Paul McCartney: "Prince had recorded a Beatles cover"

During an episode of Tracks of My Years on BBC Radio 2, Paul McCartney shared a curious, little-known anecdote about Prince: the Minneapolis musician had apparently recorded a version of "The Long And Winding Road", the Beatles song included on "Let It Be".
The story dates back to a few years after Prince's death. McCartney recalled discussing it with someone close to the artist, likely his photographer, who asked him if he had ever heard that version. When McCartney said no, he was told the track had been cut during some rehearsals, for a project that was never clearly defined. The recording, which was indeed sent to McCartney, struck him for its quality, even though it was still a rough take. "He plays guitar really well," he remarked, hinting that he intends to ask Prince's estate for permission to work on it and possibly release it.

At the moment there are no precise details about the date or circumstances of that session, nor is it clear whether the track will ever see an official release. McCartney, however, reaffirmed his admiration for Prince, pointing to "Kiss" as an emblematic moment in his catalogue and calling him "a wizard." During the broadcast he also mentioned other key influences on his musical education, from Chuck Berry to Buddy Holly, all the way to Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys.
Meanwhile, McCartney is preparing to release "The Boys Of Dungeon Lane", his new album, due out on May 29, more than five years after "McCartney III". The record features collaborations with Sharleen Spiteri and Chrissie Hynde, along with "Home To Us", a duet with Ringo Starr that marks the pair's first official collaboration in the post-Beatles era. The project centers on a recollection of his childhood in Liverpool and the years before the Beatles came to be.

The album gathers episodes and images tied to his formative years, taking a retrospective look that zeroes in on decisive moments in the shaping of his artistic identity. The songs portray Paul in a sincere, vulnerable and deeply reflective light, as he writes with rare candor about his childhood in post-war Liverpool, his parents' resilience, and the early adventures shared with George Harrison and John Lennon, long before the world had ever heard of Beatlemania. Alongside this autobiographical core, there's also room for new love songs, a sign of a songwriting that keeps moving between intimacy and storytelling.
With "The Boys Of Dungeon Lane", McCartney thus returns to ground he has explored before, but with a more explicitly personal edge: a work that weaves together memory and present, positioning itself as one of the most introspective chapters of his recent output.

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