Michael Jackson's posthumous single "This Is It" is garnering even more attention than was previously anticipated.
The new song, which was released this past Sunday, is a slow ballad that is reminiscent of Jackson’s early Motown roots…oh, and half of it belongs to someone else.
The New York Times reports that many listeners were surprised at how much the song sounded like the single “I Never Heard,” a 1991 track by the R&B singer Safire, which was co-written by Jackson and famous singer-songwriter Paul Anka.
Anka has commented that he was never contacted about use of the song, and was not given any writing credit on the new single, which credits Jackson only as writer.
Anka explained that he has the original copyright with both names as authors and the original masters. Anka commented that if the problem was not rectified, he would seek legal action against the Jackson estate.
John McClain, administrator for the Jackson estate has responded to the issue claiming that it was an accidental oversight, and Anka will receive all due credit and royalties that are tied to “This Is It”.
This development most likely came as a shock for the Jackson estate, who were not planning on splitting the proceeds of the song which is also the title of the Jackson posthumous documentary that follows the pop star through rehearsals for his planned London concert series. The song is also used in the closing credits of the film.
This is just an example of the Jackson estate rushing to capitalize on the death of the music legend, and failing to perform their due diligence.
