From: Kennedy, Jim

Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 7:27 PM

To: Steinberg, David; Bunge, Shelly; Venger, Leonard; Burkart, Ann; Elzer, Steve; Blake, Jeff; Schlessel, Peter; Weil,

Leah; Pascal, Amy; Lynton, Michael

Subject: the Sun

Attachments: EAS

Here it is. It's not worded as badly as feared, and it's good that they concentrated on the two original pieces they were looking at (one of which is the easiest to justify). I think our point helps give it some context. Now the key is how it plays out in other media.

Jacko... this isn't it

By GARY O'SHEA

Published: Today

NEW "live" songs on Michael Jackson's This Is It movie were remastered with OLD recordings, The Sun can reveal.

Some vocals weaved into the film by technicians were recorded 28 YEARS AGO.

Sony declared the 112-minute movie made from rehearsal footage was a "front row seat for Michael Jackson's last concert".

But our probe will fuel rumours the King of Pop could no longer hit the right notes. Two music studio experts revealed how the recording had been altered.

They said the EARTH SONG vocals were lifted from a 1991 demo widely available on YouTube.

And the version of BILLIE JEAN includes lyrics dropped from the final cut of the 1982 Thriller album, The footage was shot in Los Angeles while Jacko rehearsed for 50 gigs at London's O2 arena. It was originally meant for his private library.

After he died aged 50 in June, the 140 hours of film - on which Jacko often moans about the condition of his voice - were edited for the movie.

Former BBC senior studio manager Andrew Rose said: "Throughout the film sudden changes in vocal timbre suggest the dropping in of older recordings which may have required significant digital manipulation to fit the new live backing."

Identical

He said technicians had speeded up and lowered the pitch of a 1991 recording of Earth Song available online. He mimicked the process in his studio to "prove" his claim.

Forensic musicologist Peter Oxendale also said the film version "emanated" from the 1991 demo.

Andrew said Jacko's voice on Billie Jean in This Is It was "not that of a 50-year-old man". In the third verse, Jacko even sings the line DROPPED from Thriller.

Andrew also said Jacko keeps fiddling with his headset mic in the film. This is heard only once on the soundtrack. Andrew said he'd expect to hear it "almost all of these times".

Film director Kenny Ortega said the recordings in the film - playing to packed cinemas worldwide - had "a real unguarded honesty".

Sony paid around £38million for the movie rights of the film which has been a box office hit.

Jim Kennedy, of Sony Pictures, said: "In order to fulfil Michael's vision for his fans and his children... the film-makers had to incorporate some pre-existing materials, including vocals, where the rehearsal footage audio was incomplete and/or inaudible. In addition, usage of master recordings (such as Earth Song) was credited in the end titles.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2731127/Jacko-film-songs-trick.html#ixzz0WyejN3GT

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