Universal/Courtesy Everett They were on a mission from God. WhenDan Aykroyd,John Belushi, and directorJohn Landisdecided they would adapt the popular Blues Brothers characters fromSaturday Night Liveinto a feature film, there was a bidding war before there even was a script. The late-night show was already an established cultural marvel, the Landis-Belushi filmAnimal Housewas a sensation, and the Blues Brothers' albumBriefcase Full of Blueswasan unexpected phenomenon, making it to No. 1 onBillboard's album charts and going double platinum. Wisely — oh, so very wisely — the creators recognized that they needed to call in some ringers if this movie (whatever it was going to be about) was going to work. As such, the finished product is a parade of musical legends, not just comedians who wear funny suits and do a passable job singing R&B hits. Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker (withPinetop Perkins), Cab Calloway, andJames Brownall get memorable musical moments, but the zenith is reached when the Queen of Soul,Aretha Franklin, takes center stage for the highlight of this movie, and also every movie, and also life as a sentient creature on planet Earth. To very briefly set up the clip: Jake and Elwood Blues (Belushi and Aykroyd) need to raise money to save the orphanage where they were raised. They decide, in classic Hollywood fashion, to put on a show and, as such, set about "putting the band back together." Much of the movie's first chunk is dedicated to regrouping with their old fellowship — most of whom were the actual musicians from the successful album doubling as actors, includingSteve CropperandDonald "Duck" DunnofBooker T. and the M.G.'s,"Blue Lou" Marini,"Bones" Malone, and several other personalities beloved by hardcore record collectors. Sign up forEntertainment Weekly's free daily newsletterto get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. When they hunt downMatt "Guitar" Murphy(who in real life recorded with everyone fromEtta JamestoBuddy GuytoChuck BerrytoOtis Rush), he is working as a short order cook at a diner. Just before he's about to hit the road with the guys, his wife tells him "he better think about it." His wife is played by the one and only Franklin, who also has to deal with the Blues Brothers' weirdo order. Observe: Assuming you have just watched the above clip, you can now say that you have seen the greatest musical sequence in all of history. If you disagree, you are wrong. (Anyone who disagrees is welcome to send an email to IAmWrong@aol.com.) From the moment the tune kicks in, this is a runaway train, and that's before the ladies at the counter join in, the sax fills, or the "haaaaaaay!" at the 3:40 mark. Ross Marino/Getty "Think" was written by Franklin and Ted White (Franklin's then husband), and was originally recorded in 1968. It was produced by Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records, and went to No. 7 onBillboard's Hot 100 chart (and No. 1 on the R&B chart). It wasn't quite as big of a hit as "Respect" or "(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman" or "Chain of Fools," but it was still a pretty substantial success. Here's how the original sounded: One thing you'll notice about the 1980 version is that it's a lot faster. Does that make itbetter? This is up to you to decide, but one thing is for certain: it's a lot of fun to see Franklin belting out this song as a character sassing her husband... with Belushi and Aykroyd in goofy outfits in the background. The soundtrack album toThe Blues Brothershit No. 11 on the charts, and also went double platinum. In addition to singing, Franklin also played piano on the recording of "Think." (Paul Shafferwas involved in some of the instrumentation; maybe that was the special sauce.) If watching the scene fromThe Blues Brothershas you itching for more Franklin on film, you are in luck in ways that earlier generations were not. In 2018, footage of a two-night performance at a Los Angeles church, which had been sitting on a shelf since 1972, was finally reassembled and released to audiences as the documentaryAmazing Grace. The reasons for the delay were both legal and technical, but the result is one of the most fabulous concert films ever. And not just because there are shots ofMick JaggerandCharlie Wattslooking absolutely gobsmacked to be in the presence of Aretha Franklin. (Who. Could. Blame. Them.) Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly