Mccartney 'Drifted Apart' From Jackson Over Beatles Hits

The pair became close pals in the early 1980s when they recorded two duets - The Girl Is Mine and Say Say Say.

But MCCartney admits they "drifted apart" after Jackson acquired the rights to the Fab Four's songs and refused to offer them to the ex-Beatle.

He tells U.S. talkshow host David Letterman, "You know, he came to my house and we got to know the family and stuff. We had a really good time. We made a couple of records together, did a video and were very good friends."

But when Jackson outbid MCCartney for the Beatles catalogue in 1985, their relationship crumbled.

MCCartney adds, "He kept saying, 'That's just business, Paul, you know,' so I went, 'Yeah, it is,' and waited for a reply. But we never kind of got to it and I thought, 'Mmmmm', so we kind of drifted apart. It was no big bust-up. We kind of drifted apart after that. But he was a lovely man, massively talented and we miss him."