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Paul Anka Claims 'This is It' is a Rip-Off
Posted Oct 12th 2009 4:58PM by TMZ Staff
If you think Michael Jackson's "This Is It" sounds familiar, it's because the song is a rip-off that was released nearly two decades ago by another artist ... and the man making this claim is none other than music legend Paul Anka.
Anka tells TMZ in 1983, he wrote a song with Jackson called "I Never Heard" -- and the demo of the song was recorded in Anka's studio in Carmel, CA. Anka says he took the tape to a studio in Hollywood to put the finishing touches on it for Anka's duets album, "Walk a Fine Line." Anka claims Jackson -- who was just blowing up at the time with "Thriller" -- got a big head and "stole the tapes" from the studio.
Anka tells us he called the lawyers who repped both he and Jackson -- ironically one of them was John Branca -- and threatened them with a lawsuit if he didn't get the tapes back. Anka got them back but insists Jackson made a copy of the tapes and used the track with his voice from "I Never Heard" -- and simply retitled it, "This is It."
Anka gave "I Never Heard" to another artist -- Safire -- who recorded it in 1990.
We called Sony Music who released "This Is It" ... no comment so far.
Anka tells us he's talking with his lawyers about his legal options.
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Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0TlD6l82Q
UPDATE:
Anka on Jackson -- They See it My Way
Posted Oct 12th 2009 6:18PM by TMZ Staff
And, John Branca just told TMZ, "We acknowledge that Michael and Paul wrote this song together."
As we first reported, Anka claims the new Jackson song, "This is It" is the Michael Jackson track Anka co-wrote with Jackson in 1983, which Jackson originally recorded under the title, "I Never Heard."
Anka tells TMZ he just got off the phone with John McClain, the co-Special Administrator for Jackson's estate. Anka says McClain apologized profusely, saying he knew "Michael couldn't have written this song alone. It's not his style."
Anka says McClain now acknowledges that "This is It" is really Paul's song, and said, "We'll give you whatever you want, whatever it take's we'll do the right thing."
Anka says he's not trying to hold the estate up but he wants them to be fair.
And how's this .... Anka says McClain asked him to do promotion for the song.
It's Hollywood, folks.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
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Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0TlN9KR0m
ANOTHER UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MJ Camp -- It Ain't Just Michael's Song
Posted Oct 12th 2009 6:25PM by TMZ Staff
Branca and his people are negotiating a settlement with Paul Anka's lawyer.
Branca tells TMZ, "We acknowledge that Michael and Paul wrote this song together."
As we first reported, the other special administrator, John McClain, told Anka "We'll give you whatever you want, whatever it takes we'll do the right thing.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0TlQf45vJ
UPDATE Number #######:
MJ Camp -- It Ain't Just Michael's Song
Posted Oct 12th 2009 6:25PM by TMZ Staff
John Branca, the special administrator for Michael Jackson's estate tells TMZ Paul Anka is right -- "This Is It" was not written by MJ alone, it was co-written with Paul Anka.
Branca and his people are negotiating a settlement with Paul Anka's lawyer.
Branca tells TMZ, "We acknowledge that Michael and Paul wrote this song together."
As we first reported, the other special administrator, John McClain, told Anka "We'll give you whatever you want, whatever it takes we'll do the right thing."
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0Tlj4uMvJ
UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paul Anka -- 'Honest Mistake'
Posted Oct 12th 2009 8:10PM by TMZ Staff
Paul Anka says he's all square with Michael Jackson's estate over the release of "This Is It" -- a song Paul helped write -- saying the special administrators realized "there was a wrong here" and they immediately "made it right..." as in 50% of publishing rights. Can you say BONANZA.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0TlovCYye
ANOTHER
UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paul Anka -- I Get Half
Posted Oct 12th 2009 8:13PM by TMZ Staff
It's the quickest resolution in Hollywood history -- Paul Anka says the special administrators of Michael Jackson's estate gave him a 50% cut of "This Is It."
Paul also said John McClain told him, "Now we know why the song was so good ... it wasn't the type of Michael Jackson song that he could write."
Anka said he was humbled by the compliment.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0Tltwin1E
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