[CrimsonTide4]

Release of Jackson's 9/11 Charity Single in Doubt
Fri Jul 12, 8:13 PM ET
By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A charity single recorded by Michael Jackson to raise money for victims of Sept. 11 has fallen into limbo since the pop star learned that the song's executive producer is involved in the pornography business, the singer's spokesman said on Friday.


The self-proclaimed King of Pop "cut all ties" with the song's original executive producer "the minute he found out about this guy's background," several months ago, Jackson publicist Dan Klores told Reuters.

Klores said fallout from the disclosure and other issues had thrown into question whether the all-star single, "What More Can I Give," will ever see the light of day, but added that as of "three or four days ago there was still hope that this single will be released."

The producer in question, F. Marc Schaffel, acknowledged in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Friday that he worked "in the adult film business" and had produced and directed dozens of gay pornography videos.

But he said the flap over his porno business in connection with Jackson's project was a "smokescreen" for efforts to "shut this single down because of a bigger fight going on."

Jackson recently accused Sony Music Entertainment Inc., a unit of Japanese electronics firm Sony Corp ( news - web sites). . of blocking release the single in an escalating public feud between the singer and his music label.

Sony declined comment on reports about the single, or even on whether it had ever planned to release the song.

Jackson's representatives said last October he had finished studio recordings for the single, which he hoped would raise $50 million for victims' families and survivors of the suicide hijacking attacks on New York and Washington.

Among the three dozen pop stars said to have lent their talent to the project were 'N Sync ( news - web sites), Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey, Carlos Santana, Celine Dion, Tom Petty, Julio Iglesias and Reba McEntire.

THE BURGER CONNECTION

The Los Angeles Times, citing unnamed sources and documents obtained by the paper, reported the singer's own advisors quietly had asked Sony to bury the project after learning of Schaffel's background.

Schaffel's lawyer, Tom Byrne, said his client and Jackson have not spoken since November, "but the (charity record) project is done, so that's fine. "It's not important to (Schaffel) that he gets credit for it."

Schaffel, whose production company does business as Neverland Valley Entertainment, urged Sony executives in an open letter last month to release "What More Can I Give" or allow another label to issue it. Neverland also is the name of Jackson's private compound in central California.

The Times also reported that fast-food giant McDonald's Corp. pulled out of a multimillion-dollar agreement to sell the single in its restaurants over concerns about Jackson's involvement in a 1993 child molestation case that he settled for out of court for a reported $15 million. Jackson, who denied any wrongdoing, was never charged with a crime.

A spokeswoman for McDonald's said the company was in talks about "a potential fund-raising effort" with Jackson last year, but "there was never an agreement between the parties."

"We looked at it from a strict business perspective and decided to take a pass on it based on timing, distribution and cost issues," McDonald's spokeswoman Lisa Howard said.

Last weekend, Jackson led a protest of about 150 people in front of Sony Music headquarters in New York, calling Sony Music chief Thomas Mottola: "racist" and "devilish."

Jackson has said half-hearted promotion by Sony was to blame for meager sales of his latest album, "Invincible," and accused Sony and other labels of conspiring to cheat artists, particularly black performers, out of royalties.

Sony has defended its marketing of "Invincible" and dismissed Jackson's charges as "ludicrous."

Industry sources have said Jackson, under contract with Sony until 2004 and among the highest-paid pop stars ever, appeared to be trying to pressure Sony into breaking his pact so he can exit with his valuable trove of master recordings.