The song was originally intended as a duet between Prince and MJ Prince reportedly recorded and deleted an “incredible” solo version of Michael Jackson ‘s ‘Bad’. Singer, drummer and frequent Prince collaborator Sheila E revealed the news on talk show The Jason Show , explaining why Prince’s solo rendition never came to fruition. ‘Bad’ was originally intended to be a duet between Prince and MJ, but the Minneapolis musician declined due his qualms singing the lyric “your butt is mine” .
Speaking to host Jason Matheson, Sheila E reiterated Prince’s issues with the song, explaining: “So we get the song ‘Bad’ from Michael [Jackson] and we’re here at Paisley [Park]. And Prince is like, ‘Wait a minute.’ He said, ‘Michael wants me to sing this song with him.
’ So he played it for us. He goes, ‘Your butt is mine..
.’ “He said, ‘What?! Your butt is mine?’ And he just walked away, he said, ‘Uh, uh,'”. She then said she assisted Prince in re-recording the track at his home and studio, recalling his version was “so funky” and “so amazing”: “It was an incredible rendition of what it should’ve been.
Then after we recorded it, we’re like, ‘Oh my God, we can’t wait for Michael to hear it.’” Prince on the Purple Rain Tour in 1984. (Photo by Richard E.
Aaron/Redferns) However, Sheila E went on to admit Jackson never heard Prince’s solo version, saying: “He erased the whole thing. Right there.” She confessed it was com.