It was recorded live on September 9, 1978, at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, when the band opened for comedian Steve Martin.

The album consists of covers of blues and soul songs from the 1950s to 1970s.

[5] Three singles were released from the album: "Rubber Biscuit", which reached number 37[6] on the Billboard Hot 100, "Soul Man", which reached number 14, and "Hey Bartender", which did not chart.

[7] The album is dedicated to Curtis Salgado, the inspiration behind John Belushi's creation of the Blues Brothers characters.

Partial credits from Richard Buskin[8] and the album's liner notes.