Rubber Biscuit – Blues Brothers | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#37); 1979
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Until the Blues Brothers came along, Rubber Biscuit was a little-known song originally recorded by the Chips in 1956. Lead singer Charles “Kenrod” Johnson created Rubber Biscuit at Brooklyn’s Warwick School for Delinquent Teenagers to be used as an army-style marching cadence.
Biscuit graced no charts, yet, its infectious rhythm coupled with humorous lyrics with nonsense verses guaranteed it a place in the repertoire of many singing groups over the years. Enter: John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd of television’s irreverent Saturday Night Live.
Respectively known as Jake and Elwood Blues, their Blues Brothers shtick – comprised of soul testifying and energetic renditions of R&B classics – became a cultural phenomena. Backed in part by Donald “Duck” Dunn and Steve Cropper of Booker T. & The MG’s, the “Brothers” took their act on the road.
A multi-night stand recorded in September of 1978 at LA’s Universal Amphitheater came out as Briefcase Full Of Blues, and included Kenrod Johnson’s 22 year old Rubber Biscuit.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Bob Tischler
- Paul Shaffer
Lyrics Written by:
- C. Johnson
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).