Jimi Hendrix Was Originally Going to Appear in The Beatles’ ‘Magical Mystery Tour’
Jimi Hendrix rose to international stardom in the wake of The Beatles’ British Invasion, becoming a rock icon in his own right by the time of his death in 1970. As Hendrix’s star rose in 1967, he was tapped by The Beatles to work on their Magical Mystery Tour album and television film.
Jimi Hendrix was going to appear in The Beatles’ ‘Magical Mystery Tour’
The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour was a television film accompanied by an album of the same name. 1967 had proven to be a big year for The Beatles, as they released their album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band earlier that year. Also that year, Jimi Hendrix was in the midst of his breakout with his band The Jimi Hendrix Experience after the release of their debut album Are You Experienced. Hendrix first got his break in music as a backing guitarist for the likes of Little Richard and The Isley Brothers, and was set to take over rock with his music.
According to Mental Floss, Paul McCartney wanted to recruit Hendrix to appear in the Magical Mystery Tour TV movie. But at the time, Hendrix was preparing to perform at the Monterey International Pop Festival in what would be his breakout performance in 1967. Interestingly enough, McCartney advocated for Hendrix to be invited to perform at the festival.
Hendrix’s performance at the Monterey Pop Festival was legendary
The Monterey International Pop Festival took place in June 1967 in sunny Monterey, California. The festival featured performances from artists like Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Hendrix’s performance is remembered by many for a stunt that spoke to his over-the-top stage presence. He closed out the show with a performance of “Wild Thing,” and in the middle of the number, poured lighter fluid on his Fender Stratocaster guitar and set it on fire.
While Hendrix is most known for this incident at the festival, it wasn’t the first time he’d set fire to his guitar. In March 1967, three months before the Monterey Pop Festival, he tested out the stunt at a concert in London.
Hendrix ended up performing at the Monterey Pop Festival instead of recording with The Beatles or filming the Magical Mystery Tour movie with them. But his fame only skyrocketed after his performance at the festival. The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their second album, Axis: Bold as Love, in December 1967. They released their third (and what would be their final) album Electric Ladyland in October 1968. By mid-1969, Hendrix had frustrated his fellow band members and they went their separate ways.
He died in 1970 after The Beatles broke up
Hendrix formed a new band and took the stage at the infamous Woodstock Music and Art Fair in August 1969, closing out the festival with a Monday morning performance. His rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” caused controversy, as his less-than-stellar rendition was viewed to be a protest against the escalating Vietnam War.
The Beatles themselves were going through their own intra-band turmoil at the same time Hendrix was. John Lennon and George Harrison left the band in 1969, while Paul McCartney followed in April 1970. A few months later, in October 1970, Hendrix died of a barbiturate overdose.
