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I first saw The Blues Brothers with a friend, pretty close to opening day. I came out of the theater saying with a bit of disgust, “What a stupid movie. Nothing but car crashes and blues music.”
Later, it was showing in a double feature with Caddyshack (which I hadn’t yet seen), and some friends were going. I walked out of the theater saying, “Nothing but car crashes and blues music. Huh.”
About a year later, it played at my college in a double feature with another Belushi film (Neighbors, which was lousy). Once again, my opinion of The Blues Brothers had changed. “Nothing but car crashes and blues music. That was awesome!”
The Blues Brothers started as a musical act on Saturday Night Live. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi weren’t really great musicians, but the guys in the back-up band were. And Aykroyd and Belushi were funny. Their performances highlighted how some of the best moments of the show were a blend of comedy with music.
Not surprisingly, the Brothers’ suits were on display when we visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s new exhibit, “SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen …Fifty Years of Music.” But there was so much more. (Some may recall I had another post about the Hall a couple of weeks ago featuring Alice Cooper.)
There was the time show producer Lorne Michaels offered the Beatles $3,000 to appear on the show. (“You can divide the money as you wish. If you want to give Ringo less, that’s up to you.”) George Harrison came trying to collect, but Michaels held firm: “The deal was for all four Beatles.” Another time, Paul McCartney gave a memorable interview when Chris Farley asked, “Remember when you were with the Beatles? That was awesome!”
Sometimes, fans rather than musicians provided the humor – especially superfans Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar. They preferred heavy metal bands, expressing their disdain for more mainstream groups (“In the suburbs, every home is equipped with a copy of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors”). On one show, they were censored on the West Coast for a joke they made about Chelsea Clinton’s appearance. The joke got through the censors (live show!) on the East Coast.
At times, the Not Ready for Prime Time Players impersonated musicians. One of the most popular was Eddie Murphy’s performance as the host of James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party. Or maybe the sketch recreating Blue Öyster Cult recording “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” “More Cowbell” can be found in dictionaries, and Christopher Walken regrets doing the skit because he hears the phrase so often.
Who didn't love Nick the Lounge Singer (Bill Murray), who finally added lyrics to one of
John Williams' greatest creations:
STAR WARS!
GIVE ME THOSE STAR WARS!
GIVE ME THOSE STAR WARS!
I WANT THEM NOW!
Along with the exhibits, there was a short film about the musical acts on Saturday Night Live. I would have loved to have been there the night Johnny Cash introduced Elton John. Or the night Steve Martin introduced Elvis Costello. Or the night Paul Simon came out in a turkey suit.
And really, the less said about this sketch with musician Justin Timberlake the better. (At least in a family website such as this.)
If nothing else, the exhibit provides clear evidence that there was a time when Saturday Night Live was, in fact, funny.
Discussion (33)
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To be fair though, his "Five Timers Club" episode was pretty funny.
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The movie was huge around these parts. Ask @Arahant.
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And much better than the Sting in that they did not make up street names and locations.
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My high school buddy lived 3-4 blocks from there. Still cracks me up when I'm visiting and drive by.
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