Prince’s collaborator and drummer Sheila E recently revealed that the late singer did a cover of Michael Jackson’s 1987 hit song “Bad,” which we may never get to hear. She explained how Prince was meant to collaborate with Jackson on the track but did his version and immediately deleted it.
Sheila joined Prince to work on the song at his Paisley Park home studio in Minnesota, and recalled it being an incredible rendition she could not wait for Jackson to hear. But, in no time, Prince pushed a button down and canceled their work.
Prince had some strong reactions to “Bad” by “Michae Jackson”
After getting “Bad” from Jackson, Prince informed Sheila of a possible collaboration with the King of Pop and proceeded to play the music. He was shocked and immediately walked away after hearing the lyrics “your butt is mine,” showing his disapproval of the opening line.
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About a decade later, Prince expressed his disgust at the line on an MTV show, saying there was no way he could sing that to Jackson or have him say that back. He also expressed relief about the music video featuring a Wesley Snipes character, saying it could have been him.
Sheila denies the rivalry between the two artists
While the narrative of a long-standing rivalry between Prince and Jackson has existed for decades, Sheila debunked the claims, saying they actually hung out often. Prince also denied the rumors while on MTV with Chris Rock, where he also got candid about his thoughts on “Bad.”
Although Jackson never addressed the allegations of a feud between them, his producer Quincy Jones admitted that the pop star sometimes felt pressured to outdo Prince. Regardless, they both openly acknowledged each other’s prowess and largely ignored the media-fueled speculations.
While we can’t know for sure what “Bad” would sound like performed by Prince, revisit the Michael Jackson performance in the video below!