Wonderful thread and thanks to Elmari for writing that wonderful collection of MJ/Prince interactions. I've been meaning to do a chronology of all that stuff for a while myself. There' a couple corrections and additions off the top of my head:
On Prince's 'My Name Is Prince' from 1992's Symbol album, a rap lyrics (not rapped by prince) goes 'You got to be a Prince befo' yo' King anyway'.
On Prince's 1998 'The Truth' acoustic guitar album on the song 'Fascination' a verse goes:
The most vital thing in pop is the epitome of doom
U wake up in a cold sweat cuz one of them's in your room
(There's one of them in your room)
Singin' on the telly makin' more bucks than sense
So called King gives birth 2 so called Prince
I doubt Prince minded MJ encouraging all the King of Pop stuff (and) for all the planks who constantly defend him saying 'It was Liz Taylor', ffs have you seen the making of Jam video or the HIStory teaser? Of COURSE he wanted to be known as the KoP because he knew he wasv and he wanted to do one better then Elvis) but I imagine that by 1998 after going independent a few years earlier he was frustrated by the complete lack of support he received from the press for his music as they marginalised him yet still treated MJ like they did in the 80s in terms of blanket coverage. He also probably didn't know that MJ's grandfather was called Prince and may have seen the naming as an indirect slight in the sense that for most people Prince is the only person in the world they know called Prince. Imagine what would have happened if MJ had named his daughter Madonna as well. So I don't begrudge Prince that verse.
On Invincible MJ sang
He's givin' you Diamonds and Pearls
But he can't do it like me
Prince's 1991 album and one of his biggest, most recognisable songs is called Diamonds and Pearls. Unquestionably a cheeky little dig.
Ortega told MJ to ask his muse to stop sending him new songs until after TII rehearsals were done so MJ could sleep. MJ said 'No, cause then he might give them to Prince.' LOVE that. That says everything about how highly he regarded Prince's talent.
Barry Gibb said that Mj once asked if he thought Prince was better than him. Probably sometime in the 80s.
Once when asked about playing instruments MJ said he leaves it to the professionals which may have been a conscious reference/thought on Prince playing literally everything on his own albums.
I know there are more but I can't think off the top of my head.
:
• Michael Jackson had a portion of Prince’s song played during his Bad concerts also.
Which song/clip?
• Michael and Prince met at a studio in 1994 when Michael was recording ‘History’. No other info about what the meeting was about.
I REALLY wish we had more info about this but apparently Prince kicked all the engineers etc out of the room. Gutted.
• Prince defended Michael in a 2000 press conference when journalists were trying to make fun of MJ, saying that ‘we don’t know everything that is going on. We should leave some room for Michael.’
"We should make a home for him to come back to. But I should right hook him when he gets here, right? (shakes head and rolls eyes as if to say 'honestly, what's he like
'
• Michael went to a Prince concert in 2007 in Las Vegas. Will.I.Am and Prince were performing together. Michael did not make it to the afterparty.
According to Will, MJ was bemused and said 'Why did Prince play his bass in my face?' Will explained that Prince was doing him a favour by letting him remain anonymous and not making a scene of the fact MJ was there so he'd get noticed and have to leave. Prince had arranged for MJ to sit with Michael Jordan at the aftershow but MJ didn't go. I always thought maybe that was because MJ was annoyed at Prince but now I know he went backstage i'm not so sure. I'd love to know if he was backstage with Prince as well as Prince's peeps. I doubt it cuz Prince would likely have left already to prepare for the aftershow but still.
• Post-death rumors: Michael asked Prince to do a co-headlining world tour, which Prince declined. Michael wanted to break Prince’s world record of consecutive concerts (or something like that) which was 21 or so, and that’s why he agreed to do 50 concerts for London.
I highly highly doubt MJ asked Prince do co-headline for many reasons. Who would open/close? How could they make the audience equal? Tickets would be a nightmare. The fans would WAR at shows. Prince's religion. Prince playing instruments and singing everything live as good as records he made 25 years ago. Prince plays world tours, MJ would never have gone city to city again for like a proper tour. Just, no.
As for 21, MJ agreed to 31 specifically for that reason. I don't know what to believe about how it got to 50 because none of the people who were directly involved in it can agree as to who knew/said what about more shows being added.
• Prince is in talks to do a musical tribute to Michael Jackson at the World Music Awards this year. Janet Jackson will be there to accept an award on behalf of her brother.
That would be almost unbelievable. I highly doubt he would, I really do. And his voice is SO different to MJ's I don't know what he could possibly perform or how: stand and play guitar or highlight the fact that he moves and dances very differently and not as magically as MJ. And has really bad hips and doesn't really dance much anymore anyway.
Corrections:
• Prince made a statement of support for Michael during the 2005 trial (rumor?)
Sadly no although i'd like to think he supported privately in some way. But he didn't in 1993 publically either.
• When Prince was asked to say the first thing that popped into his mind when someone said ‘Michael Jackson’, Prince said ‘Musical Genius’. Next was ‘Janet Jackson’ and Prince said ‘The genius’s sister’.
He just said 'Genius' not musical genius.
• Reported to have said to people in soundcheck ‘Why are ya’ll hatin’ on Mike?’
'I don't know why y'all hate on Mike so much in reference to the hardcore fans on the Prince boards always ripping into anj MJ fans there and tearing MJ down as inferior to prince and/or guilty.
