Who's in the Band Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tom Malone

Tom had worked very closely with the film's musical director, Paul Shaffer, for many years and he was bought into the Blues Brothers' line-up at his (Paul's) insistence. Tom is the trombone player in the band, hence his nickname, but he is also proficient on trumpet and saxophone. Malone, who we first meet as a member of Murph and the Magic Tones, playing at the Holiday Inn, was also responsible for all of the horn arrangements in the movie.

Throughout his career as a musician Malone had always found himself in demand. He would work in fields as varied as jazz (with Miles Davis), blues (Buddy Rich and B.B. King) and rock and roll with the likes of Lou Reed, Tina Turner and Meatloaf. Prior to becoming a member of the Blues Brothers, he'd worked with a number of big bands and had been a long time member of Blood, Sweat and Tears.

Answer: Donald Dunn

"Duck" Dunn proved to be a vital component to the overall sound of Booker T and the MGs, despite not being one of their founding members. As a consequence of the latter, you won't hear his work on the band's most recognizable hit "Green Onions", which was released in 1962. Dunn joined the band in 1964, which also made him part of the stable at Stax Records. Here he became an important cog in the development of their sound. You will hear his bass guitar on such classic tunes as Albert King's "Born Under a Bad Sign" and Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" (1965). The latter would later be adapted into the introduction for the Blues Brothers band.

It didn't take long before more artists wanted Dunn as their session musician, including the likes of Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty. Dunn would pass away in 2012 (aged 70) but not before he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He will also be remembered for his droll sense of humour and one of the best lines in "The Blues Brothers" (1980) movie; "We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline".

Answer: Willie Hall

Willie Hall was recruited into the Blues Brothers' project after strong recommendations from Steve Cropper and Donald Dunn, both of whom had worked with Hall when he filled in for Al Jackson Jr. on Booker T. and the MGs' reunion album "Universal Language" (1977).

The recommendation needn't have been too strong as Hall's reputation from Stax Records preceded him. His knowledge of their sound, which would prove invaluable to music director Paul Shaffer, was honed on working, for over a decade, with the likes of Johnny Taylor, The Staple Singers and Rufus Thomas. His drumming repertoire spanned the likes of country music (with Bonnie Raitt and Earl Scruggs) to the rock sounds of Roger McGuinn and the disco world of KC & the Sunshine Band. However, his endearing legacy was the work he'd done with the soul legend Isaac Hayes... yes, that is Willie tapping on the skins in "The Theme From 'Shaft'" (1971).

Answer: Jake Blues

John Belushi is "Joliet" Jake Blues... the man who sees the light and decides to put the band back together in "The Blues Brothers" (1980). In the course of the film he shows that his favourite things in life are beer, fried chickens (usually four at a time), rhythm and blues, soul, funk and rock and roll music.

Whilst you wouldn't let your daughter go out with Jake (he'll dump her at the altar) you have to give him his due when it comes to singing... it's all from the heart. Belushi doesn't have the greatest singing voice but he does have bucket loads of charisma and this is more than enough to carry him through.

Answer: Lou Marini

There was a little bit of synchronicity when "Blue" Lou made his debut appearance on "Saturday Night Live" ("SNL"). On that evening, when he memorably stepped out of a sarcophagus, playing a saxophone solo as a part of Steve Martin's "King Tut" sketch, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd launched their first version of "The Blues Brothers" act.

Marini had previously been a member of Blood, Sweat and Tears (alongside Tom "Bones" Malone), was a part of Levon Helm's short-lived project RCO All-Stars and had been a regular session musician for the likes of Lou Reed and Frank Zappa. At the time he was chosen for the role in the film, he was a member of the "SNL" studio band, which led to his memorable intro into the movie, playing the saxophone while walking across the top of the counter in Aretha Franklin's Soul Food Café. This role certainly lifted Marini's profile in the industry and he was soon sought after by the likes of Franklin (herself), the J Geils Band, B.B. King and Meatloaf. It also provided him with enough clout to record solo albums, including the classic "Lou's Blues" in 2001.

Answer: Matt Murphy

Matt "Guitar" Murphy had his nickname before he became a Blues Brother. What he brought to the band was both power and the perfume of the Chicago blues style.

Before he'd turned twenty, he was playing alongside Howlin' Wolf and his resume from 1950 to the 1970s would read like a Who's Who of the blues scene. Names like Willie Dixon, Etta James, Memphis Slim and Buddy Guy would leap out at you... and that was the tip of the iceberg. He also had presence on screen, so much so that he was able to hold his own alongside the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, during the Soul Food Café scene.

The movie, however, did wonders for Murphy's profile and it enabled him to kickstart a solo career. He released four great solo works, including the memorable "The Blues Don't Bother Me" in 1996.

Answer: Elwood Blues

Dan Aykroyd, as Elwood Blues, had the best line in the 1980 movie "The Blues Brothers"; "We're on a mission from God".

What Aykroyd brings to the character of Elwood is, for certain, not world class musicianship nor a dulcet singing tone, but a genuine passion for rhythm and blues. It was a passion that bordered on being obsessive, so much so, that some have intimated that it rubbed off on fellow co-star John Belushi, who soon started buying blues albums by the barrow load.

Despite the fact that this character will steal, cheat, lie (except to a nun) and recklessly endanger anyone between him and his goal, he is loyal to a tee and would follow his brother to the ends of the Earth. Oh, and his favourite food is dry white toast (with nothing on it).

Answer: George Dunne

"Murphy" Dunne's inclusion into the Blues Brothers' band was reminiscent of the Monty Python "Bruces" sketch from 1970. In that skit three Australians, all named Bruce, are sitting around a table. In walks the boss, also named Bruce, with a new recruit named Michael Baldwin. The three enquire if they can call the new recruit Bruce to "avoid the confusion". OK, I've set the scene. What do you do then when you have someone in the band called Murphy and someone called Dunn... why, of course, you bring in a man called Dunne and nickname him Murphy... to avoid the confusion.

Born and raised in Chicago, Dunne was a fine keyboard player with a strong acting background. This made him the ideal man to play the leader of the band called Murph and the Magic Tones. The advantage that John Landis (director) had was that Dunne had played in the music/comedy role before. Originally a member of "The Concept Corporation" (1970-73), he was also involved in the production "Lenny and the Squigtones" (1979). After the movie, "The Blues Brothers" (1980), Dunne would have very little to do with the concept. He performed in the post-mortem tour, which translated into the album "Made in America" (1980). However, he avoided the majority of the band's reunion tours but did make himself available for the sequel movie "Blues Brothers 2000" (2000).

Answer: Alan Rubin

Alan Rubin was, most likely, the best credentialed musician in the whole Blues Brothers' line-up. A trumpet player who, at the tender age of seventeen, was accepted into the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. He didn't quite get to graduate as the opportunity came to play in Robert Goulet's band and he grabbed it with both hands. William Vacchiano, who was principal trumpet in the New York Philharmonic, under whom Rubin studied, described him as his best student.

Rubin also had a few acting chops under his belt, which is why he gets more than a couple of lines in the film... he proves to be quite effective as the rather snobbish maître d' at the Chez Paul restaurant. Alan lived up to his name of "Fabulous" (which John Belushi bestowed upon him due to his brash and cocky exterior and the fact that he walked onto the set with an air of entitlement) by plying his trade across numerous genres. He could play classical music, across to the blues and the gamut of rock and roll. If you have ever listened to Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" (1986), appropriately, that's Al playing the trumpet.

Answer: Steve Cropper

Whilst Steve may not be in the same ballpark as Alan Rubin in terms of pure skill in music, Cropper's impact on the history of popular music, however, is immense. A musician first, he is also a gifted songwriter and a visionary music producer.

Cropper, early in his career, was a prominent member of Booker T. & the MGs, and a part of the furniture at the Memphis based Stax Records, a label that was seriously influential in the establishment of Southern soul and Memphis soul music. Here Cropper supported the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Carla Thomas. Here's a few songs that have had a big impact in the world of soul and popular music - "Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour" (1965), Otis Redding's "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" (1968) and Eddie Floyd's "Knock on Wood" (1966) - they all have Steve's signature on them as a co-writer while the first two bear his mark as the record's producer.

Steve's work at Stax did not go unnoticed outside of its studio. His work was revered by the Beatles to the extent that he was asked to work with John Lennon and Ringo Starr on their solo projects. Other artists such as John Prine and Rod Stewart soon followed and he produced recordings for Big Star and the Jeff Beck Group.

The luring of Steve Cropper to this project was a mission in itself... Paul Shaffer, the music director on "The Blues Brothers" set did not want the focus to be purely on the blues and he wanted the dynamism of R&B to be added to it. He had admired the work that Cropper had done with Sam and Dave and advised director, John Landis, "we need him". Landis did not like his chances, so he spoke to John Belushi and told him to turn on the charm. The move worked. Cropper came to the fold and, as a bonus, he'd bought Booker T's bass player, Donald "Duck" Dunn along for the ride.