Michael Jackson and Prince,
their pop music rivalry, was legendary and they certainly had
a notorious love hate relationship with each other over their extensive careers.
But with competition also came admiration.
And the two definitely had a fascination
with each other, which was rarely ever expressed in public.
But privately, the iconic performers would
interact and on occasions meet with each other, generating much intrigue within
both parties inner circles and generating hordes of speculation in the press.
So here's Michael Jackson in Prince's unspoken InterAction's heart to hearts
and outright bickering that they had shared with each other as quoted
by the friends, family and associates who were there at the time.
Let's get into the detail.
In 1985, Quincy Jones organized a lunch that brought Michael and Prince together.
At one point they asked him to be a part of We Are the World.
But Prince respectfully declined an offer to give them a song.
What Prince's former tour manager, Alan Leeds, remembers is Prince talking
about it afterwards, that he thought Michael was a little bit weird.
And this coming from a guy who wear high heels and pajamas to nightclubs,
David said. Prince's producer has recounted when both
were recording at the same Los Angeles studio.
Prince invited Jackson to play ping pong.
Michael, a star since age eight who had lived a sheltered life, didn't know how
you want me to slam it? Prince asked.
Michael dropped his paddle and held his
hands up in front of his face so the ball wouldn't hit him.
Michael walked out with his bodyguard
and Prince started strutting around like a rooster.
Did you see that? He played like Helen Keller
on the same note,
report said that Michael Jackson was still bugged by the success of Purple Rain.
He wanted more than just his good, wholesome image.
He wanted to show a better side.
Interestingly, despite what had been said
about Michael walking out on Purple Rain and when asked why, he reportedly replied
that he didn't like the way Prince treated women.
He really loved Darling Nikki, admitting it was his guilty pleasure.
It was said that he was inspired
by Darling Nikki to create the song Dirty Diana.
Producer Quincy Jones let Prince know Michael Jackson wanted him on his new
duet, Isambard instead, Prince submitted a song, Wouldn't You Love to Love Me?
In his Encino home.
Jackson heard Prince's contribution, a reworked demo from 1976 and passed.
Although Jackson really wanted Prince
on his title track, Prince consider the idea until he heard the tape.
Jackson had sent
it slick drum machine horn stabs, keyboards and dark swirling bass.
Line didn't bother Prince as much as Jackson's opening line.
Your body's mine.
Michael Jackson's audio engineer, Bruce Sweeden, remembers being there
for a couple of the meetings with Prince and Michael Quincy and all.
After meeting with Michael Quincy,
Freddie Damon and his team, Prince realized that he couldn't win this
duet or duel with Michael artistically or otherwise, and pulled out.
Allen Lead stated that when Michael came to Prince and wanted him to do bad,
Prince was like, Oh, he wants me to punk out on record.
What does he think? I am crazy.
He couldn't get outside himself enough to realize that it was the kind of thing
that probably could have benefited both of them.
Still, it would have forever been
Michael's video with Prince as just a guest.
Prince later shunned anything that would
pit him against or relate himself to Jackson.
Liz Jones stated that when Jackson signed
with Pepsi, Prince was offered Coke but turned it down.
He didn't want to be compared with Jackson
in any way, even though it was a huge amount of money.
Although Prince appeared playful
with their public association in the full version of Prince's Party Man video.
There's some scenes with a chimpanzee
wearing a Batman logo T-shirt, seemingly a dig or a payback.
And Michael Jackson,
who famously had his chimp Bubbles at the time,
party man gives the chimp a banana and when he feels it, it reads psych.
At the time, it was reported in the press that Michael Jackson was upset that Prince
was sending weird psychic messages to bubbles.
Apparently, Prince found it highly amusing and put it in the party man video.
But when the accusations against Michael Jackson were made public in 1993,
Prince became outwardly more protective over the artist and empathized
with the vicious tabloid attacks he was experiencing during this period.
The following year, on July 14, 1994, Prince visited Michael in the early
afternoon to discuss recording a song for Jackson's upcoming release History.
It was five years after the release
of Prince and Madonna's duet Love Song, so he was probably more open to the idea.
Brian Vibrates, an engineer on the album,
remembers that Prince arrived with two huge bodyguards.
The three of them walked right by him and into Michael's lounge.
Rob Hoffman, another engineer on history,
reported that Michael Jackson and Prince did have a meeting during its recording
saying that they were all kicked out of the room.
However, Prince's wishes and not
Michael's, so no one ever knew what was said in that room.
Prince reportedly talked with Michael for a few hours before leaving.
Prince only visited that one time.
During the history sessions, Vibert stated that no songs were ever
worked on, written or recorded for this potential collaboration.
And unfortunately, there is no Michael and Prince duet in the vault.
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