[MERGED] MICHAEL JACKSON & PRINCE : Friends or Foes? (The Historic Rivalry)

Dilan

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According to a post on Prince.org

"What's funny is that P has bootleg tapes of James Brown, Little Richard and Sly and the Family Stone sitting in his crib given to him by MJ and morality is a hot button issue concerning unreleased recordings and live shows."

Anyone have any info on this?

The context of the poster saying "what's funny" is the hypocrisy of Prince suing bootleggers recently of a million dollars each for distributing his unreleased songs for FREE when he owns bootlegs himself. Note: Prince probably won't directly sue, he did a similar thing in 2002 filed a lawsuit but backed off later because it would end the life of the bootlegger.

Could MJ also be a hypocrite for also threatening to sue those distributing 'Escape'? Possibly, but maybe not since he was a friend of JB, richard and maybe sly so he was probably given the bootleg from it's creator with permission. Distributors of xScape at the time and Prince's bootleg material now haven't/weren't granted permission from the creator.

Now, I mentioned Prince does anyone know what year the two met for dinner? (not the time when MJ attended the 3121 show at the aladdin in vegas) and if any pictures of the two together exist?
 
Re: Did Michael give bootlegs to Prince?

Michael and Prince spent time together several times over the years

They first met when Prince was doing his first album

The dinner was right after Purple Rain

They hung out a couple times during 1986-88 and Prince visited Michael during the HIStory sessions when MJ was in New York
 
Re: Did Michael give bootlegs to Prince?

I haven't heard anything about that, but what's meant by "bootleg"? Like recording the music on to blank tapes? That was done a lot back in the day. Making mixtapes too. Michael might have done something like that and given the tapes to Prince, if that story is true.
 
Re: Did Michael give bootlegs to Prince?

ok I'm just going to say this... Of course Michael would have bootleg material. He studied music, performance.. MOST before the YouTube age was not released, how do you think he would watch full concerts of artists he looked up to? If they were not released he would most likely ask for it and someone gets it for him..
 
Despite their different styles of music, audiences, even lifestyles, MJ had an innate fear that Prince (The Artist) was possibly superior to him.

MJ quite often reffered to him (comparing the levels of inspiration).

Moreover, Moonwalker (1988) came out in response to Purple Rain (1984).

Even the "This Is It" shows were located at the same venue and they were supposed to surpass the "21 Nights In London".
 
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Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

Despite their different styles of music, audiences, even lifestyles, MJ had an innate fear that Prince (The Artist) was possibly superior to him.

MJ quite often reffered to him (comparing the levels of inspiration).

Moreover, Moonwalker (1984) came out in response to Purple Rain (1984).

Even the "This Is It" shows were located at the same venue and they were supposed to surpass the "21 Nights In London".

Lol, explain this, please
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

I don't think MJ felt that Prince was superior to him. I think they both understood that they are very different artists and neither of them could do what the other does. MJ couldn't bust out a blistering guitar solo the same way Prince couldn't hold 85,000 in the palm of his hand with just a fedora, a sparkly jacket and a spotlight.
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

Lol, explain this, please

To MJ's eyes, Prince was considered to be a strong antagonist.

For example, there were times when MJ feared that Prince was endowed (from God) with more inspiration.
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

I don't think MJ felt that Prince was superior to him. I think they both understood that they are very different artists and neither of them could do what the other does. MJ couldn't bust out a blistering guitar solo the same way Prince couldn't hold 85,000 in the palm of his hand with just a fedora, a sparkly jacket and a spotlight.

In terms of songwriting, mainly.
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

To MJ's eyes, Prince was considered to be a strong antagonist.

For example, there were times when MJ feared that Prince was endowed (from God) with more inspiration.

I suppose you're talking about what MJ said during This Is It about prince right? You are reading waaay into that. show me a single statement where MJ has specifically said that which you claim
 
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Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

I suppose you're talking about what MJ said during This Is It about prince right? You are reading waaay into that. show me a single statement where MJ has specificly said that which you claim

During "This Is It" Era but also in the past.
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

During "This Is It" Era but also in the past.

I want you to show me the exact quote where Michael said that he "feared that Prince was endowed (from God) with more inspiration."
 
I've read over the years that Michael attended Prince's concerts and I remember the whole Bad "duet" thing...and the exchange between Kenny and he during the TII rehearsals where he said, ‘You don’t understand – if I’m not there to receive these ideas, God might give them to Prince.’

Michael knew his competition. I have to say that even though I enjoy some of Prince's songs, he has never had the same effect on me as Michael. Not even close. 
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

Wasn't there that Kenny Ortega quote during TII rehearsals that MJ said something alone the lines of If im not here to receive these ideas God might give them to prince.
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

This discussion is so 30 years ago.

post-16776-Over-It-gif-B1wg.gif
 
MJ did not have an "innate fear" of Prince more than Prince had of him. To call it "innate fear" is a gross exaggeration - they BOTH were competitive with each other. Prince no less with MJ than the other way around. You bring up that thing MJ told Ortega during TII, but that was obviously a tounge-in-cheek remark, the same way as the Prince reference was in Moonwalker (Bubbles wearing a Prince T-shirt).

This is a good article about them: http://www.vibe.com/2011/06/michael-jackson-vs-prince-oral-history/

Quotes from it.

Alan Leeds (Prince tour manager):

I don’t think there’s any doubt that Prince saw Michael as a symbol of where he wanted to go in terms [of notoriety]. Michael was one of the few artists on the planet that Prince did respect in that sense.

ALAN LEEDS: Prince went to a James Brown gig [in 1983] with Bobby Z, his drummer at the time, Big Chick, who was his security guard, and I think Jill Jones, who was one of his protégés. By now, everybody knows what happened at that gig. I don’t think Prince realized that Michael was going to be there. James looked a little puzzled in that video when Michael whispered in his ear, “Hey, bring Prince up.” And of course Prince didn’t really know what to do either. He went to the guitar first but he fumbles with that because it was left-handed. He played a few licks, did some dancing and knocked over a prop by accident. Now I always wondered if Michael intentionally brought Prince up to put him in that position just to say, “Hey, you think you’re on my ass? Well follow this, mother****er [laughs].” Bobby Z called me and said, “Oh boy…he made an ass of himself tonight.” He said Prince didn’t say a word the whole way to the hotel.

QUESTLOVE: There’s the now-infamous story about a ping-pong match between Mike and Prince in 1986 while Prince was overdubbing Under The Cherry Moon and Mike was working on Captain Eo. And they were both vying for the attentions of Prince’s girl Sherilyn Fenn, who back then was the hot shit. It was a ping-pong game gone bonkers. He said that MJ played like Helen Keller. [Editors note: Prince’s drummer Bobby Z has gone on record about MJ’s and Prince’s good-natured showdowns in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “They’d shoot hoops at [Prince’s] Paisley Park,” Bobby Z said of the unlikely pair. “Prince had a deep-seeded competitive nature, so it’s easy to see where he would measure himself against Jackson’s success.”]

http://www.vibe.com/2010/06/michael-jackson-vs-prince-oral-history-pg-2/


Prince also made references to MJ in his song lyrics. Like:

But it ain't nothin' if it ain't fun
My voice is gettin' higher
And I ain't never had my nose done
That's the other guy
All the purple hippies bang your head on the one

Read more: Prince - Life 'O' The Party Lyrics | MetroLyrics


So I can't see how one can say MJ had more an "innate fear" of Prince than the other way around.
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

I always suspected that "he's buying diamonds and pearls - he can't do it like me" from Invincible was a tongue-in-cheek reference to Prince.
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

I always wondered if My Name is Prince was supposed to be some sort of message to MJ?

My name is Prince, I don't wanna be king
Cuz I've seen the top and it's just a dream
Big cars and women and fancy clothes
Will save your face but it won't save your soul
I'm here to tell you that there's a better way
Would our Lord be happy if He came 2 day?
I ain't sayin' I'm better, no better than u
But if u want 2 play with me, u better learn the rules


So with a flow and a spray, I say hey
U must become a prince before u're king anyway
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

Always a good excuse to show this. The stage had to especially built to hold this much talent.

 
if this is all good-hearted as i would assume since they were 'shooting hoops in paisley park' aren't those nose lyrics quite rude if they are about mj..? life 'o' the party is from his 2004 album musicology aswell... the same as he would of been going through the trial period.

“I heard you were looking for me,” said a deep voice on the other end of the phone. It was the fall of 1996, and Michael Jackson was holding court in a posh suite at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York. The King of Pop had instructed his handlers to contact his old peer and rival Prince for a planned collaboration.

“I think it would be just great,” MJ told Prince"


where have they got this information from? this is new to me. is there a site with this information or did the writers directly contact his handlers?
 
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Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

is there a site with this information

What do you mean? The link to the source is there in my post: Vibe magazine.

I also remember Brad Sundberg told a story about Prince visiting MJ in the studio during the recording of HIStory, so maybe they did talk about something around that time.
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

What do you mean? The link to the source is there in my post: Vibe magazine.

I also remember Brad Sundberg told a story about Prince visiting MJ in the studio during the recording of HIStory, so maybe they did talk about something around that time.

I mean where the magazine got this information to the point in which they know something prince said and michael said so they can quote them because it would be interesting to know more and why it didn't happen if princes initial excuse for not being in bad was the lyrics. Yeah it originates from the gearslutz thread about MJ having clear out the entire studio for princes arrival. brad said it wasn't strange because this often happened with special visitors.
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

I'm really glad that Prince was never on BAD. It's not that I dislike Prince, but Just Good Friends had a duet with Stevie Wonder, and I Just Can't Stop Loving You had a duet with Sieedah Garrett. A third duet would have been too much IMO
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

I always suspected that "he's buying diamonds and pearls - he can't do it like me" from Invincible was a tongue-in-cheek reference to Prince.

I totally agree with that. It could have been a subtle, very clever, indirect insult to Prince ...
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

I totally agree with that. It could have been a subtle, very clever, indirect insult to Prince ...

Insult? So Prince writes a lyric about MJ's plastic surgery and it is MJ who "insults" him simply because of an (assumed) reference to one of Prince's songs? I'm not sure why you are trying to make it look like MJ was threatened by Prince to the extent of "insulting" him. You seem to distort reality here. They BOTH referenced each other and in fact, Prince was the one whose references were sometimes borderline insulting. MJ's in comparation were mild and tounge-in-cheek.
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

Insult? So Prince writes a lyric about MJ's plastic surgery and it is MJ who "insults" him simply because of an (assumed) reference to one of Prince's songs? I'm not sure why you are trying to make it look like MJ was threatened by Prince to the extent of "insulting" him. You seem to distort reality here. They BOTH referenced each other and in fact, Prince was the one whose references were sometimes borderline insulting. MJ's in comparation were mild and tounge-in-cheek.

In reality, MJ was invulnerable to anyone.
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

^^ still waiting for you to show me the quote
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

i don't understand how they can be 'shooting hoops' in paisley park and then nose job lyrics get written. Maybe a private dispute that originated from the 1996 call which didn't lead to a colloboration?

also what does prince mean in that video from the early 2000's when he says something along the lines of "we should all be quiet mj knows something we may not".


Insult? So Prince writes a lyric about MJ's plastic surgery and it is MJ who "insults" him simply because of an (assumed) reference to one of Prince's songs? I'm not sure why you are trying to make it look like MJ was threatened by Prince to the extent of "insulting" him. You seem to distort reality here. They BOTH referenced each other and in fact, Prince was the one whose references were sometimes borderline insulting. MJ's in comparation were mild and tounge-in-cheek.

isn't the nose job interpretation on your side also an 'assumption'
 
Re: MJ & Prince [The Artist]: A competitive relationship ?

isn't the nose job interpretation on your side also an 'assumption'

So what do you think Prince meant by this?

And I ain't never had my nose done
That's the other guy

It does not really require an "interpretation" - it's clearly about someone with a nose job who gets compared to Prince often. Who else would that be if not MJ?

And you can focus on me saying "assumed" in a bracket, but does not change my main point. If you think the diamonds and pearls line is a reference to Prince, I cannot see how it's an "insult". While we somehow ignore references in Prince's lyrics which actually sound more insulting.
 
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