Clive Bunker
Clive Bunker is most famously known as the drummer for the band Jethro Tull in the years 1967-1971, though he played for several other bands before and after his time with Jethro Tull. He also released a solo album in 1996. He was the co founder of Jethro Tull along with Glen Cornick, Mick Abrahams, and Ian Anderson. He stayed with the band through to its masterpiece album Aqualung and only left to get married and because he was starting to feel uncomfortable with the direction the band was going in after Aqualung. After leaving Jethro Tull, he played in a number of bands including Jude and Blodwyn Pig. Bunker also ran a dog kennel and pursued a career in engineering.
Clive Bunker is a blues enthusiast and Jethro Tull was an extension of his love. The band mixed folk music, blues, and rock and was very popular, touring America and producing several albums. He left the band when the music began to turn more towards progressive rock which was something that Bunker was uninterested in pursuing. He was still under contract though with Chrysalis Records which is why he began working with other bands and juggling that with his other work endeavors and his marriage. He also began shifting from blues to folk music, working with bands such as the Vikki Clayton Band and performing with his new band Twin Dragons.
Bunker was born in 1946 in Luton, England. He took up the drums as a serious musical profession when he partnered with Mick Abrahams to play around the town of Luton. This allowed him to get his mix and match drum kit which matched his mix and match style of playing. He also became friends with other drummers on the tour of the band and took/gave some inspiration from and to them. He left Jethro Tull cordially enough and went on to become more of a freelance drummer while enjoying married life and working on engineering. Although he is now divorced from his wife, he continues to perform in the function of a session drummer for people who ask him and otherwise enjoys a quiet life on his farm. He is a very popular session drummer though and often remarks on the offers that come pouring in for his work. He produced an album for “New Day” records and performs with his band Twin Dragons while working with other bands and performers as a session drummer.
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