MJ Camp -- It Ain't Just Michael's Song

[MJfan01']

Paul Anka tells TMZ the people handling Michael Jackson's estate are falling over each other ... apologizing for "ripping-off my song" and offering "anything you want" to make the mess go away.

And, John Branca just told TMZ, "We acknowledge that Michael and Paul wrote this song together."

As we first reported, Anka claims the new Jackson song, "This Is It" is the Michael Jackson track Anka co-wrote with Jackson in 1983, which Jackson originally recorded under the title, "I Never Heard."

Anka tells TMZ he just got off the phone with John McClain, the co-Special Administrator for Jackson's estate. Anka says McClain apologized profusely, saying he knew "Michael couldn't have written this song alone. It's not his style."

Anka says McClain now acknowledges that "This Is It" is really Paul's song, and said, "We'll give you whatever you want, whatever it takes we'll do the right thing."

Anka says he's not trying to hold the estate up but he wants them to be fair.

And how's this ... Anka says McClain asked him to do promotion for the song.

It's Hollywood, folks

http://www.tmz.com/2009/10/12/paul-anka-michael-jackson-this-is-it-i-never-heard-sony-john-mcclain/


John Branca, the special administrator for Michael Jackson's estate tells TMZ Paul Anka is right -- "This Is It" was not written by MJ alone, it was co-written with Paul Anka.

Branca and his people are negotiating a settlement with Paul Anka's lawyer.

Branca tells TMZ, "We acknowledge that Michael and Paul wrote this song together."

As we first reported, the other special administrator, John McClain, told Anka "We'll give you whatever you want, whatever it takes we'll do the right thing."

http://www.tmz.com/2009/10/12/michael-jackson-paul-anka-this-is-it-john-branca-settlement/#comments

I don't know if this is true or not considering it's TMZ. I would thinkt that common sense would be involved in releasing this song.

 

[HeavenSent]

How is this "Paul's song" when him and Michael wrote it together. And why am I not believing Branca's falling all over himself, apologizing profusely? Fact remains though, if he overlooked this obvious error, then he needs to do what's right. And NOW

Also, Sony (Phony) and the powers- that- be f*cked up too; they should have crossed their t's and dotted their i's before any of this went to radio in any way, shape or form. This is some bs that should have been handled a long time ago, I mean c'mon. This song was a part of Michael's set list, why couldn't it have been worked out then? Plus Paul surely would have known what was coming down the pipeline, right? I'm trying to think logically here.

Instead, the very day after it's released, and we're reading this madness? Phony is making me so sick, I can't even type. Those jackoffs were so adament about pushing this "new song" for the CD that they didn't do their proper due diligence and look what happens....

And Paul Anka really needs to dial down the "Michael stole this from me" rhetoric. It was a joint project.

 

[MJfan01']

How is this "Paul's song" when him and Michael wrote it together. And why am I not believing Branca's falling all over himself, apologizing profusely?



At any rate, Sony (Phony) and the powers- that- be f*cked up; they should have crossed their t's and dotted their i's before any of this went to radio in any way, shape or form. This is some bs that should have been handled a long time ago, I mean c'mon. This song was a part of Michael's set list, why couldn't it have been worked out then? Plus Paul surely would have known what was coming down the pipeline, right? I'm trying to think logically here.

Instead, the very day after it's released, and we're reading this madness? Phony is making me so sick, I can't even type. Those jackoffs were so adament about pushing this "new song" for the CD that they didn't do their proper due diligence and look what happens....

And Paul Anka really needs to dial down the "Michael stole this from me" rhetoric. It was a joint project.

Exactly, how can you steal a song that you co wrote? Sony's first mistake was marketing this is it as a brand new song instead of an unreleased demo. There 2nd mistake was making the 17474828282 greatests album when they could have done a live album with the songs Michael sang in rehearsal. I don't buy that Branca rolling on the floor kissing Anka's ass either. I suppose a statement will be made in the not so distant future about this. To claify things.

 

[HeavenSent]

Paul Anka Says He Was Not Credited for New Jackson Single

By BEN SISARIO
The New York Times ArtsBeat Blog

When Michael Jackson’s new single, “This Is It,” was released on Sunday night, many listeners were surprised by its resemblance to “I Never Heard,” a 1991 track by the R&B singer Safire, which gave songwriting credit to Mr. Jackson and Paul Anka.

But no one was more surprised than Mr. Anka, who said in an interview on Monday that he had not been contacted about the use of the song, and was not given proper writing credit for the single, which now credits only Jackson as a writer.

“They have a major, major problem on their hands,” he said. “They will be sued if they don’t correct it.”

The song was released to radio stations and michaeljackson.com at midnight on Sunday, and will play during the closing credits to the film “This Is It,” about Mr. Jackson’s planned concert run in London, which is due out on Oct. 28.

For Mr. Anka, the song has a long and painful history. He said that he and Jackson wrote and recorded it in 1983 in Mr. Anka’s studio in Carmel, Calif., and that it had been intended as a duet for Mr. Anka’s album “Walk a Fine Line.”

But shortly after it was recorded Jackson took the tapes, Mr. Anka said. He threatened to sue to get them back, he said, and now has the original multitrack tapes in his possession, along with documentation that the copyright for the song was held by both men. “It’s exactly the same song,” Mr. Anka said. “They just changed the title.”

“This Is It” was based on a tape that Jackson left behind containing only his piano and vocal. John McClain, a record executive and producer whom Jackson named in his will as an executor, built a full arrangement around it, including backup vocals by Jackson’s brothers. Aside from a few major differences in the lyrics, the composition of the song is almost identical to that of “I Never Heard.”

Rob Stringer, the chairman of the Columbia/Epic Label Group, said in an interview on Sunday that he did not know when Mr. Jackson’s original tape had been recorded and that he had not known about its similarity to the Safire track until Jackson fans discussed it online over the weekend. He declined to comment further on Monday.

Representatives of the Jackson estate did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/20...ackson-single/
__________________

Ugh, this frustrates me to NO end. Why the hell would someone allow this to happen?

There's a good reason why Michael never released demos and I really see that w/this situation. TII is clearly a demo. It sounds unfinished and not something that he would ever want out as an official release. Especially not one that would represent his tour. Im confused as to whether the other version of this song on the CD falls under this same umbrella?

 

[MJfan01']

Paul Anka Says He Was Not Credited for New Jackson Single

By BEN SISARIO
The New York Times ArtsBeat Blog

When Michael Jackson’s new single, “This Is It,” was released on Sunday night, many listeners were surprised by its resemblance to “I Never Heard,” a 1991 track by the R&B singer Safire, which gave songwriting credit to Mr. Jackson and Paul Anka.

But no one was more surprised than Mr. Anka, who said in an interview on Monday that he had not been contacted about the use of the song, and was not given proper writing credit for the single, which now credits only Jackson as a writer.

“They have a major, major problem on their hands,” he said. “They will be sued if they don’t correct it.”

The song was released to radio stations and michaeljackson.com at midnight on Sunday, and will play during the closing credits to the film “This Is It,” about Mr. Jackson’s planned concert run in London, which is due out on Oct. 28.

For Mr. Anka, the song has a long and painful history. He said that he and Jackson wrote and recorded it in 1983 in Mr. Anka’s studio in Carmel, Calif., and that it had been intended as a duet for Mr. Anka’s album “Walk a Fine Line.”

But shortly after it was recorded Jackson took the tapes, Mr. Anka said. He threatened to sue to get them back, he said, and now has the original multitrack tapes in his possession, along with documentation that the copyright for the song was held by both men. “It’s exactly the same song,” Mr. Anka said. “They just changed the title.”

“This Is It” was based on a tape that Jackson left behind containing only his piano and vocal. John McClain, a record executive and producer whom Jackson named in his will as an executor, built a full arrangement around it, including backup vocals by Jackson’s brothers. Aside from a few major differences in the lyrics, the composition of the song is almost identical to that of “I Never Heard.”

Rob Stringer, the chairman of the Columbia/Epic Label Group, said in an interview on Sunday that he did not know when Mr. Jackson’s original tape had been recorded and that he had not known about its similarity to the Safire track until Jackson fans discussed it online over the weekend. He declined to comment further on Monday.

Representatives of the Jackson estate did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/20...ackson-single/
__________________

Ugh, this frustrates me to NO end. Why the hell would someone allow this to happen?

There's a good reason why Michael never released demos and I really see that w/this situation. TII is clearly a demo. It sounds unfinished and not something that he would ever want out as an official release. Especially not one that would represent his tour. Im confused as to whether the other version of this song on the CD falls under this same umbrella?

Sony Sucks, you would think they would do their homework. They picked this song because it has the same name as the film. I think that's all they cared about.

 

[Cristine87]

Sony Sucks, you would think they would do their homework. They picked this song because it has the same name as the film. I think that's all they cared about.

Yeah, seriously! I see why Michael got in to it with these people, they're shady as hell!

Exactly, how can you steal a song that you co wrote? Sony's first mistake was marketing this is it as a brand new song instead of an unreleased demo. There 2nd mistake was making the 17474828282 greatests album when they could have done a live album with the songs Michael sang in rehearsal. I don't buy that Branca rolling on the floor kissing Anka's ass either. I suppose a statement will be made in the not so distant future about this. To claify things.

Yeah, why the hell did they market this as if it was some brand spakin' new song? These Sony execs are just greedy and wanna cash in on Michael's death!

 

[HeavenSent]

I suppose a statement will be made in the not so distant future about this. To claify things.

Branca supposedly has reached a settlement with Anka. Probably to work out awarding him 'royalties', I guess? Although you can't really get royalties off of a song you can't even buy as a single. Gah.

EDIT:

UPDATE
Paul Anka -- 'Honest Mistake'

Posted Oct 12th 2009 8:10PM by TMZ Staff
Paul Anka says he's all square with Michael Jackson's estate over the release of "This Is It" -- a song Paul helped write -- saying the special administrators realized "there was a wrong here" and they immediately "made it right..." as in 50% of publishing rights. Can you say BONANZA.



Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0TlovCYye

----

Exhale. I hope we can move on. This never should have come to this. Phony still sucks in the worst way possible and every day they prove me right. I also gotta wonder why Paul Anka went to TMZ of all places to air this out. Sound suspcious much? I mean did Paul really have to say Michael "stole" the song?

 

[LittleSusie50]

Oh what the fcuk ever Paul Anka.
I wouldn't spend a plugged nickel on the song if he sang it.
Even in death, people still wanna ride Michael's coattails.
Cut the man a check so he can sit his a$$ down and shut up.
Jesus...

 

[HeavenSent]

Update #2

Paul Anka -- I Get Half

Posted Oct 12th 2009 8:13PM by TMZ Staff
It's the quickest resolution in Hollywood history -- Paul Anka says the special administrators of Michael Jackson's estate gave him a 50% cut of "This Is It."


Paul also said John McClain told him, "Now we know why the song was so good ... it wasn't the type of Michael Jackson song that he could write."

Anka said he was humbled by the compliment.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0Tltwin1E

------
WTF @ bolded. IF this is true...cause we gotta be careful about every attributed 'quote' nowadays....but IF this is true, why would McClain say such a thing? TII is NOT that great of a song lyrically. Michael has written songs BY HIMSELF that blows TII out of the water easily, WWWWWHYYYYY would McClain make such an absurd statement? I hope McClain wouldn't say something like that. He represents Michael's estate and needs to act accordingly.

 

[MJfan01']

Update #2



------
WTF @ bolded. IF this is true...cause we gotta be careful about every attributed 'quote' nowadays....but IF this is true, why would McClain say such a thing? TII is NOT that great of a song lyrically. Michael has written songs BY HIMSELF that blows TII out of the water easily, WWWWWHYYYYY would McClain make such an absurd statement? I hope McClain wouldn't say something like that. He represents Michael's estate and needs to act accordingly.

Wow, are you serious? Michael has written way more better lyrics than This is It. :glare:

 

[Dialdancer]

I remember this story, it was one of the first I really paid attention to. I just learned of Ms. Jones Conspiracy and was still working my way through the grief, but I do remember this story. I had written what turned out to be my first blog in the product review. In March 2010 I found out there is a possibility Anka SHOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED 50%. But no one wants to talk about this not even Roger Friedman and I recently asked him about it.........again.


I know there is much contention over the following Journalist, I have had quite a few things to say myself, but the information is real and he was the only to check it out.
Is the Jackson estate paying Paul Anka for nothing?

Much has been made during the last few days of the fact that the new Michael Jackson single was actually a collaborative effort with Paul Anka. The 'My Way' singer claims that he and Jackson worked together on the song in 1983 with a working title of 'I Never Heard'. The single was released by an obscure artist called Safire in 1991 with Jackson and Anka listed as co-writers.

"But all may not be as it seems Information held by the American Copyright Association suggests that in 1980 Jackson wrote and recorded a demo called 'This Is It'. The ACA lists the track as follows:"

So it would seem that although Jackson and Anka may have tweaked the song at a later date, there was an existing demo which was exclusively written and recorded by Michael Jackson.

The question is, is the new single Jackson's solo demo or is it his Anka collaboration?

It seems to me to be the former.

Listen carefully to the new single. Several lines seem not to have any lyrics, Jackson instead scatting gibberish - placeholder vocals - to plot out the melody of the song. However, the 1991 Safire release - co-written by Jackson and Anka - boasts completed lyrics.

Has the Jackson estate just agreed to pay Paul Anka 50% of the profits for a demo in which he had no involvement?

Source: Charles Thomson http://charlesthomsonjournalist.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-jackson-estate-paying-paul-anka-for.html


A lot of things slipped by us while we were dealing with grief and trying to store up physical memories to last a lifetime. I think this may be one of many which should have had our attention and now it is too late.

 

[Teva]

DialDancer thanks for the information. Your research is great as usual.