By LINDA DEUTSCH

Eight days after Hurricane Katrina hit, Michael Jackson announced he would
release an all-star charity single within two weeks.

Nearly six months later, after questions about exactly who would be
participating, the prince who has been hosting Jackson during his
self-imposed exile in Bahrain says the song will come out by the end of this
month.

In a telephone interview from Dubai last week, Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad Al
Khalifa, the son of Bahrain’s king, told The Associated Press, “The record
is coming along great. We’ve been taking our time to perfect it and mix it.”

The song is currently titled “I Have This Dream,” and it includes Snoop
Dogg, R. Kelly, Ciara, Keyisha Cole, James Ingram, Jackson’s brother
Jermaine, Shanice, the Rev. Shirley Caesar and the O’Jays, the prince said.

Missing are James Brown, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott and Lenny
Kravitz, who Jackson spokeswoman Raymone Bain said in September had agreed
to participate.

At the height of his fame, in 1985, Jackson and producer Quincy Jones
brought dozens of superstars together to fight famine with his “We Are the
World” anthem.

But while there are some platinum-selling stars on this record _ Ciara, R.
Kelly and Snoop Dogg _ it’s a far cry from the luminaries and legends who
made ‘We Are The World” a classic. The release of the song also had been
repeatedly delayed.

“We were wondering whether or not it was ever coming out,” Andy Gibson,
co-manager of the O’Jays, told the AP this week. “They recorded their part
of it two or three months ago.”

The prince said the release has been delayed because additional artists
wanted to contribute. But he declined to name those artists _ “I’d like to
keep that as a surprise” _ or to name the company he claimed to have secured
to sell the song via CDs and the Internet.

Prince Abdullah, 30, plans to release the song on his own 2 Seas label.
“Michael did a wonderful track,” he said. “His voice was phenomenal.”

He said the song, which Jackson wrote, “is a message of peace and help and
caring. It’s a song of total oneness.”

Jackson has been living in Bahrain since his acquittal in a harrowing
molestation trial last year, and now has a house there, the prince said. He
didn’t know if Jackson plans to settle in the country permanently.

Several of the participating artists recorded their portions of the song
Nov. 1, gathering at a Los Angeles studio, Bain said.

“James Ingram, Ciara, Snoop Dogg and Shirley Caesar were all there,” said
Eddie Levert, lead singer for The O’Jays. “Michael produced it on the phone
from Bahrain. He talked to Shirley Caesar, he talked to James Ingram. He
talked to everyone except me.”

“Overall, it came out very well,” Levert said. “It had a strong gospel feel.
I think it’s really a great song. If radio plays it, it could do very well.”

“To work with him on this project was such a privilege and a blessing,”
Caesar said. “Michael is a true humanitarian.”

Asked if the song’s release was a harbinger of a new Jackson album, Prince
Abdullah laughed and said, “I will just say we’ve been very busy.”

“This is a raindrop before the thunderstorm,’ he said. “He’s getting ready
to come out with a lot of bells and whistles. He’s so energized. It’s
explosive.”

Source: Associated Press

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