MJ gets a new record deal

[Shadows]

TMZ has confirmed the Michael Jackson estate has signed the biggest deal ever in music -- worth up to $250 million with a guarantee of $200 million.

The estate made the deal with Sony Music Entertainment. According to the Associated Press, the contract is for 10 projects over seven years.

One album will debut in November, which contains never-before released recordings. We're told Jackson left enough material for at least three albums of fresh material.

A source tells TMZ the royalty rate on foreign sales is the key to the deal -- and 2/3 of the sales of MJ records traditionally have been outside the U.S.

And we're told Sony gets a two-year extension for the right to distribute the Michael Jackson catalog -- to 2017.

The deal was brokered by John Branca and John McClain, executors of the MJ estate.

Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Celebrity News | TMZ.com

 

[S. Fourteen]

You fools will be buying this crap while I listen to Billie Jean OG and Remastered Bad Remix featuring Tupac. Ha!

 

[_carmi]

who knows, there might be some good stuff in there.

guess they have to find a way to exploit the guy even after his death. and maybe pay off his debts as well.

 

[Casey]

Debts are mostly paid off already Carmi.

MJ sold more albums in the 6 months after he died than in the 11 years prior to that. We're talking BIG numbers. Add that to record turnouts for the "This Is It" movie as well as DVD/Blu-Ray sales.

Also, Gaga's success is helping. Her publishing is owned by Sony/ATV - the same publishing catalog that MJ bought in the 1980's that included the Beatles catalog. MJ's estate still has a 50% share in Sony/ATV and they have no plans to sell it any time soon.

I have some info about the new album anyway. It is scheduled for June 25th and the lead single is "Another Day", which was produced by and co-written with Lenny Kravitz, in the 2000-2001 Invincible recording sessions.

After it didn't make the album, Lenny re-worked it, sang it himself, re-named it to "Storm" and featured Jay-Z on it.

A clip of the original MJ version leaked a couple of months ago - most likely a premeditated move by MJ's estate to gage public reaction to the song, which was very favorable.

I'm worried about the consistency of the album. I don't want outtakes and unreleased material from different era's all compiled together. There's enough material from the recording sessions of each album to do releases with a level of consistency to them. For example, I already have an album's worth of unreleased songs from the Thriller sessions, and from ASCAP records there is already information about an album's worth of material from the Bad sessions (although none of it has leaked). I have maybe half an albums worth of unreleased songs from Dangerous and another half an albums worth of demo songs that ended up on the record.

HIStory and Invincible sessions are more elusive, with 2-3 leaks for each.

As for Motown-era - there's about 4-5 albums there, including an entire album Michael did with Stevie Wonder producing in about 1974 or so, which is sure to be absolute magic.

 

[Prize Gotti]

Sony had to drop Jedward from their label so they could buy this!

 

[ARon]

I heard on the radio this morning that some crazy is trying to sell the syringe the doc used on MJ to some auction houses in Vegas. He's thinking he can get 5 mil for it

 

[S O F I]

fantabulableistickshitstick.

 

[ArtsyGirl]

I hope they don't over-do it... 10 albums in 7 years is alot.

 

[Jon]

I can't wait for the MJ ft Ashanti and T.I. Remix.

 

[Rukas]

I can't wait for the MJ ft Ashanti and T.I. Remix.

Stop hating on T.I.