Perhaps no artist has ever defied categorization quite like Prince Rogers Nelson. Blending rock, soul, funk, pop and jazz on songs like “Purple Rain” and “Little Red Corvette”, the Minneapolis-born musician also left behind a treasure trove of unreleased songs following his 2016 death. While the seven-time Grammy winner’s estate has released a handful of these in the decade since, one in particular remains firmly locked away in the vault—a cover of “The Long And Winding Road”, a piano ballad from the Beatles’ 1970 album Let It Be. But if the Beatles’ Paul McCartney has any say in the matter, we’ll hear Prince’s rendition one day.
Paul McCartney Wants to Unearth This Hidden Prince Track
During a recent appearance on BBC Radio 2’s Tracks of My Years. the former Wings frontman revealed that he didn’t learn of the lost cover until after Prince’s death.
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“I was with some guy couple of years ago, so it was after Prince had died, and this guy said, ‘Have you heard Prince do ‘Long and Winding Road?’” said the best-selling musical artist, 83. “I said, ‘Well, no, that’s one of my songs. I don’t think he ever did it.’ He said, ‘Well, he did. He did it in rehearsal. He was rehearsing it for something.’ So, he said, ‘I’ll send it to you if you want.’… He sent it to me and it’s really great.”
While Paul McCartney described the recording as “kind of rocky,” he firmly believes all it needs is just a little polishing.
“He plays some really good guitar on it,” said the “Band on the Run” crooner. “He’s a special guy.”
Prince died from an accidental f*ntanyl overdose on April 21, 2016, at his Paisley Park home. He was 57 years old.
“It’s so sad, these people, you know, suddenly he’s not here, and it always makes me wish that I’d known him better and that I could sort of say, ‘Hey, man, come on. What’s going on?’” McCartney said. “It’s such a shame because there’s such talents.”
Prince Wasn’t Always a Beatles Fan
At first, Prince appeared immune to Beatlemania—until he heard the Fab Four’s seminal 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
[RELATED: Remember When Prince Played on (And Inspired) This Stevie Nicks Song From 1983?]
In an interview with Diffuser after the “1999” singer’s death, Bobby Z—drummer of Prince’s backing band, the Revolution—recalled the musician walking onto their tour bus as the song “Good Morning Good Morning” played.
“He said, “What’s that?” We said, “That’s Sgt. Pepper.” He went, “The Beatles. Ehhh? Really?” You know, it was just like that. He walked in [and we were like] ‘No, no, no, no, not this song. Start it over,’” Z recalled. “And, of course, he didn’t have the patience, but I know he went back and listened to that song and realized that it was much better.”
Z continued, “But that moment, I think he realized that the Beatles were more than he thought. He just kind of swallowed them up.”
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