Prince Recorded and Deleted a Cover of Michael Jackson’s “Bad”

Prince’s collaborator and drummer Sheila E recently shared an intriguing story about a cover of Michael Jackson’s 1987 hit “Bad” by Prince that may never be heard. Sheila recounted how Prince was supposed to team up with Jackson for the track but decided to create his version instead, only to delete it shortly after.

Sheila joined Prince in his Paisley Park studio in Minnesota to work on the song. She described Prince’s rendition as incredible, eagerly anticipating Jackson’s reaction. However, Prince abruptly deleted the track, leaving no trace of their effort.

Prince had some strong reactions to “Bad” by Michael Jackson. After receiving the song from Jackson, Prince played it for Sheila and informed her of a possible collaboration. However, Prince was taken aback by the lyrics “your butt is mine,” showing clear disapproval of the opening line. He walked away, visibly shocked.

Nearly a decade later, Prince spoke about his distaste for the line on an MTV show. He mentioned that there was no way he could ever sing that line to Jackson or have Jackson say it back to him. Prince also added that he felt relieved the music video featured Wesley Snipes, implying that he was glad not to be part of it.

The long-standing narrative of a rivalry between Prince and Jackson has persisted for decades. However, Sheila dispelled these rumors, stating that the two artists actually spent considerable time together. Prince himself denied the rivalry during an MTV interview with Chris Rock, where he also expressed his thoughts on “Bad”.

Although Michael Jackson never directly addressed the allegations of a feud, his producer, Quincy Jones, admitted that Jackson sometimes felt pressured to outdo Prince. Despite the media’s attempts to fan the flames of rivalry, both artists openly acknowledged each other’s talents and largely ignored such speculations.

While we’ll never know how Prince’s version of “Bad” sounded, fans continue to cherish Jackson’s original rendition. You can revisit Michael Jackson’s performance of “Bad” in videos available online.

Source: Particlenews, Everett Collection