Andre 3000 not only has the role of a lifetime in playing Jimi Hendrix in the upcoming biopic “All Is By My Side,” but the multiple Grammy Award-winning artist gets to perform his version of cover songs favored by Hendrix, the Beatles and legendary bluesman Muddy Waters, among others, according to Rolling Stone.
And this makes the movie somewhat of a paradox. The former Outcast star will play Hendrix, but not perform his classic hits.
Why, you ask? Easy. The Hendrix estate, which controls the rights to the singer-guitarist’s catalog, did not authorize the film and therefore will not allow his songs to appear.
Among the songs Benjamin will perform are the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” The Troggs’ “Wild Thing,” Waters’ “Mannish Boy” and Elmore James’ “Bleeding Heart.”
Two songs by Curtis Knight and the Squires will also make an appearance. Early in his career, Hendrix acted as a backup guitarist for the band.
Hendrix also often covered Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” and, famously, Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” although neither of those songs are likely to appear.
But what’s a movie about Hendrix without “Purple Haze,” “Foxy Lady” or “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”?
“They want to make a Jimi Hendrix movie without Jimi Hendrix music,” the Hendrix estate told RS. “It would be like making a movie about Lincoln without being able to use the Gettysburg Address.”
“All Is By My Side” chronicles the guitarist’s early days in London in 1966 and 1967, when his band The Experience first came together.
