Clive Bunker
The powerhouse drummer whose propulsive, blues-infused swing provided the rhythmic backbone for Jethro Tull's groundbreaking early sound.
Born 1946 (age 80)·English rock drummer·Birthday: December 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Before Jethro Tull became a progressive rock institution, it was a fiery blues band, and Clive Bunker was its engine room. Joining alongside frontman Ian Anderson and guitarist Mick Abrahams, Bunker's drumming was all about feel rather than flash, a muscular, jazz-tinged swing that drew deeply from heroes like Ginger Baker and Buddy Rich. His work on the band's debut, 'This Was,' is a masterclass in blues-rock propulsion, driving songs like 'My Sunday Feeling' with a relentless, infectious energy. Bunker was the perfect collaborator for that formative era, providing a solid yet adventurous foundation for Anderson's flute theatrics and Abrahams' searing guitar. Though his tenure with the band was relatively short, ending after the classic 'Aqualung' album, his impact was indelible. He helped shape the band's initial identity, proving that rock drumming could be both powerfully simple and subtly sophisticated.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Clive was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clive Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Clive's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was the original drummer for Jethro Tull, playing on their first four albums including the landmark 'Aqualung'.
- His drumming is featured on the classic Jethro Tull tracks 'A Song for Jeffrey,' 'Living in the Past,' and 'My Sunday Feeling.'
- Co-wrote the song 'Dharma for One' which appeared on Jethro Tull's debut album, 'This Was.'
- Later enjoyed a successful career as a session musician and drum tutor after leaving the band.
Did You Know?
He was originally hired by Jethro Tull after being recommended by guitarist Mick Abrahams, who had seen him play in a club.
Bunker is left-handed but plays a right-handed drum kit.
After leaving Jethro Tull, he played with bands like Blodwyn Pig and worked extensively in music education.
He named jazz great Buddy Rich as a primary influence, alongside rock drummers like Ginger Baker.
“The groove came from the blues, that deep pocket where the feeling lives.”
