x16 18x16
Snare
14x6.5 (Ludwig Black Beauty)
4 Octobans Gong Bass Drum Camco Pedals Remo Skins Paiste 2002 Cymbals Crashes 17" 19" 21" 16"(RUDE) Ride 20" HiHats 14"x2 (Paiste 602) Chinas 22" 19" Ludwig kits: Clive had 2 Ludwig Maple drumsets; the earlier in an off-white color, the later in white cortex. His 2nd kit used the same sizes as his Tama, minus the gong drum and octobans. His 1st Ludwig kit, which he usually played without bottom heads, had the same sizes as his 2nd, but without the 8" tom, and a 14" added after the 13".
Discography
With Iron Maiden
- Iron Maiden (1980)
- Killers (1981)
- The Number of the Beast (1982)
With Gogmagog
- I Will Be There EP (1985)
With Desperado
- Bloodied, But Unbowed (1996)
