Another day, another revelation relating to Michael Jackson. As the dust begins to settle and more and more details begin to surface, we’re learning more about the most recent on goings of the pop icon, specifically that he was working on two new studio album at the time of his death.
According to Billboard.com, of the two projects, one was to be in the “pop vein that made him famous” while the other was an instrumental classical composition.
Of course, the former jives with what rapper Akon revealed earlier this week when he he told Billboard that he had been collaborating with Jackson on a new album. It is also believed that songwriter Claude Kelly, who wrote “Hold My Hand”, the Akon-produced Jackson that leaked last year, also had a hand in the album.
The latter of two, however, comes as some surprise. According to Billboard, composer David Michael Frank, who had previously worked with Jackson on 1989 TV tribute to Sammy Davis Jr., had begun collaborating with the musician in recent months as well, but for a something much more unique — an instrumental album consisting of orchestral driven classical music.
“He mentioned more instrumental music of his he wanted to record, including one jazz piece,” Frank said. “He had two demos of two pieces he’d written, but they weren’t complete…For one of them, he had a whole section of it done in his head. He had not recorded it. He hummed it to me as I sat at the keyboard in his pool house and we figured out the chords—I guess this recording I made is the only copy that exists of this music.”
Neither of the two releases are believed to be close to completion and there is no word on what the Jackson family plans to do with any of the material. Factor is the “mountain of unreleased recordings,” including unused tracks from studio sessions, recent collaborations and maybe even 7EVEN???, and it’s no wonder Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola is quoted as saying Jackson related releases “could go on for years and years — even more than Elvis.”
Speaking of Sony, the label has already announced plans for the release of a five-disc tribute set, which will reportedly consist of re-releases of Thriller, Off The Wall, Bad, Dangerous and Invincible. A release date has not yet been set.
In other words, start saving…