The Music of The Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers are one of the most iconic American bands of all time. Formed in 1978, the band helped to popularize the blues genre and bring it to a new audience. The band’s music is still beloved by fans today, and their legacy continues to influence musicians all over the world.

The History of The Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers are an American institution. The brainchild of comedic actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, the Blues Brothers first appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1978. Originally conceived as a one-off sketch, the Blues Brothers quickly became a cultural phenomenon, spawning two feature films, a successful album, and a touring band that continues to perform to this day. In this article, we’ll take a look at the history of the Blues Brothers and the music that made them famous.

The Original Blues Brothers

The Original Blues Brothers were an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live. Belushi and Aykroyd, respectively in character as lead vocalist “Joliet” Jake Blues and harmonica player/vocalist Elwood Blues, fronted the band, which was composed of well-known and respected musicians. The band made its film debut as the Bailey Brothers & The Chicago Heat Wave in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers, which starred Aykroyd and Belushi.

The first touring version of the group, formed in 1979 to support the film, featured Steve Cropper, Louie Anderson (later Matt “Guitar” Murphy), Donald “Duck” Dunn, Tom “Bones” Malone, Murphy Dunne, Alanrubin (later Paul Shaffer), Junior Wells (later Wilson Pickett) and Honi Coles. In addition to Cropper and Dunn from Booker T. & the MGs, musical director Paul Shaffer served as musical director for both the SNL sketches and appearances and for the band throughout its existence.

The Original Blues Brothers Band continued to tour throughout the 1980s with varying lineups including Steve Cropper, Donald Dunn, Tom “Bones” Malone (trombone), Matt “Guitar” Murphy (guitar), Alanrubin (keyboards)
and Murphy Dunne (keyboards).
In 1988 Aykroyd brought back several original members along with new musicians to record what would become The Blues Brothers’ final album—Made in America—released that same year. By 1987 most of the original members had left or died; however Aykroyd decided to keep touring under The Blues Brothers name after Belushi’s death away from comedy skits.

The 1980 Film

The 1980 film, entitled The Blues Brothers, starred John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as “Joliet” Jake and Elwood Blues, respectively. The film was directed by John Landis, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Aykroyd. In the film, the Blues Brothers are on a “mission from God” to save the Catholic orphanage in which they were raised. To do so, they must reunite their old band and put on a successful concert. Along the way, they encounter various obstacles, including a run-in with the law. The film also featured cameos from many famous musicians, including Ray Charles, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Cab Calloway.

The Music of The Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers are an American blues band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a sketch on Saturday Night Live. The band made its film debut in 1980 with the release of The Blues Brothers, which featured the band’s renditions of several classic blues and R&B songs. The film’s soundtrack, released in 1980, was a commercial success and received critical acclaim.

The Soundtrack

The soundtrack to The Blues Brothers was released on June 20, 1980, by Atlantic Records. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The album featured songs performed by the film’s fictional band, The Blues Brothers, which was composed of John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.

The soundtrack was recorded in multiple studios across the United States and featured a wide range of musical genres, including rhythm and blues, soul, gospel and pop. Many of the tracks were recorded live with little or no overdubbing. The album features performances by several well-known musicians, including James Brown, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.

The Score

The Music of The Blues Brothers is a compilation album of music used in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. The majority of the tracks are sung by the film’s stars, Jake Blues (John Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd), with other tracks being sung by various blues and soul performers. The album was released on June 20, 1980, by Atlantic Records.

The score for The Blues Brothers was composed and conducted by Elmer Bernstein, with additional music provided by Paul Shaffer and the SNL Band. The score features a mix of blues, soul, and gospel music, with Bernstein incorporating various musical styles to reflect the different genres represented in the film.

The Influence of The Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by John Landis. The film stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as “Joliet” Jake and Elwood Blues, respectively. The film’s soundtrack features several noted blues, soul, and R&B performers. The music of The Blues Brothers has had a significant impact on the blues genre.

On Popular Culture

The Blues Brothers are a band that has had a profound influence on popular culture. The band was formed in 1978 by brothers Jake and Elwood Blues, who were portrayed by actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. The band’s music combines elements of blues, soul, and R&B, and their live performances are known for their high energy.

The Blues Brothers have been credited with helping to revive interest in the blues genre, and their popularity has led to them being referenced in a variety of media. They have been featured in TV shows, movies, video games, and even commercials. The band’s legacy continues to influence popular culture, and they are recognized as one of the most successful blues bands of all time.

On Music

The Blues Brothers are a musical comedy act originally conceived by Comedy Store founders and improvisational comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live. Belushi and Aykroyd, respectively in character as lead vocalist “Joliet” Jake Blues and harpist/vocalist Elwood Blues, fronted the band, which was composed of well-known and respected musicians. The band was originally intended to only appear once on the show, but the overwhelming positive reaction from viewers led to its incorporation into subsequent episodes during the show’s first season, including an appearance at the end of the original episode where they sang ” Rawhide” under severe time pressure.

The first proper performance of The Blues Brothers as a band occurred on April 22, 1978, at Paul’s Mall in Boston. The set list consisted mostly of blues standards; the only original composition was Aykroyd’s “I Don’t Know”, which he had written for the band Willie Dixon’sreview of his album Hard Again. The set also included a cover of Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man”.

The group’s first album, Briefcase Full of Blues, was released on November 20, 1978. It reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 200 album chart and went platinum, selling over two million copies. The album featured live versions of songs previously seen in the SNL sketches—including “Soul Man”, “She Caught the Katy”, “Rubber Biscuit”, and “Sweet Home Chicago”—as well as new studio recordings, such as “”I Can’t Turn You Loose” and Otis Redding’s “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”. In 1980, The Blues Brothers starred in their own feature film, directed by John Landis and featuring cameo appearances by many musicians including Ray Charles, James Brown, Aretha Franklin,, Carrie Fisher,, Twiggy,, Murphy Dunne (of Chicago) , Floyd County James Cunningham (of Muddy Waters’ band), Steve Cropper,, Donald Dunn,, Tom Malone,, Matt “Guitar” Murphy,, Steve Jordan,, Alan Rubin,, Willie Hall (of Booker T. & the MGs), Lou Marini , Jr., David Miner , Paul Shaffer (of Saturday Night Live), Jackie Vernon , Franklin Ajaye , Kathleen Freeman Revert AND MANY OTHERS!. Based on characters created by Aykroyd and Belushi, The Blues Brothers also featured non-musical cameos from big names like John Candy Joan Rivers John Lee Hooker Carrie Fisher Twiggy Cab Calloway Aretha Franklin James Brown Steve Lawrence Chaka Khan Henry Gibson Paul ReubensKRISTOFFERSON SAM MOORE MURPHY DUNNE JAMES CUNNINGHAM TOM MALONE DONALD DUNN STEVE CROPPER FLOYD COUNTY JAMES LOU MARINI JR PAUL SHAFFER KATHLEEN FREEMAN JOHN LEE HOOKER CHAKA KHAN FRANKLIN AJAYE WILLIE HALL SAM & DAVE AL KOOPER AEROSMITH Ray Charles Booker T. & the MG’S Jake And Elwood visit their childhood home Ray’s Music Exchange Oxford University Press