Planned Release As A Physical Single
I believe in my heart that the music community will come together as one and rally to the aid of thousands of innocent victims. There is a tremendous need for relief dollars right now and through this effort each one of us can play an immediate role in helping comfort so many people.
Michael Jackson, 2001"What More Can I Give" had been planned for release as a charity single to aid survivors and families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. At the time of the attacks, Jackson stated that he hoped to raise $50 million for those affected. It was also proclaimed by Jackson's spokesman that the recording would be released as soon as possible, with further reports revealing that it could be made available in music stores within that month.
After the song failed to gain an official release, differing allegations arose as to who was to blame. The Los Angeles Times reported that the "What More Can I Give" project was abandoned after it emerged that the song's executive producer, Marc Schaffel, had directed and produced gay pornography. News of Schaffel's background supposedly became known to an entertainment television show, whose staff threatened to expose the producer's past in porn. Jackson's legal and management team subsequently sought to end the musician's business relationship with Schaffel, declaring their intentions in a letter sent to the producer's lawyers in November 2001.
Schaffel disputed that he was the cause of "What More Can I Give" remaining unreleased, and insisted that he was not terminated from the project. The producer declared that it was not possible because his company owned the rights to "What More Can I Give". (Jackson's camp rejected the claims that Schaffel owned the rights, but did admit that the producer was in possession of the master tapes as well as video footage of all of the "What More Can I Give" recording artists in the studio.) Schaffel further announced that the failed release of the song was the fault of Jackson's music label, Sony Music. He insisted that the company had delayed the release of the song so that it would not compete with the newly released Invincible album and that they had promoted the porn-based story in order to hide that fact. Schaffel further stated that he had never hid his past from Jackson or Sony.
Jackson also blamed Sony for the failed release of "What More Can I Give". In addition Jackson claimed that they had failed to promote his Invincible album and that the company's chief, Tommy Mottola, was racist and "very, very, very devilish". Sony representatives dismissed Jackson's claims as "unfounded and unwarranted".
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