McCartney Seeks Permission for Prince Rehearsal Recording

Paul McCartney has revealed he is in possession of an unreleased rehearsal recording of Prince performing a cover of the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road" and is seeking permission to develop it into a finished track. McCartney discussed the recording during a recent interview on BBC Radio 2's "Tracks of My Years" program.

The former Beatle said he received the recording a couple of years ago from a man he believes was Prince's personal photographer. McCartney described the version as "kind of rocky" and praised Prince's guitar playing. He stated his intention to contact Prince's estate about the recording, saying he believes he "could make it into something really good."

While the specific rehearsal tape discussed by McCartney appears to be previously unheard, Prince was known to have performed the song publicly. He included it in multiple shows during his 2007 Las Vegas residency and later during a famous London residency at the O2 Arena, where he was joined on stage by Elton John.

The potential release of such a collaboration faces a significant ethical hurdle due to Prince's own publicly stated views. In a 1998 interview with Guitar World, Prince was asked about using...