PRINCELY CHATTER: Is Prince--who just announced his...

PRINCELY CHATTER: Is Prince--who just announced his “retirement” from recording--ready to break a three-year press silence?

That’s the rumor in publishing circles --and leading candidate is apparently the new Vibe magazine, which begins formal publication late this summer.

Here’s why: The magazine is part of Time Warner, as is Prince’s Paisley Park company, and the normally press-wary artist appears to have taken a liking to Vibe music editor Alan Light. After Light wrote a rave review in Rolling Stone of Prince’s current tour, the Minneapolis maverick invited Light to “hang out” with him during a weekend of concerts in San Francisco last month, though all their conversations during the time were off the record.

“At this point I simply don’t know what’s going on,” says Light. “But we can’t do a cover story that’s just another hanging around Prince thing.”

Prince’s spokesman says that Light shouldn’t count on anything more. “Prince does not give interviews,” says Michael Pagnotta. “If someone happens to run into him and get something, that’s their great fortune.”