The Music of the Blues Brothers

The Music of the Blues Brothers is a compilation album of songs by the Blues Brothers, released in 1978. The album peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

The Birth of the Blues Brothers

In 1978, Saturday Night Live introduced the world to “the Blues Brothers” – two white guys in black suits (and hats) who loved soul music. The characters, played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, were an immediate hit, and their popularity led to the release of a successful album, Briefcase Full of Blues, in 1978. The album featured original songs as well as cover versions of classic soul and R&B tunes.

The success of the album led to a movie contract, and in 1980 the Blues Brothers hit the big screen with a big budget and an even bigger cast. The movie featured cameos from some of the biggest names in music, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Cab Calloway. The soundtrack was equally star-studded, with contributions from Paul Shaffer, Donald Fagen, and Steve Cropper.

The movie was a box office success, and the Blues Brothers became one of the most popular comedy acts of the 1980s. They continued to tour and release albums throughout the decade, before Belushi’s untimely death in 1982 brought an end to the act.

The Music of the Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers are an American musical comedy group who began as characters on a sketch on Saturday Night Live. The group was founded in 1978 by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as “Brothers in Arms”, and they released their first album, Briefcase Full of Blues, in 1978. The album was a commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart.

The Band

The Band was an American rock and roll band formed in Toronto, Canada in 1968. The group originally consisted of five musicians: brothers Levon Helm and Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, and Robbie Robertson. The Band is best known for their work with Bob Dylan in the 1960s and 1970s, and their own hits such as “The Weight”, “Up on Cripple Creek”, and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”.

The Songs

The Blues Brothers is a 1980 American musical crime comedy film directed by John Landis. It features the fictional ” blues band” of Jake and Elwood Blues, played by actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. The film is set in and around Chicago, Illinois, where it was filmed. It features musical numbers by rhythm and blues (R&B), soul, and blues singers James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and John Lee Hooker. The film’s soundtrack album, released on Atlantic Records in 1980, was a major success. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in January 1981 and was certified as a platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album sold more than three million copies in the United States alone.

The movie was one of the most popular films of 1980, earning more than $115 million worldwide in box office receipts. The film received mixed reviews from critics but has since been reappraised as one of the best films of the 1980s. In 1998, it was ranked number 38 on the American Film Institute’s (AFI) list of the 100 greatest American movies of all time; it maintained that ranking in AFI’s 2007 update. In 2016, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in its National Film Registry; it is one of only 700 movies to be so honored.

The Legacy of the Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers are one of the most iconic and influential bands of all time. They have been credited with helping to revive interest in the blues genre and their music has been featured in many films and television shows. The band was formed in 1978 by brothers John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.

The Movies

The Blues Brothers is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by John Landis. It stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as “Joliet” Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from “The Blues Brothers” recurring musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. The film’s screenplay was written by Aykroyd and Landis. It features musical numbers by rhythm and blues (R&B), soul, and pop performers, including Ray Charles, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, and John Lee Hooker. The film is set in and around Chicago, Illinois, where it was filmed.

It features cameos by R&B and soul legends such as John Lee Hooker, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, James Brown as Reverend Cleophus James (giving one of the most energetic performances in the whole film), Ray Charles as the music-store owner Ray (performing a piano duel with Elwood), boxer Joe Frazier as a truck driver named Marion Deluxe (who does not intend to fight Jake until told to do so by Mrs..) Curtis Mayfield as a snack bar attendant named Sly (whose car is stolen by the Bluesmobile), Steve Cropper and Donald “Duck” Dunn of Booker T. & the MGs (as themselves) playing in the band at tremendous speeds during Rawhide, Matt “Guitar” Murphy as Murphy (the leader of the band at Bob’s Country Bunker), Twiggy as Siren #1 in Respect and Aretha Franklin as Mrs. Murphy—the first woman ever to receive screen credit for singing backing vocals on a hit recording (“Thinking”)—as well as on-screen performing Think in the movie itself with backing vocals being sung by The Sweet Inspirations which included member Cissy Houston who is Whitney Houston’s mother.

The TV Show

The TV show ran for four episodes in 1980 on NBC. The characters of Jake and Elwood were played by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, who also starred in the original movie. The show featured musical guests such as Ray Charles, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Cab Calloway. The plot of the show revolved around the Brothers trying to raise money to save the orphanage they were raised in.

The Music

The musical style of the Blues Brothers was a mixture of blues, soul, rhythm and blues (R&B), and rock and roll. The band was formed in 1978 as part of a comedy routine on Saturday Night Live. The original members were John Belushi as “Joliet” Jake Blues and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues. The band became successful with their 1980 debut album, Briefcase Full of Blues, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band’s first film, The Blues Brothers (1980), was a critical and commercial success, grossing $115 million at the box office.

In the early days of their career, the Blues Brothers were supported by legendary musicians such as James Brown,Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, and others. These musicians helped to create the distinctive sound of the band.

The Blues Brothers have been cited as an influence by many musicians, including George Clinton, ZZ Top, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and Tom Petty.