London Times Online Reports
Michael Jackson's estate has agreed to give the veteran singer-songwriter Paul Anka half the rights to the posthumously released single This Is It after he claimed that studio tapes had been stolen by the star.
Anka claimed that the song was originally called I Never Heard and had been co-written with Jackson in 1983 for his own album, Walk a Fine Line.
It was recorded in Anka's studio in Carmel, California, and Anka later took the tapes to a studio in Hollywood to make some finishing touches. While this was being done, he said, Jackson – then enjoying success with his song Thriller – removed the tapes.
Anka, who became a star in the late 1950s with the song Diana and also wrote the Tom Jones hit She's a Lady as well as the lyrics for the Frank Sinatra classic My Way, claimed that the two singers had written the lyrics together.
Anka said that Jackson returned the tapes after he threatened the star with legal action, but, he claimed, Jackson made a copy and used the track with his voice from I Never Heard, re-titling it This Is It.
I Never Heard was eventually released in 1991 after Anka placed it with an unknown singer named Safire.
Hours after Anka made his claim on the showbusiness website TMZ, administrators for Jackson's estate made him a 50 per cent partner in the publishing rights to the song.
I Never Heard and This Is It share the same vocal and piano line, although the latter track includes new over-dubs by Jackson's brothers.
This Is It had been promoted as a new Jackson recording, one of a number of unreleased tracks likely to come out in the next few years.
It was released online yesterday, four months after Jackson's death. When he heard it, Anka contacted the administrators of Jackson's estate who, he said, apologised for "ripping off my song" and offered "anything you want" to compensate.
"They've realised it's a mistake," he told TMZ. "They've realised it's my song. I'm getting 50 per cent of the whole project, which is fair."
John Branca, special administrator for Jackson's estate, said: "We acknowledge that Michael and Paul wrote this song together."
A spokesman for the estate said: "The song was picked because the lyrics were appropriate because of the name Michael gave his tour.The song was co-written by the legendary Anka."
A spokeswoman for Sony Music declined to comment.
"I Never Heard" by Safire"This Is It" by Michael Jackson
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