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 is set in and around Chicago, Illinois, where it was filmed. The film's screenplay was written by Aykroyd and Landis. It features musical numbers by rhythm and blues (R&B), soul, and blues singers James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Chaka Khan, and John Lee Hooker. It features non-musical supporting performances by Carrie Fisher, Henry Gibson, Charles Napier and John Candy.
Introduction
The Blues Brothers (film)
The Blues Brothers (film) | Introduction
By rhythm and blues (R&B), soul, and blues singers James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Chaka Khan, and John Lee Hooker The Blues Brothers. It features musical numbers by rhythm and blues (R&B), soul, and blues singers James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Chaka Khan, and John Lee Hooker. God Music.
how much did the blues brothers movie cost to make
user
More than $17.5 million
assistant
who directed it?
user
John Landis
assistant
who did its background score?
user
The film's score includes "God Music" (instrumental with choir vocalese) composed by Elmer Bernstein, who previously had worked with John Landis on "National Lampoon's Animal House". Other songs in the film include:
The Blues Brothers (film) | Other songs in the film
"Time" magazine's Richard Corliss wrote, ""The Blues Brothers" is a demolition symphony that works with the cold efficiency of a Moog synthesizer gone sadistic". Janet Maslin of "The New York Times" criticized the film for shortchanging viewers on more details about Jake and Elwood's affinity for African-American culture. She also took director Landis to task for "distracting editing", mentioning the Soul Food diner scene in which saxophonist Lou Marini's head is out of shot as he dances on the counter. In the documentary, "Stories Behind the Making of The Blues Brothers", Landis acknowledges the criticism while stating “Everybody has his opinion”, and Marini recalls the dismay he felt at seeing the completed film.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Critical reception
A number of regular Blues Brothers' members, including saxophonist Tom Scott and drummer Steve Jordan, perform on the soundtrack album, but are not in the film. According to Landis in the 1998 documentary "The Stories Behind the Making of 'The Blues Brothers", filmed musical performances by Franklin and Brown took more effort, as neither artist was accustomed to lip-synching their performances on film. Franklin required several takes, and Brown simply rerecorded his performance live. Cab Calloway initially wanted to do a disco variation on his signature tune, "Minnie the Moocher", having done the song in several styles in the past, but Landis insisted that the song be done faithful to the original big-band version.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Soundtrack
One day after the editing was done, Wasserman invited Landis up to his office to speak with Ted Mann, head of the Mann Theatres chain, which dominated film exhibition in the Western United States. He told Landis that he would not book the film at any theaters in predominantly white neighborhoods, such as Westwood. Not only did Mann not want black patrons going there to see the film, he surmised that white viewers were unlikely to see a film featuring older black musical stars. Ultimately "The Blues Brothers" got less than half the bookings nationwide for its initial release than a typical big-budget studio film of the era, which did not bode well for its success at the box office.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Post-production
The start of filming was delayed when Aykroyd, new to film screenwriting, took six months to deliver a long and unconventional script that Landis had to rewrite before production, which began without a final budget. On location in Chicago, Belushi's partying and drug use caused lengthy and costly delays that, along with the destructive car chases depicted onscreen, made the final film one of the most expensive comedies ever produced.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Introduction
Director John Landis mentioned this to Candy, who improvised the exchange.
Orange Whip | "The Blues Brothers"
In addition to the soundtrack, there are songs that appear in the film as background music that do not feature on the soundtrack. They include:
Blues Brothers 2000 (soundtrack) | Other songs in the film
The film received mixed reviews, averaging a 46% positive rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 46 reviews, and a critical consensus that reads "Braving onward without the late John Belushi, "Blues Brothers 2000" gets the band back together with a spirited soundtrack, but a mission that's far less divine". It earned a D score from Entertainment Weekly. Roger Ebert gave the film 2 stars, saying, "The film is lame comedy surrounded by high-energy blues (and some pop, rock and country music)." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B-" on an A+ to F scale.
Blues Brothers 2000 | Critical reception
Blues Brothers 2000 is a 1998 American musical comedy film that is a sequel to the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers", written and produced by John Landis and Dan Aykroyd. Directed by Landis, the film stars Aykroyd and John Goodman, with cameo appearances by various musicians. The film is dedicated to John Belushi, Cab Calloway, and John Candy, cast members from the original film who had died prior to the sequel's production, as well as Junior Wells, who died one month before it was released.
Blues Brothers 2000 | Introduction
Brothers Blue (Italian: "Blu Gang - E vissero per sempre felici e ammazzati") is a 1973 Italian spaghetti western film directed by Luigi Bazzoni. For this film Tony Renis won the Nastro d'Argento for Best Score.
Brothers Blue | Introduction
Landis' difficulties continued even after principal photography was completed. The first cut of the film lasted two and a half hours, with an intermission. After one early screening, Wasserman demanded it be shortened, and 20 minutes were cut. The film's final budget was $27.5 million (equivalent to $ million in ), $10 million over its original budget. Prospects for a successful release did not look good. Aykroyd and Belushi had left "SNL" at the end of the previous season, reducing their bankability. Belushi's fame had taken a further hit after the commercial and critical failure of "1941" at the end of the year.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Post-production
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 is set in and around Chicago, Illinois, where it was filmed. The film's screenplay was written by Aykroyd and Landis. It features musical numbers by rhythm and blues (R&B), soul, and blues singers James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Chaka Khan, and John Lee Hooker. It features non-musical supporting performances by Carrie Fisher, Henry Gibson, Charles Napier and John Candy.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Introduction
In a March 2011 interview with "Ain't it Cool News", Landis also mentioned he had approved the Blu-ray's remastered transfer. On May 19, 2020, the movie was given a 4K UHD release, it has a new 4K remaster from the original negative and the extended footage was remastered from the same archived print as well.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Home media
This is the first official release to feature John Goodman after his first performance with the band at the House of the Blues in Los Angeles in 1995.
Blues Brothers 2000 (soundtrack) | Introduction
When the film was first screened for a preview audience, a producer demanded that director Landis cut 25 minutes from the film. After trimming 15 minutes, it was released in theaters at 132 minutes. It was first released on VHS and Betamax from MCA Videocassette Inc. in 1983. A Laserdisc from MCA Videodisc was released the same year. It was re-released on VHS, Laserdisc, and Betamax in 1985 from MCA Home Video, and again in 1990 from MCA/Universal Home Video. It was also released in a 2-Pack VHS box set with "Animal House". The film's original length was restored to 148 minutes for the "Collector's Edition" DVD and a Special Edition VHS and Laserdisc release in 1998.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Home media
Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film three out of four stars, praising it for its energetic musical numbers and "incredible" car chases. Ebert further noted "Belushi and Aykroyd come over as hard-boiled city guys, total cynics with a world-view of sublime simplicity, and that all fits perfectly with the movie's other parts. There's even room, in the midst of the carnage and mayhem, for a surprising amount of grace, humor, and whimsy." In his review for "The Washington Post", Gary Arnold criticized Landis for engorging "the frail plot of "The Blues Brothers" with car chases and crack-ups, filmed with such avid, humorless starkness on the streets of Chicago that comic sensations are virtually obliterated".
The Blues Brothers (film) | Critical reception
The soundtrack is a mix of rock and roll and rhythm and blues with the original score created by film composer Elmer Bernstein, who had been a Landis family friend since John Landis was a child. Bernstein was easily persuaded to score the film, but was not sure what to make of it. Similar to his preferring dramatic actors for the comedy, Landis asked Bernstein to score it as though it were serious. He adapted the "Faber College Theme" from the "Academic Festival Overture" by Brahms, and said that the film opened yet another door in his diverse career, to scoring comedies.
Animal House | Soundtrack and score
"The Blues Brothers" received mostly positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 84% "Certified Fresh" rating, based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 7.08/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Too over the top for its own good, but ultimately rescued by the cast's charm, director John Landis' grace, and several soul-stirring musical numbers." It won the Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing and Sound Effects, is 14th on "Total Film" magazine's "List of the 50 Greatest Comedy Films of All Time" and is number 69 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies". Metacritic gave the film a score of 60 based on 12 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
The Blues Brothers (film) | Critical reception
Belushi's friend John Landis, who directed the actor in the films "National Lampoon's Animal House" (1978) and "The Blues Brothers" (1980), refused to have his name incorporated into "Wired" and threatened to sue for invasion of privacy, causing the producers to label a generic name on the film director who appears in the film. As played by Jon Snyder, the director is an obvious lookalike of Landis during the "Blues Brothers" sequence, and in the scene where he is walking across the movie set, a helicopter can be heard in the background (a reference to the fatal helicopter accident that occurred when Landis filmed "").
Wired (film) | Family and friends' reactions
The score was composed by Nino Rota.
Rocco and His Brothers | Introduction
It also featured the screen debuts of John Belushi, Karen Allen and Kevin Bacon. In 1980, Landis co-wrote and directed "The Blues Brothers", a comedy starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. It featured musical numbers by R&B and soul legends James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker. It was, at the time, one of the most expensive films ever made, costing almost $30 million (for comparison, Steven Spielberg's contemporary film "1941" cost $35 million). It is speculated that Spielberg and Landis engaged in a rivalry, the goal of which was to make the more expensive film.
John Landis | 1978–1981
Pop artist and producer Richard Chester composed the official score.
Red White &amp; Blue (film) | Soundtrack
Mike Matessino performed the restoration and remastering, making this the definitive release of this score, with vastly improved sound. André Previn chose an extended passacaglia from the score to perform on his television program "Previn and the Pittsburgh" in 1978 on the episode "Music that Made the Movies".
The Blue Max | Music
John Landis grew up near Bernstein, and befriended him through his children. Years later, he requested that Bernstein compose the music for "National Lampoon's Animal House", over the studio's objections. He explained to Bernstein that he thought that Bernstein's score, playing it straight as if the comedic Delta frat characters were actual heroes, would emphasize the comedy further. The opening theme to the movie is based upon a slight inversion of a secondary theme from Brahms's "Academic Festival Overture". Bernstein accepted the job, and it sparked a second wave in his career, where he continued to compose music for high-profile comedies such as "Ghostbusters", "Stripes", "Airplane!" and "The Blues Brothers", as well as most of Landis's films for the next 15 years, including the famed music video to the Michael Jackson song "Thriller".
Elmer Bernstein | Association with John Landis
Music was originally conceived as a major component of the film, not merely as a background or a support. Producer and musician T Bone Burnett worked with the Coens while the script was still in its working phases and the soundtrack was recorded before filming commenced. Much of the music used in the film is period-specific folk music, including that of Virginia bluegrass singer Ralph Stanley. The musical selection also includes religious music, including Primitive Baptist and traditional African American gospel, most notably the Fairfield Four, an "a cappella" quartet with a career extending back to 1921 who appear in the soundtrack and as gravediggers towards the film's end.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Music
Brunner). It is featured in the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers", where it is performed by James Brown with the Rev. James Cleveland Choir. It also appears on the film's soundtrack album.
Let Us Go Back to the Old Landmark | Introduction
The score was allowed to develop in directions unconstrained by the original film's narrative and the cover art is a photograph of Murphy's son, taken by his wife through her sunglasses.
John Murphy (composer) | Background
The following lists out the films in which Johnson composed the background score but not songs.
Johnson (composer) | Original scores
At Aykroyd's demand, soul and R&B stars James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin were cast in speaking parts to support musical numbers built around them. This caused friction between Landis and Universal later in the production, as its costs far exceeded the original budget. Since none of them except Charles had had any hits in recent years, the studio wanted the director to replace them with – or add performances by – younger acts, such as Rose Royce, whose "Car Wash" had made them disco stars after its use in the 1976 film of that name. Other musicians in the cast include Big Walter Horton, Pinetop Perkins, and John Lee Hooker (who performed "Boom Boom" during the Maxwell Street scene).
The Blues Brothers (film) | Casting
During a song by the Blues Brothers (a Caribbean number called "Funky Nassau"), a character played by Paul Shaffer asks to cut in on keyboards, which Murph allows. This marks the first time in a film that the Blues Brothers play with their original keyboardist.
The Blues Brothers | "Blues Brothers 2000"
In 1980, The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis, was released. It featured epic car chases involving the Bluesmobile and musical performances by Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker. The story is set in and around Chicago, Illinois. It is a tale of redemption for the paroled convict Jake Blues and his brother Elwood, who after a visit to Sister Mary Stigmata (Kathleen Freeman), otherwise known as "The Penguin" at the Catholic orphanage where they grew up, choose to take on a "mission from God" and reform their old blues band in order to raise funds to save the orphanage.
The Blues Brothers | "The Blues Brothers"
The title was inspired by the 1980 movie "The Blues Brothers", which starred Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi.
Connie McBooker | Introduction
The score for the film was composed and conducted by David Raksin, with orchestrations by Robert Franklyn and Ruby Raksin. Of his music, Raksin said "My music was sly and a mite jazzy, and despite the fact that everyone seemed to like it, so did I." The complete score was issued on CD in 2009, on Film Score Monthly records.
Pat and Mike | Music
The 1998 sequel, "Blues Brothers 2000", had similar traits to the original, including large car-chase scenes and musical numbers. Landis returned to direct the film and Aykroyd reprised his role, joining John Goodman, Joe Morton, and 10-year-old J. Evan Bonifant as the new Blues Brothers. Franklin and Brown were among the celebrities returning from the first film. There were also musical performances by Sam Moore, Wilson Pickett, Paul Shaffer, B.B. King, and Eric Clapton, among others. Dozens of artists were packed into an all-star band called The Louisiana Gator Boys. Even with many returning cast members, the film was considered a box-office failure, only generating a little over $14 million in sales, and critics' reactions were negative.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Sequel
Credits are adapted from AllMusic.
Brothers (soundtrack) | Personnel
While not all members appeared in the original film, the full band included:
The Blues Brothers | Original lineup
On the former issue, Universal head Lew Wasserman thought the film could be made for $12 million; the filmmakers wanted $20 million. It would be impossible to settle on a specific amount without a screenplay to review, and after Mitch Glazer declined to help him, Aykroyd wrote one on his own.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Origins
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is the soundtrack album of music from the 2000 American film of the same name, written, directed and produced by the Coen Brothers and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Goodman. The film is set in Mississippi during the Great Depression. The soundtrack, produced by T-Bone Burnett, uses bluegrass, country, gospel, blues, and folk music appropriate to the time period. With the exception of a few vintage tracks (such as Harry McClintock's 1928 single "Big Rock Candy Mountain"), most tracks are modern recordings. The soundtrack was reissued on August 23, 2011, with 14 new tracks that were not included in the original album, "including 12 previously unreleased cuts from music producer T-Bone Burnett's "O Brother" sessions."
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (soundtrack) | Introduction
The film has an original score by New York artist P.T. Walkley with additional songs, also by P. T. Walkley. The film also features the song "Amulet Reprise" by Natacha Atlas and "Make Some Noise" by Grandmaster Caz, as well as the 1927 "Rock Island Blues" by Furry Lewis.
Blue Gold: American Jeans | Original score
The score was composed by Thomas Newman, with two songs by Richard Ashcroft ("Future's Bright" for the opening sequence; "Are You Ready?" for the closing credits).
The Adjustment Bureau | Music
"The Blues Brothers" has become a staple of late-night cinema, even slowly morphing into an audience-participation show in its regular screenings at the Valhalla Cinema, in Melbourne, Australia. John Landis acknowledged the support of the cinema and the fans by a phone call he made to the cinema at the 10th-anniversary screening, and later invited regular attendees to make cameo appearances in "Blues Brothers 2000". The fans act as the members of the crowd during the performance of "". In August 2005, a 25th-anniversary celebration for "The Blues Brothers" was held at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Attendees included Landis, former Universal Studios executive Thom Mount, film editor George Folsey, Jr., and cast members James Brown, Henry Gibson, Charles Napier, Steve Cropper, and Stephen Bishop.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Cult-film status
The score was composed by Thomas Barquee, record producer Steve Gurevitch and the brothers David Wurst and Eric Wurst.
Final Examination (film) | Soundtrack
The Belic brothers shot the film with two Hi8 camcorders and edited it themselves. They were allowed to edit the film during nighttime at a professional editing facility. It took them three and a half years to finish the film after they shot it. All this time they lived on $500 a month in an apartment above an auto repair shop. Christopher Nolan, a longtime friend of the brothers, is credited for his "editorial assistance".
Genghis Blues | Production
The DVD and Laserdisc versions included a 56-minute documentary called "The Stories Behind the Making of The Blues Brothers". Produced and directed by JM Kenny (who also produced the "Animal House" Collector's Edition DVD the same year), it included interviews with Landis, Aykroyd, members of The Blues Brothers Band, producer Robert K. Weiss, editor George Folsey Jr., and others involved with the film. It also included production photographs, the theatrical trailer, production notes, and cast and filmmaker bios. The 25th-anniversary DVD release in 2005 included both the theatrical cut and the extended version. The film was released on Blu-ray on July 26, 2011, with the same basic contents as the 25th-anniversary DVD.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Home media
Music composed by Raj-Koti. All songs are blockbusters. Music released on SUPREME Music company. Song Priya Ragaaley's theme music based on the song white whisper released in 1992 by the French musical group Deep forest.
Hello Brother (1994 film) | Soundtrack
Along the way, the brothers are targeted by a "mystery woman" (Carrie Fisher) and chased by the Illinois State Police, a country and western band called the Good Ol' Boys, and "Illinois Nazis". The film grossed $57 million domestically in its theatrical release, making it the 10th highest-grossing movie of 1980, and grossed an additional $58 million in foreign release. It is the second-highest grossing film based on a "Saturday Night Live" sketch and ninth-highest grossing musical film.
The Blues Brothers | "The Blues Brothers"
It featured a press conference, a panel discussion where Dan Aykroyd joined by satellite, and a screening of the original theatrical version of the film. The panel discussion was broadcast direct to many other cinemas around the country. The popularity of the film has also spread overseas. The film was an inspiration for Japanese companies Studio Hibari and Aniplex, which led to the creation of the manga and anime franchise Nerima Daikon Brothers, which contain heavy references to the film.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Cult-film status
Belushi had become a star in 1978 as a result of both the Blues Brothers' musical success and his role in "National Lampoon's Animal House". At one point, he managed the triple feat of being the star of the week's top-grossing film, top-rated television show, and singing on the number-one album within a year. When Aykroyd and Belushi decided they could make a Blues Brothers film, the bidding war was intense. Universal Studios narrowly beat Paramount Pictures for the project. John Landis, who had directed Belushi in "Animal House", was aboard as director. However, the project had neither a budget nor a script.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Origins
The original orchestral score was requested by the White House for the inauguration of President Reagan. Prolific film composer John Williams drew inspiration from this film's soundtrack for his famous .
Kings Row | Musical score
On 4 April 1966, he conducted the soundtrack with the National Philharmonic Orchestra led by Sidney Sax at Shepperton Studios in London. These recordings were released on LP by Mainstream Records in 1966, and re-released on LP by Citadel Records in 1976. The soundtrack was released on CD by Varèse Sarabande in 1985 and by Sony in 1995 (with seven cues of source music from the movie arranged by Arthur Morton). The score was once again released, this time complete and in correct film order with accurate track listings, by speciality-label Intrada in 2010. On March 4, 2014, LaLaLand Records reissued the score on a 2-disc set, including all source music and alternates.
The Blue Max | Music
Blues Brothers 2000: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the third studio album by The Blues Brothers, their twelfth release, overall. It is a soundtrack album to the 1998 film, "Blues Brothers 2000", the sequel to the 1980 film, "The Blues Brothers". In addition to tracks by the Blues Brothers Band performed with guest artists such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Dr. John, Lonnie Brooks, Junior Wells, Eddie Floyd and Wilson Pickett, there are songs by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Blues Traveler as well as an all-star blues supergroup, the Louisiana Gator Boys, featuring B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Charlie Musselwhite, Doctor John, Lou Rawls, Koko Taylor, Isaac Hayes, Billy Preston and other artists.
Blues Brothers 2000 (soundtrack) | Introduction
The film score was composed and performed by organist Charles Earland and the soundtrack album was released on the Prestige label in 1974.
Dynamite Brothers | Soundtrack
The musical score was composed by Gibb.
Hawks (film) | Introduction
The Blues Brothers: Original Soundtrack Recording (later re-released as The Blues Brothers: Music from the Soundtrack) was released on June 20, 1980 as the second album by the Blues Brothers Band, which also toured that year to promote the film. "Gimme Some Lovin'" was a Top 20 "Billboard" hit, peaking at number 18. The album was a followup to their debut, the live album, "Briefcase Full of Blues". Later that year they released a second live album, "Made in America", which featured the Top 40 track, "Who's Making Love". The songs on the soundtrack album are a noticeably different audio mix than in the film, with a prominent baritone saxophone in the horn line (also heard in the film during "Shake a Tail Feather", though no baritone sax is present), and female backing vocals on "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love", though the band had no other backup singers, besides Jake &/or Elwood, in the film.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Soundtrack
With Landis again directing, the sequel to "The Blues Brothers" was made in 1998. It fared considerably worse than its predecessor with fans and critics, though it is more ambitious in terms of musical performances by the band and has a more extensive roster of guest artists than the first film. The story picks up 18 years later with Elwood being released from prison, and learning that his brother has died. He is once again prevailed upon to save some orphans, and with a 10-year-old boy named Buster Blues (J. Evan Bonifant) in tow, Elwood again sets about the task of reuniting his band.
The Blues Brothers | "Blues Brothers 2000"
Brothers is a 1977 American drama film directed by Arthur Barron and produced by Edward Lewis and Mildred Lewis. It stars Bernie Casey, Vonetta McGee, Ron O'Neal, John Lehne, Stu Gilliam, Renny Roker, Owen Pace, Dwan Smith and Martin St. Judge in the lead roles. This film's music is composed by Taj Mahal.
Brothers (1977 film) | Introduction
The dramatic score for the film was composed by David Raksin and was conducted by Raksin and Johnny Green. His music, exclusive of source music written by others, consisted only of music for the main and end titles, and one short piece in the first reel. Raksin's music was issued on cd in 2009, on Film Score Monthly records.
Right Cross | Music
Thomas Newman composed the largely minimalist film score.
Citizen Cohn | Score
The film's minimal score was written by Lewis' younger brother Lev Lewis. The film also features four songs by musician Michael Holt.
Amy George | Music
However, Arnold and David Picker - the brothers in charge of United Artists - insisted on having the music tracks sent to them in New York; their verdict on hearing the music, unaccompanied by the film, was that it was unsuitable and that a composer known to them should be hired to write a replacement score. The music department at United Artists furthermore objected that the score was too short to fill an LP recording which was intended to be marketed with the film. As a result, John Barry - who had scored several James Bond films - was approached, but he declined.
Battle of Britain (film) | Musical score
The film score was composed, arranged and conducted by Mundell Lowe and the soundtrack album was originally released on the Warner Bros. label.
Billy Jack | Soundtrack
The producers chose Jerry Goldsmith to compose the score after offering the job to Ron Goodwin who was working on another score. With Goldsmith, they requested a Germanic composition. Goldsmith was even introduced to the project with scenes incorporating a "temp track" from Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra. Goldsmith said of this experience "I admit it worked fairly well but my first reaction was to get up and walk away from the job. Once you've heard music like that with the picture, it makes your own scoring more difficult to arrive at." Goldsmith used a large orchestra, some cues requiring over 100 musicians, with large brass and percussion sections as well as a wind machine.
The Blue Max | Music
The story is a tale of redemption for paroled convict Jake and his blood brother Elwood, who set out on "a mission from God" to save from foreclosure the Catholic orphanage in which they were raised. To do so, they must reunite their R&B band and organize a performance to earn $5,000 needed to pay the orphanage's property tax bill. Along the way, they are targeted by a homicidal "mystery woman", Neo-Nazis, and a country and western band—all while being relentlessly pursued by the police. Universal Studios, which had won the bidding war for the film, was hoping to take advantage of Belushi's popularity in the wake of "Saturday Night Live", "Animal House", and the Blues Brothers' musical success; it soon found itself unable to control production costs.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Introduction
Davis only gave the musicians a few rudimentary harmonic sequences he had assembled in his hotel room, and, once the plot was explained, the band improvised without any precomposed theme, while edited loops of the musically relevant film sequences were projected in the background.
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (soundtrack) | Background
Steiner, was among the first to acknowledge the need for original scores for each film.
Max Steiner | Music as background to dialogue
His score for "The Blue Max" is regarded by many Goldsmith aficionados as one of the very best scores he wrote during his long and distinguished career. He almost didn't accept the assignment when he watched the final cut with the producers who had temp-tracked it with Richard Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra". He said, "I admit it worked fairly well but my first reaction was to get up and walk away from the job, but I couldn't. Once you've heard music like that with the picture, it makes your own scoring more difficult to arrive at, it clouds your thinking." Nonetheless, what resulted was breathtaking and the main theme captures the fear and joy of flight many times throughout the film.
Jerry Goldsmith | 1960s
Brothers is an album by American blues singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Taj Mahal. It was recorded in August 1976 at Conway Recorders Co. in Hollywood and released the following year by Warner Bros. Records. It is the soundtrack to the 1977 film "Brothers", with songs that music critic Richie Unterberger described as being "in the mode that Mahal was usually immersed in during the mid-1970s: bluesy, low-key tunes with a lot of Caribbean influence, particularly in the steel drums."
Brothers (soundtrack) | Introduction
Ben Carson composed the film's original score. The CD release of the soundtrack is evenly divided between dialog excerpts and original score (all even-numbered tracks are short dialog excerpts from the film and all odd-numbered tracks are music).
States of Grace | Music
On the director's commentary of the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers", John Landis reveals that he cast Murphy Dunne as the leader of "Murph and the Magic Tones" because he had seen him as a cheesy lounge singer in an earlier film. Although Landis doesn't mention "The Big Bus" by name, the film was Dunne's only previous performance as a lounge singer.
The Big Bus | Casting
The film's score was composed by Stephen Trask.
The Back-up Plan | Score
"The Blues Brothers" opened on June 20, 1980, with a release in 594 theaters. It took in $4,858,152, ranking second for that week (after "The Empire Strikes Back") and 10th for the entire year. Over the years, it has retained a following through television and home video. The film in total grossed $57,229,890 domestically and $58,000,000 in foreign box offices for a total of $115,229,890. By genre, it is the ninth-highest grossing musical and the 10th-highest earner among comedy road movies. It ranks second, between "Wayne's World" and "Wayne's World 2", among films adapted from "Saturday Night Live" sketches. Director John Landis claimed "The Blues Brothers" was also the first American film to gross more money overseas than it did in the United States.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Box office
The footage cuts to the credits of the film at the first chorus.
Concert in Blue | Background
The film score was composed by John Corigliano (with Christopher Keene conducting). The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Sound Mixing.
Altered States | Introduction
The Blues Brothers is a book written by Crawdaddy! reporter Miami Mitch (Glazer) and published in 1980. The novel was based on the original version of "The Blues Brothers" screenplay written by Dan Aykroyd and John Landis. However, the original script that was used for the basis of the novel evolved so dramatically into what was used in the film that the two works only scantly resemble each other. The book contains eight glossy pages of black-and-white stills from the film, two per page. Scene breaks are marked by two pairs of sunglasses. This title is currently out of print.
The Blues Brothers (novel) | Introduction
The film's score will be composed by The Newton Brothers.
The Forever Purge | Music
The film's score was composed, performed, and produced by Vangelis.
Do You Hear the Dogs Barking? | Soundtrack
Composers David Rowntree and Ian Arber along with Michelle De Vries as music supervisor were in charge of the film's music and score. De Vries had previously collaborated with both directors Pearlman and Soutar. The soundtrack itself has only a few Bros tracks on the film, instead focusing more on the band's relationship. Some examples of pre-recorded tracks used in the film are "The Wanderer" by Dion, "Funky Broadway Parts 1 & 2" by Dyke and the Blazers, "Move" by Jess & James and "Brother" by Kodaline. Due to the twins having been influenced by funk and soul when growing up.
Bros: After the Screaming Stops | Music
Death Croons the Blues is a 1937 British crime film directed by David MacDonald and starring Hugh Wakefield, Antoinette Cellier and George Hayes. The film was made at Twickenham Studios by the producer Julius Hagen whose ownership of the company was about to be ended due to financial problems.
Death Croons the Blues | Introduction
The movie score was written and performed by Michael Thomas Benoit. The soundtrack features original music from Pacific Heat, Willie B. Green, Chadwick Station, and Phil Valentine & The Heartthrobs. Green's "Dirt People" plays as the end credits roll.
An Inconsistent Truth | Soundtrack
Principal photography began in July 1979, with the film's budget still not settled. For the first month, things ran smoothly on and off the set. When Weiss saw the supposedly final $17.5 million budget, he reportedly joked, "I think we've spent that much already." In the next month, the production began falling behind schedule. Much of the delay was due to Belushi's partying and carousing. When not on the set, he went out to his familiar Chicago haunts such as Wrigley Field and the Old Town Ale House. People often recognized him and slipped him cocaine, a drug he was already using heavily on his own, hoping to use it with him.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Filming
Alfred Newman's original score to "The Blue Bird" was released in 2003 by Screen Archives Entertainment, Chelsea Rialto Studios, Film Score Monthly and Fox Music. The album contains the entire score as heard in the film in chronological order. It was produced using rare preservation copies of the original nitrate optical scoring sessions which were digitally restored by Ray Faiola. This rare limited edition includes a lavishly illustrated 24 page color booklet featuring extensive liner notes by film and music historians Jon Burlingame and Ray Faiola detailing the film's production and scoring. Track listing Total Time: 79:12
The Blue Bird (1940 film) | Music
The film's original score was composed by J.A.C. Redford, and the film's Soundtrack consisted of eleven songs listed below:
Heavyweights | Soundtrack
The film's original music was composed by Dev Krishna, with lyrics by O. N. V. Kurup.
Pai Brothers | Soundtrack
The film's score was composed by Ira Newborn.
My Blue Heaven (1990 film) | Music
In the 1960s the Chicken gave rise to The Frug, showcased in Bob Fosse's choreography. It is featured in the 1980s original "Blues Brothers" musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. It is mentioned in 1997 "Chicago Tribune" column "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" by Mary Schmich, and in 1999 was made into a well-known song by Baz Luhrmann titled "Wear Sunscreen".
Chicken (dance) | Legacy
The soundtrack to "A Patch of Blue" was composed and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith. It gained Goldsmith his second Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score following his score to "" in 1962. It was one of the 250 nominated scores for the American Film Institute's top 25 American film scores. The score has been released three times on CD; in 1991 through Mainstream Records (with the score to "David and Lisa" by Mark Lawrence), in 1992 through Tsunami Records (with his score to "Patton"), and an extended version in 1997 through Intrada Records.
A Patch of Blue | Soundtrack
Meanwhile, the last two band members, Matt "Guitar" Murphy and "Blue Lou" Marini, who now work in a soul food restaurant, rejoin the band against the advice of Murphy's wife and restaurant owner, Aretha Franklin. The reunited group obtain instruments and equipment from Ray's Music Exchange in Calumet City, and Ray, "as usual", takes an IOU.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Plot
The film score was composed, arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones and the soundtrack, featuring vocalists Evie Sands, The Strange Things, Jeff Bridges, The Morgan Ames Singers and four classical pieces performed by a brass ensemble, was released on the A&M label in 1970.
John and Mary (film) | Musical score and soundtrack
The movie soundtrack was composed by Hubert Buth. Hubert was a British film composer and a music director. The composition and recordings were directed by Louis Levy. Levy was a film composer and a music director.
Rhodes of Africa | Score
The film score was composed by Tan Yan Wei of Imaginex Studios. The movie did not release any soundtrack, as Tan died while in the making of the soundtracks of this film and "Bunohan". The film scoring task was later taken over by Imaginex Studios.
SeeFood | Film score and soundtrack
Lang's score is the picture's sole worthy component."
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (film) | Reception
The characters, Jake and Elwood Blues, were created by Belushi and Aykroyd in performances on "Saturday Night Live". The name "The Blues Brothers" was the idea of Howard Shore. The fictional back story and character sketches of blood brothers Jake and Elwood were developed by Aykroyd in collaboration with Ron Gwynne, who is credited as a story consultant for the film. As related in the liner notes of the band's debut album, "Briefcase Full of Blues", the brothers grew up in an orphanage, learned the blues from a janitor named Curtis, and sealed their brotherhood by cutting their middle fingers with a steel string said to have come from the guitar of Elmore James.
The Blues Brothers (film) | Origins
The music of "Big Brother" is composed by Sandesh Shandilya and Anand Raj Anand.
Big Brother (2007 film) | Music
Redford.
Film score | Orchestration
The music of the film is composed by Salim-Sulaiman. The soundtracks in the film are as follows.
Hyderabad Blues 2 | Soundtrack
The original score in the film was written by Simon Davison. The soundtrack has never been commercially available.
Blue Juice | Soundtrack
The main title theme to the movie by Barry White was sampled by Florida dance group Quad City DJ's for their 1996 hit single "C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)". It has since been sampled in eight other songs by artists like Luther Campbell, Baha Men, and DJ Drama.
Together Brothers | Sampling
The original score was composed by Carter Burwell, a veteran of all the Coen Brothers' films. While the Coens were writing the screenplay they had Kenny Rogers' "Just Dropped In (to See What Condition My Condition Was in)", the Gipsy Kings' cover of "Hotel California", and several Creedence Clearwater Revival songs in mind. They asked T-Bone Burnett (who would later work with the Coens on "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "Inside Llewyn Davis") to pick songs for the soundtrack of the film. They knew that they wanted different genres of music from different times but, as Joel remembers, "T-Bone even came up with some far-out Henry Mancini and Yma Sumac." Burnett was able to secure songs by Kenny Rogers and the Gipsy Kings and also added tracks by Captain Beefheart, Moondog and Bob Dylan's "The Man in Me".
The Big Lebowski | Soundtrack
The film's original score was composed by Dan the Automator.
Holidate | Music
The background score of the film was given by Abbas Ali Khan.
Dekh Magar Pyaar Say | Music