Special Extra: The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic
08-29-2025
Guest: Daniel de Visé, author of "The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic Hardcover"
How Topic Discussed: Who were Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, and how did they forge a very unlikely friendship despite growing up in very different circumstances? What were the origins of The Blues Brothers as an act? Why was the act controversial, especially among blues and soul music critics? What were the challenges to making the 1980 movie about The Blues Brothers? How did the movie reinvigorate the career of pioneers such as Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin? Why does the movie still resonate today?
Note: For copyright reasons, music has been edited from this podcast.
Music heard during the broadcast included:
The Blues Brothers - Soul Man - Live Version
Ray Charles and The Blues Brothers Band - Shake A Tail Feather
Junior Parker - Sweet Home Chicago
The Blues Brothers - (I Got Every Thing I Need) Almost
John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom
The Blues Brothers - Hey Bartender - Live Version
The Blues Brothers - Rubber Biscuit - Live
James Brown with the Rev. James Cleveland Choir - The Old Landmark
Aretha Franklin - Think
Sam & Dave - Soothe Me - Live Version
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Filetype: MP3 - Size: 39.24MB - Duration: 42:51 m (128 kbps 44100 Hz)
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