Paul Anka Says Michael Jackson Stole His Song

[evanovitch]

By: EURweb.com


It's already starting.

Within hours of its 12 a.m. Monday premiere on the Internet, there is already an accusation of plagiarism surrounding Michael Jackson's new single, "This Is It."

Singer-songwriter Paul Anka believes the King of Pop's tune rips off a 1983 song he co-wrote with Jackson called "I Never Heard." He tells TMZ that the song was even recorded in his studio in Carmel, Calif.

TMZ reported that Anka says he took the tape to a studio in Hollywood to put the finishing touches on it for Anka's duets album, "Walk a Fine Line." Anka claims Jackson - who was just blowing up at the time with "Thriller" - got a big head and "stole the tapes" from the studio.

Anka told TMZ he called the lawyers who repped both he and Jackson - ironically, one of them was John Branca - and threatened them with a lawsuit if he didn't get the tapes back. Anka got them back, but insists Jackson made a copy of the tapes and used the track with his voice from "I Never Heard" - and simply retitled it, "This is It."

Anka gave "I Never Heard" to another artist - Safire - who recorded it in 1990. Anka says he's talking with his lawyers about his legal options.

[RichD]

Re: Paul Anka Says Michael Jackson Stole His Song

i heard that they have already agreed on 50/50 split of publishing rights.

[Suesumba]

Re: Paul Anka Says Michael Jackson Stole His Song

"having my baby"?

[evanovitch]

Re: Paul Anka Says Michael Jackson Stole His Song

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i heard that they have already agreed on 50/50 split of publishing rights. </div></div>

New Michael Jackson song debuts, but it's familiar tune for co-writer Paul Anka


Anthony Mccartney, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES - With a familiar high-pitched voice counting off one-two-three-four, a new Michael Jackson single debuted online Monday, prompting a hasty response from the singer's estate after Paul Anka revealed he was the song's co-writer.


&quot;This Is It&quot; is featured on the soundtrack to the upcoming documentary featuring the late superstar, but its genesis was actually in 1983 when it was written for a duets album Anka was recording.

The song was titled &quot;I Never Heard,&quot; and Jackson and Anka are credited as co-authors on an early 1990s version recorded by the singer Sa-Fire.

Anka, an Ottawa native who was inducted last year into Canada's Songwriters Hall of Fame, <span style="font-weight: bold">said Jackson's estate moved quickly to give him credit, promising Anka 50 per cent of the song's profits. </span>
&quot;They did the right thing,&quot; Anka said. &quot;I don't think that anybody tried to do the wrong thing. It was an honest mistake.&quot;

The string-backed ballad was released on the singer's official Web site and sent to radio stations. It gives advance publicity to the documentary, culled from footage of Jackson rehearsing for the concerts that he never got a chance to do.

Representatives of Jackson's estate acknowledged Anka's work in a prepared statement. <span style="font-weight: bold">Until Anka stepped forward, the song's history was a mystery</span>.

&quot;The song was picked because the lyrics were appropriate because of the name Michael gave his tour,&quot; the statement read. &quot;We are thrilled to present this song in Michael's voice for the first time, and that Michael's fans have responded in unprecedented numbers.&quot;

<span style="font-weight: bold">Anka, 68, initially contemplated legal action after being informed Monday by outlets such as the New York Times and TMZ of the similarities between &quot;This Is It&quot; and the Sa-Fire version. But later in the day, he said he was satisfied with how the situation was handled. </span>
&quot;There's nothing but honourable people here,&quot; said Anka, a former teen idol from the 1950s and '60s who sang &quot;Put Your Head on My Shoulder&quot; and wrote &quot;She's A Lady&quot;, one of Tom Jones' biggest hits.

Sony Music Entertainment had said it wasn't sure when Jackson recorded the song but speculated it could have been around the time Jackson's &quot;Off the Wall&quot; album was done 30 years ago.

Close - Anka said it was recorded right around the time Jackson's &quot;Thriller&quot; album was becoming a smash hit.

&quot;This Is It&quot; was apparently found in a box of tapes with only Jackson's voice and a piano accompaniment.