About a week ago there was another major development in the case regarding Michael Jackson’s posthumous album, Michael. A representative from the Jackson estate said this in response to the allegations that some of the music was faked by an MJ impersonator:
“No one has conceded that Michael Jackson did not sing on the songs […]” said Zia Modabber of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, who is representing both Sony Music and the Jackson estate in this matter. “The hearing Tuesday was about whether the First Amendment protects Sony Music and the Estate and there has been no ruling on the issue of whose voice is on the recordings.”
This interpretation was seconded to Variety by the plaintiff’s attorney on Friday afternoon.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpUMqmptSk0]
While a first read might insinuate that the whole ordeal is over- the careful language used by the representative actually implies this case is far from over.
For those not up-to-date on the fiasco – the fraudulent songs in question, “Monster,” “Keep Your Head Up,” and “Breaking News,” premiered on the 2010 posthumous MJ album, ‘Michael’. According to court documents obtained by HHNM, Vera Servoa – the fan who launched the investigation into the fake songs – filed a civil suit, accusing MJ’s longtime business partners and friends Eddie Cascio and James Victor Porte. He also filed suit against his production company, Angelikson Productions LLC – of creating and selling music through Sony and the Jackson estate.
Cascio and Porte first claimed that the songs were recorded in Cascio’s basement, back in 2007. Serova and the Jackson family contested these claims, saying MJ never recorded them. Serova testified in the Los Angeles Superior Court that they were recorded by a Michael Jackson impersonator named Jason Malachi. As a result, Sony Music Entertainment conceded in court that it had released fake songs. The careful use of language implies that while MJ might have had his voice in the tracks (in the form of writing or ad-libs maybe?), there is no doubt that much of the vocal takes were recorded by Malachi. Variety implied this potential in their detail of the case on August 24th, 2018.
Will you still be able to enjoy this album, knowing that it was an elaborate hoax all along?
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