What More Can I Give

"What More Can I Give" (also "Todo Para Ti" in Spanish) is a song written by American musician Michael Jackson and recorded by a supergroup of singers following the September 11 attacks in 2001. The inspiration for the song had initially come to Jackson after a meeting with the President of South Africa Nelson Mandela in the late 1990s. The song was to be premiered at a Jackson concert, but the singer failed to perform it. The song also failed to gain an official release, despite the pop singer having stated that it would be issued as a charity single for the refugees of the Kosovo War, which ended in 1999. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Jackson rewrote "What More Can I Give". Jackson and other artists recorded the new version of the song shortly afterward; the other artists included, Reba McEntire, Anastacia, Nick Carter, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey and Usher. In addition, a Spanish language version of the song was recorded. Entitled "Todo Para Ti", his lyrics were adapted into Spanish by the musician Rubén Blades. "What More Can I Give" was scheduled for release as a charity single, in the hope that $50 million would be raised to aid the survivors and the families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The plan, however, never came to fruition and the reasons why have varied between sources and the individuals involved. One newspaper stated that the release of the song was abandoned after it emerged that the executive producer had directed pornographic movies. The producer, Marc Schaffel, denied that he was to blame, and offered the opinion that the song was not released as part of a marketing ploy by Sony Music. "What More Can I Give" was played on the radio for the first time in late 2002. The debut airing was made without permission by radio station WKTU-FM in New York. The following year, on October 27, 2003, "What More Can I Give" was made available to the public by way of digital download. Proceeds from the sale of the song went to children's charities. (wiki)