The Blues Brothers

[jamison]

does anyone have a copy of the first Blues Brothers movie? i recently purchased it at walmart for ten bucks. I was surprised at the quality of the soundtrack for an almost 25 year old movie. what a classic movie and there is some added scenes as well. This movie cost $27 million to make in 1980. It does show what a classic movie and a surprisingly good surround sound track. there is a good featurette on the making of the movie as well.

[kelsci]

Hi Jamison; I do not know what kind of sound track could have been on the first tape sold of this film. In fact, I do not think if linear stereo on tape was out when it was released. Your current tape of course would be in vhs-hifi. Whoever produced the film in the 80s (and it might be 1979) was smart enough to have it recorded in Dolby Stereo. I do remember however that the movie was released on laserdisc. I heard it on a pioneer player that may or may have not even had a solid state laser and did not have CX noise reduction. I do not even know if the disc had CX noise reduction as well. The player was only hooked up to two speakers and a stereo receiver in a store. This was the first movie that I heard in stereophonic sound. Stereophonically, its separation was marvelous from the disc. In actuality about that time, there was no real talk about surround sound until some receivers were made with a dolby surround decoder so these units were 4 speaker units. Dolby Pro-Logic followed sometime after with the 5th center channel speaker.
I did read that those who had quad receivers from the 70s still in use were hearing surround sound from stereo laserdiscs when they set their receivers into the SQ and QS quad modes. In actuallity from what I read, Dolby Surround was basically Sansui's QS system with some audio accruements for the rears. Laserdisc analogue FM 2 channel discs were the first home sources to offer stereo sound and those who hooked up their players to quad receivers probably heard some very decent surround sound if that was recorded on the stereo track. From your Blues Brother's tape, apparently this early stereo film had a good surround track recording to begin with and with todays equipment it can be much more appreciated.

[jamison]

I dont have the vhs version. what i have is the dvd with a dolby 5.1 track
i agree that it must have had good sound to begin with

[Swerd]

Yes I have this DVD also. It's simply great. The movie was made in 1980, long before Dolby Digital. There was also a soundtrack album released at the same time. They must have made good audio recordings that were the source for the DD remaster.

When I bought the DVD I hadn't seen the movie since it was in the theaters. I was surpirsed at how good sounding it was. The music in the church with James Brown as the pastor is just great. If I remember correctly, the scene with John Lee Hooker playing Boom Boom Boom at the outdoor market was not in the original release. It alone is worth the $10 you paid.