Michael Jackson's Katrina Song Said Ready

Michael Jackson's Katrina Song Said Ready
By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent

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 come out by the end
of this month.

Fragile Warrior...

Gee, where have we heard THAT before? Oh, I know! In September, October,
November, December and January...

In a telephone interview from Dubai last week, Sheik Abdullah bin
Hamad Al Khalifa, the son of Bahrain's king, told The Associated
Press, "The record is coming along great. We've been taking our time
to perfect it and mix it."

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

Missing are James Brown, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott and Lenny
Kravitz, who Jackson spokeswoman Raymone Bain said in September had
agreed to participate.

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 classic. The release of the
song also had been repeatedly delayed.

"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."

He said the song, which Jackson wrote, "is a message of peace and help
and caring. It's a song of total oneness."

Jackson has been living in Bahrain since his acquittal in a harrowing
molestation trial last year, and now has a house there, the prince
said. He didn't know if Jackson plans to settle in the country
permanently.

Several of the participating artists recorded their portions of the
song Nov. 1, gathering at a Los Angeles studio, Bain said.

"James Ingram, Ciara, Snoop Dogg and Shirley Caesar were all there,"
said Eddie Levert, lead singer for The O'Jays. "Michael produced it on
the phone from Bahrain. He talked to Shirley Caesar, he talked to
James Ingram. He talked to everyone except me."

"Overall, it came out very well," Levert said. "It had a strong gospel
feel. I think it's really a great song. If radio plays it, it could do
very well."

"To work with him on this project was such a privilege and a
blessing," Caesar said. "Michael is a true humanitarian."

Asked if the song's release was a harbinger of a new Jackson album,
Prince Abdullah laughed and said, "I will just say we've been very
busy."

"This is a raindrop before the thunderstorm,' he said. "He's getting
ready to come out with a lot of bells and whistles. He's so energized.
It's explosive."