Passionate King of Pop fans can get excited for MJ’s “This Is It” album release arriving in stores internationally on Oct.26 and in the U.S. on Oct. 27. The album is available for fans to purchase just a day before the worldwide release of the documentary/concert film of the same name. The “This Is It” film hitting theaters on Oct. 28 will chronicle MJ’s rehearsals and preparations for his London concert series which sadly never happened due to his untimely death. Columbia Pictures acquired rights to the footage of the “This Is It” concert series’ rehearsals and created the film tribute to give MJ fans something to hold on to, as well as creating a historic pop culture milestone.

This posthumous full 2-disc deluxe album release from MJ is meant to be a companion piece to the film and features music that inspired the film, meaning it’s primarily a compilation of Jackson’s greatest hits in their original mastered versions. New material includes previously unreleased demo recordings of classic hit tracks, a never-before-heard spoken word poem titled “Planet Earth” read by MJ and 2 versions of the previously unreleased song, “This Is It.” The album arranges the songs in the same order as they appear in the film.

The title track, “This Is It,” first emerged in 1983 when it was co-written by Michael Jackson and former teen star from the 50’s and 60’s, Paul Anka. The song was recorded by Jackson backed only by a piano accompaniment right around the time that “Thriller” was a billboard smash. The recording was found in an old box of Michael Jackson’s tapes. Studios added strings to the recording as well as back-up vocals from Jackson’s brothers. For added flavor, fans can catch finger-click percussions performed by MJ himself that were borrowed from his recording of “The Girl Is Mine.”

“This Is It” is already released online and available to fans. Studios are hoping that the early release of this ballad on MJ’s official web site and radio stations will help publicize the upcoming concert film and generate excitement. Additionally, the early release of the single should increase album sales when it debuts later this month. Studios expect that the King of Pop’s fans will be more inclined to purchase the tangible CD version of his album rather than just have digital copies of his music since the upcoming album and concert film are such a historic pop culture phenomenon.

Posthumous releases that gain massive popularity is a pattern following in the steps of music legends like Elvis Presley and John Lennon. They both had popular singles and albums released after their deaths which topped billboard charts.

Old school music lovers can look forward to a vinyl edition of the album being available starting Nov. 10.

Fans can reserve a copy of both the vinyl and the CD album now on the official Michael Jackson web site.

The limited edition 2-CD set comes with a 36-page commemorative booklet featuring exclusive photos from the concert series’ last rehearsals along with an 11″x17″ movie poster – all at a package costs of $19.99.

Watch the video promo for the “This Is It” film along with a recording of the title track:

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