Music
13 Oct 09

Row Over New Jackson Single

Following the posting of the new single on the Internet, music industry insiders are pointing to the similarity of the song with another song written by Jackson and Paul Anka in the 1990s.

That song was called ‘I Never Heard’ and it was recorded by the female Puerto Rican singer SaFire with similar lyrics to the “new” Jackson single.

'This Is It' was released online last Monday as the first official Jackson release since his death four months ago. It will also be available on a two-disc album due for release to coincide with the release of the Jackson rehearsal footage movie This is It on October 28. The single features backing vocals by Jackson's brothers.

Co-writer Anka has stated that he wrote the song with Jackson in 1983, and that Jackson had recorded it under the title ‘I Never Heard’ in the early 1990s. Anka has also claimed that that those in charge of Michael Jackson's estate had apologized to him for "ripping off” his song.

The second disc will include unreleased versions of some of the singer's classic tracks and a spoken word poem entitled "Planet Earth" performed by Jackson and never heard before.