By Roger Friedman

The word from London over the weekend: Grammy winner Kanye West, who knows
more samples than anyone in the garment district, has been working with
Michael Jackson in the recording studio.

I’m told that West, who played a gig at London’s Hammersmith Odeon last
night, was sent by Island/Def Jam’s L.A. Reid to help Jackson with his
charity single “I Have This Dream” which otherwise features a list of
B-level pop stars as guests and was written for a contest. (See Monday’s
column.)

West would be the right person to work with Jackson, whose music could use a
little modernizing. At the same time, West’s collaboration with Jackson
would cement the distribution deal that Jackson’s associates have been
trying to make with Reid for the charity single and a record label featuring
Jackson owned by the Prince of Bahrain.

But while this is going on, and Jackson and his entourage are lodged at
London’s Dorchester Hotel, there’s a lot of other intrigue in the Jackson
camp that now involves not one, but three different Arab entities.

As I reported last week, Jackson’s business with the Bahraini prince is
tenuous to say the least. But I also told you that Sony Music was trying to
finalize a deal with Citigroup to buy Jackson’s $270 million in loans from
Fortress Investments. Several financial insiders point out now how ironic
that would be since one of Citigroup’s largest investors is none other than
Prince Walid bin Talal of Saudi Arabia. In 2002 the Prince bought $500
million of Citigroup stock. He may be Citigroup’s largest investor by now.

Walid and Jackson have history: in 1995, the Prince took over management of
Jackson’s career, and invested a lot of money with him that he never saw
again. Their association was a short one, and did not end pleasantly. It
included forming a company that died on the vine. Jermaine Jackson’s
interest in Bahrain, and making friends with that Prince, stemmed largely
from Michael’s having burned his bridges with Walid.

Perhaps fearing a new Citigroup attachment, I am told that Jackson may be
trying to get friendly with yet another Arab potentate: the Sultan of
Brunei. Here in the U.S., it seems like all these countries must be
neighbors and all friends with each other. But Brunei, in the South China
Sea, is far from Bahrain and even farther from Saudi Arabia. The Sultan,
whose real name is Hassanal Bolkiah, has owned things like the Beverly Hills
Hotel and the New York Palace Hotel, where Jackson has often been a guest.

In 1996, Jackson was flown in to entertain Bolkiah at his 50th birthday
party. Now that he may be on the outs with the Bahraini’s-and in fear of
doing business again with the Saudi’s-Jackson, my sources say, is trying to
get back in the good graces of the Sultan, perhaps hopeful of at last
finding a savior. But Bolkiah is in a huge family dispute internally with
his brother, Prince Jefri, aka “the playboy prince” which may keep him too
busy to get involved in Jackson’s numerous difficulties.

And that brings us back to Kanye, who no doubt will be whipping up samples
from obscure R&B songs for Jackson’s single, maybe even cannibalizing
Jackson’s own previous records. West is so good at unearthing nearly
forgotten bits and pieces of old records that we can expect to hear
Jackson’s “tweedly-deedly dee” from “Rockin’ Robin” or maybe elements of
“Goin’ Back to Indiana” cut up and sprinkled like parmesan cheese throughout
“Dream.”

Source: FOX News

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

By Roger Friedman

As Michael Jackson considers a new deal that could save him, Neverland may
no longer be insured, the zoo animals are looking for a new home, and staff
remains unpaid after eight weeks.

Michael Jackson’s perilous financial problems, documented here ad nauseum as
they say, could be improving soon. I say ‘could be’ because with Jackson,
you never know whether he will accept the deals worked out by bankers and
lawyers or turn up his battered nose at them. Remember, last year he snubbed
a deal that could have bailed him out and he chose insolvency.

My sources now say that Sony Music has worked out a deal with Fortress
Investments in which Fortress would sell the $270 million worth of Jackson’s
loans they bought last year from Bank of America to Citigroup, the
investment arm of Citibank. Sony has played a significant role in brokering
this deal because a deadline of February 20th is looming. Fortress could
foreclose on Jackson starting on that date if they so chose.

Sony has done everything, I am told, to keep Fortress from shutting Jackson
down. The reasoning is that Jackson’s half of Sony ATV Music Publishing
could then possibly be sold at a bankruptcy auction. Even though Sony has
the right to match any offer, there’s enough gray area here that the company
wants to make sure no one else gets their hands on Jackson’s 50 percent.

The Sony execs who’ve worked on this with the Fortress team have not talked
to Jackson. I am told all the work is done through a Bahrainian lawyer hired
by Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prince of Bahrain and Jackson’s
benefactor since the singer arrived in the island country last June.
(Jackson has only been in the U.S. once, sources say, confirming our report
from late November that the singer went to Los Angeles briefly.)

Prince Abdulla, as he is known, and Jackson, are currently at an odd point
in their strange relationship. The prince has just returned to Bahrain from
London, where he stayed at the Arab-owned Dorchester Hotel. Jackson has just
arrived at the same hotel, after traveling to Germany, Italy, and France,
winding up at the home of a longtime family friend over the last few days.
The two men were not at the hotel at the same time and may not even have
seen each other.

The prince, sources still insist, is still planning to launch a record label
with Jackson called Two Seas despite definite strain in the relationship.
Some of the strain may have come from Jackson, at the prince’s expense,
importing about a dozen people from around the world as his Christmas guests
and then showering them with gifts. The guests did not stay in the palace
and never met the prince, I am told.

As for the record label: “There will be major distribution for the label,” a
source tells me, and hints that L.A. Reid–despite having a bad Bahraini
experience some months ago-may yet do the deal for Island/DefJam. Sony
Music, I am told, is not interested.

All of this is interesting if completed, but several things have to happen
first. Among them: Jackson must realize, my sources say, that this new deal
does not “save” him. At best, moving the loans is a lateral move to a more
hospitable lender. But Jackson will still owe the bank $270 million, and
won’t be able to borrow any more money. Interest will keep mounting, as
well, which Jackson will have to pay.

And there’s still the issue of the 60 employees Jackson has abandoned at his
Neverland Valley Ranch. Today marked eight weeks of no pay. Electricity is
turned off on much of the ranch, and there’s no heat or hot water because
there’s no gas in the tanks. Ranch manager Joe Marcus is now working only
part time at Neverland and living down in Arizona.

But there may be a new problem at Neverland, as well. Sources say that in a
deposition given last November by Alan Whitman, Jackson’s accountant, it was
revealed that Jackson no longer carries commercial insurance or any kind of
umbrella policy at Neverland. This may apply to the animals in Jackson’s
zoo, which is why, say the sources, representatives from Marine World
visited recently to evaluate the non human population for adoption.
Considering they haven’t been paid in a while, I’ll bet some of the
two-legged types wanted to go as well.

Source: FOX News

By Paul Dalgarno

THE 1980s will be revisited this week when two American pop stars from the
decade that style forgot slug it out for the UK number one slot.

In the red corner, it’s Madonna, who a few months ago bounced back from a
critical mauling for her 2003 album American Life with the best
Abba-inspired tune since, well Abba, and in the blue corner, Michael
Jackson, who last year was cleared of child molestation allegations but
showed during the trial that he has what it takes in a long and bloody
fight.

SonyBMG’s Visionary campaign launches tomorrow with Jackson hoping to see
himself back at the top of the UK singles chart. Combining tracks from his
back catalogue with their original videos in the new dual disc format, a
single will be released every Monday for the next 20 weeks. Fifty thousand
numbered singles will be available each week in the UK, beginning with the
1980s smash Thriller and ending with Blood On The Dance Floor on July 3. The
project builds on SonyBMG’s successful Elvis rereleases campaign last year
which saw The King notch up a further three number ones in the UK.

However, industry insiders think Jackson’s chances of hitting the top spot
in the first week could be hampered by pop arch-rival Her Madgesty.

“In the case of Elvis, the first single got to number one because it was
released in January, which is traditionally a time of low record sales, but
they may have left it a little late with Jackson. Next week he’ll have to
compete with some pretty strong releases, particularly Madonna’s new single,
Sorry,” said HMV spokesperson Gennaro Castaldo.

If Madonna pips Jackson to the top spot it will be seen as a bad omen for
the campaign. Thriller - taken from the 1982 album of the same name which
has sold an unparalleled 51 million copies - is seen by many as Jackson’s
title track . Madonna currently boasts 11 UK number ones, most recently with
Hung Up from November of last year. Jackson - with seven UK number ones -
last topped the charts with his 1997 track Blood On The Dance Floor.

Source: The Sunday Herald

VISIONARY - THE VIDEO SINGLES
20 FEBRUARY - 26 JUNE 2006

THE FIRST ARTIST TO RELEASE ON DUAL DISC FORMAT

The original global megastar and arguably, the world’s best-known
entertainer, Michael Jackson is set to release, Visionary - The Video
Singles, through Sony BMG. Starting on 20 February 2006, each week for five
months, one single from his monumental career will be released on DualDisc,
a revolutionary new concept, which not only allows fans to collect his
greatest hits, but also the groundbreaking videos that accompanied them.

Beginning with the Quincy Jones produced epic-track, Thriller, which will be
released in a beautifully designed limited edition numbered box alongside
the disco smash, Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.

Each week until 26 June 2006, smash-hits from Michael’s extraordinary
catalogue of music, which include Bad, Billie Jean, Beat It, Black or White,
Earth Song and Stranger in Moscow will be released as part of the Visionary
- The Video Singles collector’s series.

Now using DualDisc technology, which allows music and DVD content to be
played on a single two-sided disc, Sony BMG has brought together 20 of
Michael Jackson’s biggest hits and their videos. Michael Jackson is the
first artist ever to release a commercial single on DualDisc.

Each DualDisc single will feature an exact replica of the original 7″ or 12″
artwork which is presented in a stunning limited and numbered card wallet.
All the audio has been digitally re-mastered and will feature the original
7″ or radio edit of the lead track plus a sought after remix or related
song.

Visionary - The Video Singles, is the ultimate must-have collection for any
music fan.

‘The King of Pop’, Michael Jackson is one of the most talented and popular
musical artists of the modern age. An instantly identifiable voice,
phenomenal dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and a wealth of sheer
star power have seen him sell out stadiums across the globe and generate
record sales in excess of 135 million around the world.

An outstanding innovative singer, songwriter and performer, Michael Jackson
has broken countless records for his singles, albums and tours. With the
Jackson Five, he was the youngest vocalist to top the US charts. He was also
the first artist to enter the US charts at No.1 with You Are Not Alone and
the first US singer to enter the UK charts at No.1 since Elvis Presley. His
1982 blockbuster release, Thriller, is the biggest-selling album of all time
with an estimated 51 million copies sold around the world, 26 million in the
US alone. It topped the US album charts for an unprecedented 37 weeks and
had a record 12 Grammy award nominations. He was also the first black artist
to find stardom on MTV, breaking down innumerable racial boundaries and
blazed the trail for music video as an art form. Jackson was the first
artist to sell over 100 million albums outside the US and was inducted into
the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004.

Roger Menz, International VP for Strategic Projects at Sony BMG commented:
‘Michael has been fully behind this project and the originality of the first
ever DualDisc single idea typifies the creativity of one of the most
innovative artists in our lifetime. The quality of each single, having the
audio on one side and the video on the other, is a compelling proposition
for his fans.’

Visionary - The Video Singles is out on 20 February 2006 - 26 June 2006
through Sony BMG.

ORDER OF RELEASE:
DATE TITLE

20 Feb 06 Thriller + Limited Edition Box
20 Feb 06 Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough
27 Feb 06 Rock With You
06 Mar 06 Billie Jean
13 Mar 06 Beat It
20 Mar 06 Bad
27 Mar 06 The Way You Make Me Feel
03 Apr 06 Dirty Diana
10 Apr 06 Smooth Criminal
17 Apr 06 Leave Me Alone
24 Apr 06 Black or White
01 May 06 Remember the Time
08 May 06 In The Closest
15 May 06 Jam
22 May 06 Heal The World
29 May 06 You Are Not Alone
05 Jun 06 Earth Song
12 Jun 06 They Don’t Care About Us
19 Jun 06 Stranger in Moscow
26 Jun 06 Blood on the Dance Floor

Source: MJVisionary.com

Number Ones rises 2 places in the UK Album Chart to #59.

Source: MJ.INF

Singles At Amazon.co.uk

Michael Jackson is currently HOT PROPERTY according to Amazon’s HOT
Pre-Release CD Singles chart.

The King Of Pop’s VISIONARY Box Set is currently top of the charts, with
“Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” being #3.

In addition, there are 6 more singles in the top 20:

#10 Rock With You
#14 Billie Jean
#17 Remember The Time
#18 The Way You Make Me Feel
#19 Bad
#20 Beat It

Source: Amazon.co.uk

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, breaks his silence. In his first book in 14 years, the living pop-icon tries to explain himself to the world once again. In “My World”, Jackson speaks out about his childhood-idols, his inspirations and about living the most famoust life in the world with only a few normalities.

The book features more than 40 full colour photos from Michael Jackson’s private photo archive. Never before seen pictures show Michael Jackson on stage, in the studio, on award-shows and very privately at his home. A photographic review of his career and unique life on and off stage. A close up portrait of the world’s greatest entertainer, a human being with emotions and fascinating thoughts which are the result of forty years being in the worldwide spotlight:

My World By Michael Jackson

Source: Amazon

A US appeals court rebuffed pop icon Michael Jackson’s bid to banish his ex-wife Debbie Rowe from the lives of their two children, rejecting his claim that she gave up her parental rights.

The decision, which came amid a bitter custody battle between the embattled star and the former doctor’s receptionist, also revealed that a trial judge in the case believed the couple’s four-year marriage was an “arranged deal.”

Five judges of the California Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s ruling invalidating a judge’s 2001 ruling under which Rowe agreed to give up her parental rights.

In October 2001 a judge granted Rowe’s request to completely terminate her parental rights, but shortly after Jackson’s November 2003 arrest on charges that he allegedly molested a 13-year-old boy, Rowe began legal moves to regain custody of the children.

Wednesday’s appeals court decision backed the lower court’s ruling that Rowe’s agreement to end her parental rights was invalid because the judge had made a procedural error.

Court documents showed that Rowe wanted to regain parental rights over the children — son Prince Michael Jr. and daughter Paris — amid concerns over the allegations against Jackson and amid his reported links with the radical black group, the Nation of Islam.

She sought temporary exclusive custody of the children, currently living with their father in Bahrain, “because of concerns arising from Michael’s criminal prosecution and press reports Michael had associated with the Nation of Islam, whose members Deborah believed do ‘not like Jews’,” court documents showed.

Jackson’s lawyers declined to comment on the ruling handed down in Los Angeles and his publicist Raymone Bain had no immediate reaction to the decision that could mark the start of an all-out battle by Rowe to regain custody of her children.

Source: AFP

Four remixes taken from the forthcoming Sony Music release “Visionary” are now available to buy online at iTunes.

The following remixes are available to purchase and download:

1. Stranger In Moscow (Hani’s Num Club Mix) 10.18
2. In The Closet (The Mission Mix) 9.24
3. Smooth Criminal (Annie Mix) 5.36
4. This Time Around (D.M. Mad Club Mix) 10.21

Source: itunes