As it turns out, the new Michael Jackson song that was released earlier today—entitled “This Is It,” to coincide with the imminent concert film of the same name—is a retitled, only slightly reworked version of “I Never Heard,” a track that Jackson and ex-teen idol Paul Anka wrote in 1983 that was later recorded by the freestyle singer Sa-Fire. Anka, as you might expect, is really not happy about this, especially since his name has been erased from the new track’s list of composers! “They will be sued if they don’t correct it,” Anka told the New York Times. He also shed some light on the song’s origins!
For Mr. Anka, the song has a long and painful history. He said that he and Jackson wrote and recorded it in 1983 in Mr. Anka’s studio in Carmel, Calif., and that it had been intended as a duet for Mr. Anka’s album “Walk a Fine Line.”
But shortly after it was recorded Jackson took the tapes, Mr. Anka said. He threatened to sue to get them back, he said, and now has the original multitrack tapes in his possession, along with documentation that the copyright for the song was held by both men. “It’s exactly the same song,” Mr. Anka said. “They just changed the title.”
And he’s right. Listen to the Sa-Fire version and tell me that you’re not hearing what you heard this morning:
You can even hear Jackson’s vocals in the background! Here’s the “new” song, for comparison’s sake.
No comment yet from Sa-Fire, but let’s all just say that we’re thinking of her, mmkay?
Paul Anka Says He Was Not Credited for New Jackson Single [NYT]
WRITTEN BY MICHAEL JACKSON “I Never Heard” by Safire [YouTube]
Sa-Fire - Thinking Of You [YouTube]
Earlier: Michael Jackson: Reminding Us From Beyond The Grave That This Is Indeed It
Update:
No lie. I’m pretty sure I still have a cass-single of ‘Thinking of You’.
That’s pretty wild. Paul Anka resurfaces…who woulda thunk it?
@rockymtranger: The Gilmore Girls will be pleased with this turn of events.
I have to say, I’m glad this Anka news came out and clarified when Jackson’s version was actually recorded, because I was thrown by that chatter early Monday that it could’ve been recorded as late as 1991.
No, it couldn’t: Michael didn’t sing like that in 1991. Hell, he didn’t really sing like this even in 1987 — even the nominally similar “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” was afflicted with the Bad-era “dah! chicka!” vocal tics he picked up as he aged.
But “This Is It”/”I Never Heard” has the kind of youthful, pure tone he began to lose gradually during the Thriller years (which explains, despite the song’s weak hook and syrupy new overdubs, why I maintain a bit of affection for it). Honestly, when some other quarters were saying over the weekend that it could’ve been laid down as early as Off the Wall, I found that totally believable. Anyway, 1983 makes sense, too — but ’83 is probably the latest you’d ever hear Jackson sing like this.