Michael Jackson’s forgotten music out in November

Songs that didn’t make the cut on Michael Jackson albums while he was alive and some forgotten recordings left behind on computer hard drives will be on an album released this fall, sources familiar with the project say.

Jackie Jackson, one of the singer’s older brothers, has been working in a studio to help prepare the album, which will include 10 previously unheard songs, according to Jackson estate spokesman Jim Bates.

Jackson’s estate and Sony Music announced in March that his next album of unreleased music will go on sale in November.

Music producer Rodney Jerkins, who co-produced Jackson’s 2001 album “Invincible,” has been working with Sony to put together the new album, a source familiar with the project said. The source asked not to be identified because he was not authorized by the record label to disclose details.

John McClain, one of the two men named in Jackson’s will to be executors of his estate, is also working on the album with Jackie Jackson, Bates said. McClain owns a recording studio in Hollywood.

Jackson was known to rent out Los Angeles recording studios for weeks at a time for creative sessions, sometimes alone and sometimes with other well-known artists.

A producer told CNN that he was surprised to find a large cache of forgotten Michael Jackson music files stored on a hard drive at a Hollywood studio in the months after Jackson’s June 25, 2009, death.

When he turned the recording device on to start a session, he heard Jackson singing “Hot Fun in the Summertime.” The 1969 hit by Sly & the Family Stone is part of an extensive music catalogue that Jackson bought.

The producer said he made a backup copy of the 40 gigabytes of Jackson music and turned it over to one of the Jackson estate administrators. He asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Another computer hard drive with music was found in Jackson’s rented mansion in the days after his death, Bates said. A Jackson family member later handed the hard drive over to the estate administrators, he said.

It was not clear if any of that music will be included in the upcoming project, but Sony’s Columbia Records has a contract with Jackson’s estate for 10 albums of unreleased material over the next seven years.

source:  http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/30/michael.jackson.album/index.html#fbid=KgaSu-FFqPr

Game will let you sing, dance like Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s brilliance as a performer will live on in a video game that gives fans the chance to sing and dance like the King of Pop.

Game-maker Ubisoft said the forthcoming game, which does not yet have a title, will let players “step into the shoes of Michael Jackson himself and relive his most iconic performances through their own singing and dancing.”

The game will feature such Jackson hits as “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” and will go on sale before the holiday shopping season.

No game play or trailer videos were shown during Ubisoft’s press conference this week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, California. Real dancers came on stage and performed to “Beat It,” but few other details were revealed.

It is not the first time the late pop icon has been featured in a game. Jackson was a digital character in a 1980s arcade game and also had his own console title — both tie-ins to his 1988 movie, “Moonwalker.”

Development of the upcoming video game has the blessing of Jackson’s estate. The singer died of cardiac arrest a year ago this month.

“It is a game that the entire family can experience and enjoy together and this is something that would please Michael tremendously,” said Michael Jackson Estate co-executor John McClain, in a statement.

A Ubisoft press release said the game will include “the most famous tracks” from the singer’s extensive catalog of hits. Fan reaction to the game on the singer’s website has been mostly positive.

“This is awesome ! My kids are gonna flip!!! I’m excited to get this for my kids. WE LOVE YOU MICHAEL JACKSON!” said one fan.

Another was more skeptical: “MJ’s probably rolling over in his grave right now (if he hasn’t already) with all the ubiquitous money-making schemes. If he had wanted all this he would’ve done it when he was alive!”

Ubisoft spokesperson Lisa Revelli said the title will be available using Microsoft’s Kinect for the Xbox 360, Sony’s Move for the PS3, and Nintendo’s Wii as well as the handheld PSP and DS devices. She said for the Kinect/Xbox 360 version, the game will not feature avatars to represent the player, but the actual players themselves on-screen.

The game’s release may coincide with the arrival of a new album of never-before-released songs from Jackson, due in November.

source:  http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/06/16/michael.jackson.game/index.html?hpt=Sbin