New Jackson song, CD set for release

NEW YORK, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The first new Michael Jackson song to emerge since the U.S. pop icon died in June is to be released next month, Sony Music said Wednesday.

The single, "This Is It," is set for release Oct. 12.

Sony Music Entertainment's Columbia/Epic Label Group is scheduled to release the two-disc album, "This Is It," featuring the music that inspired Sony Pictures' forthcoming film, "Michael Jackson's This Is It," later in the month. The set will be available internationally Oct. 26 and in North America Oct. 27 to coincide with the worldwide release of the motion picture Oct. 28.

The documentary, which is expected to run in theaters for a two-week engagement, features footage of Jackson rehearsing for a series of comeback concerts that were to have taken place in London. Jackson died at 50 shortly before his "This Is It" residency at the O2 arena was to have begun.

"This song only defines, once again, what the world already knows -- that Michael is one of God's greatest gifts," John McClain, co-producer of the "This Is It" album, said in a statement.

Disc 1 will feature the original album masters of some of Jackson's biggest hits arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of the never-released, "This Is It," which is featured in the film's closing sequence and includes backing vocals by Jackson's brothers.

Disc 2 offers previously unreleased versions of some of the artist's classic tracks. This disc also features a touching spoken word poem from Jackson titled "Planet Earth" that has never been heard before, Sony said.