Andre 3000's Jimi Hendrix Biopic Can't Use Any Jimi Hendrix Songs

Andre 3000 Jimi HendrixOops! Might have been a good idea to settle the legality of using Jimi Hendrix songs before launching into production on a Hendrix biopic, but anyway: The filmmakers behind the Andre Benjamin-starring '60s-set pic announce that the rapper-actor will instead cover a greatest hits of period rock, including ditties by the Beatles, for the flick.

"The film – set in London in 1966 and 1967 – will include Benjamin's new versions of covers that Hendrix performed during those years, shortly before the release of his landmark debut, Are You Experienced," reports Rolling Stone. "Audiences will see Benjamin singing 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' (which Hendrix famously performed in a London club with members of the Beatles in the audience), 'Wild Thing,' 'Hound Dog,' Muddy Waters' 'Mannish Boy' and Elmore James' 'Bleeding Heart,' plus two songs, 'Future Trip' and 'Driving South,' that Hendrix played as a backup musician for Curtis Knight and the Squires."

[Rolling Stone]



Comments

  • myjestik says:

    what a waste of a movie. smh

    • Hiro says:

      Just because they don't have the music rights? The movie probably wouldn't even get made if they had to pay the Hendrix estate the tons of money required for the music rights. Then they'd be saddled with long list of "requirements" that the movie must adhere to. It wouldn't be worth it and besides being sugarcoated, it would be a movie that leans on the songs rather than character development and other moviemaking basics. It'll be a safely sanitized product controlled by the Hendrix estate.

  • The rapper-actor will instead cover a greatest hits of period rock, including ditties by the Beatles, for the flick.

  • Furious D says:

    That's some pretty poor producing.

  • David Davies says:

    Jackie Jormp-Jomp?

  • les says:

    The Hendrix estate is known for refusing to include Jimi's narcotic use in any authorized film bio...What a narrow-minded sensibility regarding the short life of possibly the most powerful American artist of the 20th Century if true.
    I think a soundtrack of pure feedback might also be a possible solution.

    • Hiro says:

      Thank you, Les. So many people these days are just kneejerk reactionists. They don't think deeply about much, if anything, and they just blurt out the first emotional thing that comes to their head. They don't seem to know much about corporate handlings of movies and how if a subject's estate or family is involved in the making of a biopic, the end result will be a sugarcoated pile of cliches found in TV movies for the family.

      • meachy says:

        And wanting someones grand kids and grand nieces and nephews from thinking all grand dad was - - was a spiraling stoner / amutar porn star, is a bad thing? Cause every movie I've seen of him seems to focus on that.

  • Hiro says:

    I think it could be better without the Hendrix estate hovering over the movie, forcing the filmmaker and studio to sugarcoat the biopic in exchange for the songs. Furthermore, they'd also have to pay truckloads of money for the rights to the music. Adversity often leads to better films.

  • Kaye Welch says:

    I am glad that he is unable to use Hendrix's song....he was a genius and the legacy of his work deserves protection. How arrogant to expect "entitlement" to use another person's work! Hope it flops on principle!

  • The rapper-actor will instead cover a greatest hits of period rock, including ditties by the Beatles, for the flick.

  • den says:

    Hope the TRoggs aren't pissed

  • Federic Salgado says:

    This movie smells like a stinker already.. whats the use of doing a bio pic on Jimmi Hendrix if you cannot use any of his music. Itis going to bomb... might as well call it not a Jimmi Hendrix movie but a facsimile..

  • CC Avalon says:

    FYI, there is a guy from NYC who has been performing the longest-running Hendrix tribute show since 1968 when he was a member of Hendrix's official fan club at Warner-Reprise records. Not only has he too been battling the Hendrix Estate, years before Janie took control, as well as being banned by managers & agents, but he has also performed an off-Broadway play on Hendrix in the '80's & is currently in post-production on an unauthorized film based on Jimi, the trailer linked here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw9ECBTuTLM.

  • truss me says:

    What a jimi hendrix movie,whateva you have to do,Make it and my opion andre 3000 is perfect,I am a huge jimi fan and honestly the laSalle guy it didnt get it,but this is what i want to know is y didnt jimi press da issue of playing with more in da USA,I guess knowing how young he was and after people got through talking to him i say he was convince and thought they were right,Maybe they were right USA WASNT READY FOR JIMI i guess thats my answer, to me jimi was like a MC HAMMER U CANtTOUCH THIS even DON CORNEILIUS said BOYBOY bOY
    DoNT F wIT JiMI A DIFFERENT WOrLD KID

  • No Obama says:

    sounds like the Obama administration not wanting to tell the real truth

  • DaMutt says:

    I'm a huge Hendrix fan.(Like many other people). And would have liked there to be Hendrix music in the movie. But to all those complaining. You do realize the movie is supposed to be a BIOPIC right? That's to say its supposed to tell history of the man. Also a lot of the story takes place before he hit it big. And Also you realize the old saying is "Sex Drugs And Rock and Roll" Right? And its common knowledge Jimi liked weed. So that's bound to be in any movie depicting him. The guy was gifted but don't make him out to be a saint.