http://www.edmontonsun.co...9-sun.html

Jackson's all-star ensemble
by AP

LOS ANGELES -- 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 be 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, "We've been taking our time to perfect it and mix it."

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

In September, Jackson spokesman Raymone Bain had said that James Brown, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz had agreed to participate, but none did.

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 hit.

"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."

-----


So, this is what we know so far:

TITLE: I Have This Dream
ARTISTS: Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Ciara, Keyisha Cole, James Ingram, Jermaine Jackson, Shanice, Rev. Shirley Caesar and the O'Jays.
RELEASE DATE: Most probably, 28 Feb 2006
RELEASED TO: Worldwide
LABEL: 2 Seas Records
DISTRIBUTOR: Unknown, but most probably, Sony BMG

Looks like it could be very interesting.
[Edited 2/18/06 19:43pm]

all i can say at this point is:

DarlingDiana said:

We've heard statements like this several times, we'll see if it's finally true!

http://www.mjnewsonline.c...lief-song/
http://www.mjnewsonline.c...way-in-la/
http://www.mjnewsonline.c...ina-track/
http://www.mjnewsonline.c...-on-track/



C'mon, how much time does it take to mix a single song?! Unless, of course, the basic material is junk...



Is there still a chance the title will change again?!?



So what is "2 Seas Records," the so-called record company that this guy heads, and that was supposed to release this song? Why doesn't that company handle these arrangements? Isn't that what record companies are for?

http://www.mjnewsonline.c...rina-song/
http://www.mjnewsonline.c...al-photos/
(Note the pics are copyright "2 Seas Records Inc."...so they are now MJ's record company?)


Is it not pathetic that MICHAEL JACKSON can't get a charity single put together and out on the market in a timely manner?! It took Prince two days or so to get his out. Granted MJ has no experience doing a track on his own or selling stuff as downloads only like Prince routinely does, but this is ridiculous...how long did it take to put together and release "We are the World" (and that was before iTunes, etc.)?


[Edited 2/19/06 1:26am]

28th. February??? That´s soon. Please God, let it be true!

2 Seas is not Michael's record company now. They are only doing this single. Although his Sony contract ended in 2003, I think he's still distributing his material through them (like the Visionary singles that are coming out over the next 5 months).

And no, I don't think it's pathetic that he spent 6 months on the record. He's a perfectionist. Everything of his has to be perfect. He would never release a record in 2 days (like Prince did with his Hurricane Katrina song). Michael needs time, that's how he words. Every artist is different.

Personally, I think the single will be fantastic and I can't wait for it.

CandaceS said:

The first article you listed says Michael intends to record it within the next two weeks. Perhaps he didn't realise how hard it would be to organise multiple artists and record a song in two weeks. Also note, it says he intends to record, not release, the song in two weeks.

The second article you listed doesn't say when they intend to release the song.

The third article says the single will be out by the end of November, but it doesn't quote Bain as saying it would. IMO, they assumed it would be out by the end of the month because Bain said Michael was on the "fast track."

The fourth article says "No release date for the song has been announced".

This latest update from The Prince is the first time anyone involved in the record has specified a release date. The other times were assumption/guesses/speculation made by news organisations and sometimes fans.

CandaceS said:

It never changed. "From The Bottom of My Heart" was a working title, and Bain said it was only a working title since the very first press release. In October, Ciara revealed the title is "I Have This Dream" and it hasn't changed since.
[Edited 2/19/06 2:44am]

whateva mike ...

Im not holding my breath. On the news the other day, they said he was with his kids vacationing in Italy during the Olympics. RECORD, Mike! RECORD!
[Edited 2/19/06 7:16am]


[duplicate thread..see: http://www.prince.org/msg...sg_3365032 -sos]