The Blues Brothers music

[popegregory]

How would you describe the music of the Blues Brothers, and what can I listen to that's similar? I know with Steve Cropper and the other Stax guys they're doing a lot of Motown and soul numbers, but the sound they make is very full - almost rock and roll, given the number and variety of instruments they have - and can't really be categorised as blues at all, despite a lot of their songs being genuine blues records.

[Sharted]

Have a look at the STAXX Norway tour, 1968 I think. It's on YouTube Cropper/Dunn/Booker T support all the artists.

Very pretty dark haired Norwegian bird in the audience and comedy military security too.

[Liszt]

Rhythms and blues. R&B as it originally was. Not the modern tosh that uses the same name

[entropy]

Liszt said:

Rhythms and blues. R&B as it originally was. Not the modern tosh that uses the same name

R&B is a generic term for contemporary popular black music eg. hip hop records were initially classed as R&B.

Daptone Records is worth checking out. Guys keeping the spirit alive of Stax, soul, funk; backing band Dap Kings were the backing band on Amy Winehouse/Mark Ronson

[Hackney]

entropy said:

Liszt said:

Rhythms and blues. R&B as it originally was. Not the modern tosh that uses the same name

R&B is a generic term for contemporary popular black music eg. hip hop records were initially classed as R&B.

Daptone Records is worth checking out. Guys keeping the spirit alive of Stax, soul, funk; backing band Dap Kings were the backing band on Amy Winehouse/Mark Ronson

It's a sad fact that people hear R&B thinks contemporary ste.
Notting Hill Carnival for me is mostly shockingly bad pop like Beyonce with the bass cranked up to sternum breaking levels.

R&B should mean, Rhythm and Blues
R&B should not be a generic term for contemporary [black] music.

[2volvos]

Easy to check out the back catalogues of the cameo stars in it - James Brown, Arethra Franklin, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway and John Lee Hooker. Also the songs that they sing are all covers of old r'n'b classics so they are easy to trace - Sweet Home Chicago, for instance, takes you all the way back to the king of the Delta blues, Robert Johnson, and has been a Chicago blues standard since the 50s. Junior Parker did a great version but it was a also key for the 60s blues explosion in the UK that effectively helped America fall back in love with the blues again and reignited the careers of those statesmen of Chicago and Delta blues.

Also check out some of the music that the BBs listen to as well in the film. The Sam and Dave (on the Bluesmobile stereo) and Louis Jordan's Let the Good Times Roll when they get back to Elwood's shabby room. If you like that then also check out Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James and of course the great BB King. There are many others too

The BBs is a fantastic way into r 'n' b and blues music if you follow the pointers in it. When I first saw it when I was about 13/14 it kickstarted a love of blues that I have to this day.

Happy exploring!

Oh and I can't agree more on that Stax Norwegian concert. The energy is just mindblowing, genuinely awesome performances...

[stephen300o]

Must still be a record store somewhere, where yo can dig through the blues section for some Leadbelly or the Staple singers.

[popegregory]

2volvos said:

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Happy exploring!

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Thank you!

[Nick M]

If you want a few more pointers, check out a documentary called 'Muscle Shoals' - it's about a couple of Recording Studios down in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and they recorded a LOT of very cool music back in the day - Aretha, Etta James, Wilson Picket, Percy Sledge, etc., etc. Bunch of that is on Atlantic Records, but then Rick Hall ended up working with Chess Records too, so there's a link back to the Chicago scene.

The Blues Brothers Band also toured, and there are various albums or EPs out there with songs like 'B Movie Box Car Blues' which are worth a listen.

[dudleybloke]

Sam and Dave.