The Blues Brothers: More Than Just Music

The Blues Brothers are more than just a band – they’re an institution. Formed in the 1970s, the group has been entertaining audiences for decades with their mix of blues, soul and R&B. In this blog post, we take a look at the history of the band and their impact on music.

The History of the Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers are an American institution. Though they started as a comedy act, they soon became one of the most popular and influential bands of the 20th century. The Blues Brothers have been credited with reviving the blues genre and bringing it to a new audience. In this article, we’ll explore the history of the Blues Brothers and their impact on music.

The Original TV Show

The Blues Brothers started as a sketch on Saturday Night Live in the late 1970s. The sketch featured John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as the titular brothers, Jake and Elwood. The two were on a “mission from God” to save the Catholic orphanage they were raised in. The sketch was so popular that it led to the release of an album, Briefcase Full of Blues, in 1978. This was followed by The Blues Brothers movie in 1980.

After Belushi’s death in 1982, Aykroyd continued to perform as the Blues Brother with various co-stars, including James Brown and Aretha Franklin. The band also released several more albums, including Made in America (1980) and Red, White & Blues (1992).

In 1998, Aykroyd and Jim Belushi (John’s brother) revived the Blues Brothers for a new generation with the release of the album House of Blue Lights. The album featured guest appearances from some of the biggest names in music, including B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, and Jon Bon Jovi.

The 1980 Movie

The 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers, is a comedy classic starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as “Joliet” Jake and Elwood Blues. The movie is set in Chicago and follows the Blues Brothers as they try to raise money to save the Catholic orphanage where they were raised. Along the way, they encounter plenty of obstacles, including corrupt police officers, rival gangs, and a soul food restaurant owner who wants them dead.

Despite its comedic elements, The Blues Brothers is also a pretty accurate portrayal of life in the Chicago blues scene in the 1970s. Many of the musicians who appear in the movie, including James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and John Lee Hooker, were already legends in the world of blues music. And the movie’s depiction of life in some of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods is pretty grim.

But at its heart, The Blues Brothers is a fun movie that features some great music. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it!

The Music of the Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers are more than just a band- they are an icon. The music of the Blues Brothers has been called “some of the most soulful ever put to film” and their sound has been described as a “unique brand of blues-infused R&B”. But what makes the music of the Blues Brothers so special?

The Blues Brothers Band

The Blues Brothers is more than just a movie — it’s a musical icon. The story of Jake and Elwood Blues, two brothers who start a band to save their childhood home, has become a classic. But the movie would not be nearly as popular without the music.

The Blues Brothers band was made up of some of the most popular and influential musicians of the time. Members included John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Steve Cropper, and Matt “Guitar” Murphy. With this star-studded lineup, it’s no wonder the movie’s soundtrack was so successful.

Hit songs from the movie include “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”, “Sweet Home Chicago”, and “Gimme Some Lovin’”. The soundtrack album went double platinum and reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.

In addition to the movie soundtrack, The Blues Brothers also released several live albums and a studio album. These albums were also commercially successful and helped to cement The Blues Brothers as one of the most iconic bands in history.

Other Artists

In addition to the original Blues Brothers band members, many well-known musicians made cameo appearances in the film. These included James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, John Lee Hooker, and Steve Cropper. Some of these artists also contributed to the film’s soundtrack album. The Blues Brothers was one of the first films to feature a significant number of cameo appearances by famous musicians.

The Legacy of the Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers is more than just a movie with great music, it’s a piece of American culture. The idea for the movie came from SNL sketches that were so popular they turned into a movie. The movie has since become a cult classic. The Blues Brothers are known for their great music, but they also have a legacy of bringing people together.

The Music

The Blues Brothers first gained notoriety as a musical act in the late 1970s, when they began performing on Saturday Night Live. Though their run on the show was relatively short, they quickly developed a large and devoted following, due in part to their hilarious antics and in part to their impressive musical chops.

The Blues Brothers were more than just a comedy act, though; they were also a legitimately great blues band. Their performances always featured tight musicianship, and they took care to choose songs that would showcase the unique talents of each member of the band. Over the course of their career, they released several successful albums and toured extensively, performing for sold-out crowds all over the world.

Though the original lineup of the Blues Brothers has long since disbanded, their legacy continues to live on through their music. Fans old and new can enjoy their recordings and performances, and be reminded of the joy that they brought to so many people.

The Movies

The first Blues Brothers movie was released in 1980 and was directed by John Landis. It starred John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as “Joliet” Jake and Elwood Blues, two white musicians who dress in black suits, sunglasses, and hats and drive a vintage police car while on a “mission from God” to save the Catholic orphanage where they were raised. The film also featured cameos from many famous musicians, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Cab Calloway, and John Lee Hooker.

The movie was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $115 million at the box office on a budget of just $30 million. It also spawned an album of the same name, which featured many of the songs used in the film (including covers of blues standards such as “Minnie the Moocher” and “Sweet Home Chicago”) as well as original material written by Landis and Aykroyd. The album was a hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard 200 chart and ultimately being certified platinum by the RIAA.

A sequel, Blues Brothers 2000, was released in 1998 without Belushi (who had died in 1982) but featuring Aykroyd and new co-stars including John Goodman, Joe Morton, Natalie Cole, and B.B. King. The film was not as successful as its predecessor, grossing just $54 million on a budget of $30 million.