Dan Akyroyd Blues Brothers SNL Harmonica Solo

The episode of Saturday Night Live which aired on April 22, 1978, kicked off with the introduction of a pet project of cast members John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd: the Blues Brothers. Bandleader Paul Shaffer, doing a spot-on impersonation of monotone music maven Don Kirschner, starts the show by introducing his latest find, “a new blues act that had been playing in a small, funky club on Chicago’s South Side.” Shaffer proudly proclaims that thanks to his promotion, “they are no longer an authentic blues act, but have managed to become a viable commercial product.” With Belushi introduced as “Joliet” Jake Blues and Akyroyd as his “silent brother Elwood,” Kirschner throws to the very real SNL stage, where the two performers, kitted out in all-black suits, fedoras, and Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses, launch into a creditably energetic cover of Floyd Dixon’s “Hey Bartender,” with Belushi belting out the lyrics and Aykroyd dancing wordlessly alongside before breaking out his harmonica for a raucous solo.

The crowd loved it, even if the stars’ commitment to their alter egos precluded any winking to the camera. Indeed, the Blues Brothers became a musical obsession for both Aykroyd and Belushi, their side project eventually eclipsing Martin’s novelty song by the thousandfold. The pair, in addition to performing their regular cast duties all night, returned for an encore later in the episode, running through an equally enthusiastic rendition of “I Don’t Know,” originally by Willie Mabon and His Combo.

The Blues Brothers' concept coalesced from several different sources. Aykroyd was initially the more well-versed blues aficionado, even occasionally sitting in with local bluesmen Downchild Blues Band in Aykroyd’s native Canada. Belushi, then more into the punk rock and heavy metal scene, quickly latched onto his friend’s blues obsession, their growing enthusiasm fueled by the legendary SNL afterparties at the decrepit New York bar rented by Aykroyd. The jukebox there alternated blues and punk, with an open stage inviting guests to jam into the wee hours.

The debut, first on-air manifestation of the inseparable duo’s blues fixation came back in the show’s second season when, in a goof on the cast-derided Killer Bees running gag, Belushi sang a swaggering version of Slim Harpo’s “I’m a King Bee,” while he, Aykroyd, and “Howard Shore and His All-Bee Band” were dressed in the unwieldy bee suits. After that, the pair would occasionally warm up the SNL audience with some rehearsed blues covers (it was reportedly Shore who came up with the Blues Brothers' name), gradually gathering the confidence to present themselves as an actual blues band on live national TV.

Source: 45 Years Ago: The Blues Brothers Make Their 'SNL' Debut | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/blues-brothers-snl-debut

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