Epic Records/Legacy Recordings Unveil The 25th Anniversary Edition of Michael Jackson's...

Epic Records/Legacy Recordings Unveil The 25th Anniversary Edition of MichaelJackson's Thriller The World's Biggest Selling Album Of All TimeNewly Expanded Deluxe Edition of Multi-Platinum Grammy-Winning Album With New& Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks Including Remixes By Akon, will.i.am &Kanye West + Bonus DVD Featuring Digitally Restored Short Films & MichaelJackson's Historic Breakout Performance From "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today,Forever" Television Broadcast

NEW YORK, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Epic/Legacy Recordings proudlycelebrates the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the world'sbiggest-selling album of all time, with a newly expanded deluxe edition of thephenomenal record-breaking pop culture touchstone, available in the U.S. onTuesday, February 12, 2008. The album will be available worldwide the week ofFebruary 11, 2008.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060130/LEGACYLOGO )

The Michael Jackson Thriller 25th anniversary celebration kicks off inDecember 2007 with the release of a new single and continues throughout 2008with a multi-faceted global marketing campaign featuring high-profiletelevision, radio and online events around the world.

The Thriller - 25th Anniversary Edition will include the original album inits entirety as well as eight bonus tracks and a DVD featuring MichaelJackson's groundbreaking short films from Thriller ("Thriller," "Beat It," and"Billie Jean") and the artist's Emmy-nominated breakout performance of "BillieJean" from the legendary "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" televisionspecial (first broadcast on NBC on May 16, 1983).

The newly expanded version of Thriller premieres five tracks previouslyunreleased in any form: a new Kanye West remix of "Billie Jean"; a new 2008version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" with Akon and will.i.am; will.i.amremixes of "The Girl Is Mine" and "P.Y.T."; and "For All Time," a rareunreleased cut from the original Thriller recording sessions, newly mixed andmastered by Michael Jackson.

Additional bonus material on the Thriller - 25th Anniversary Editionincludes "Someone In The Dark," "Carousel," and Michael Jackson's originaldemo recording of "Billie Jean."

The deluxe Thriller - 25th Anniversary Edition packaging contains apersonal greeting from Michael Jackson to his fans penned exclusively for thisspecial release.

Originally released in the US 25 years ago on November 30, 1982 by EpicRecords, Thriller, Michael Jackson's sixth solo album and second with producerQuincy Jones, rocketed the former child-star lead singer for the Jackson 5into the stratosphere of international superstardom. Introducing the "robot"and the "moonwalk" into the international lexicon of clubland dance moves viathe pulsing sounds of Thriller, Michael Jackson revolutionized all aspects ofmainstream pop culture -- from radio airwaves to the newly emerging art formof music videos -- becoming the world's most popular entertainer in theprocess.

The original Thriller spent an astounding 80 consecutive weeks in theAmerican Top 10, 37 of those at #1. Seven of the album's original nine tracksbecame Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 while Individual singles fromThriller reached #1 chart positions in the US, the UK, France, Italy,Australia, Denmark, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand andCanada.

Thriller made history as the first and only record to be America's top-selling album two years running (1983 and 1984).

Thriller has been certified 27x platinum by the RIAA, giving it DoubleDiamond Award status in the US. In addition, the album has achieved Diamond orMulti-Platinum status in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada,Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal,Spain, Switzerland and the UK. In 1985, the Guinness Book of Records namedThriller the Best Selling Album of All Time, an achievement which remainsunsurpassed to this day.

In February 1984, Michael Jackson held a record-breaking 12 Grammynominations, going on to win eight, which stands as the record for most GrammyAwards to be won by anyone in a single year. Seven of Michael's Grammys thatyear were for Thriller: Album of the Year; Record of the Year ("Beat It");Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("Thriller"); Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (Thriller); Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("Beat It"); Best MaleR&B Vocal Performance ("Billie Jean"); Best R&B Song ("Billie Jean").

(Michael's eighth Grammy that year was in the Best Recording For Children -Single or Album, Musical or Spoken category for "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial").That same year, Michael Jackson took home eight American Music Awards andthree MTV Video Music Awards. The following year, "The Making of MichaelJackson's Thriller" took home the Best Video Album trophy at the 27th AnnualGrammy Awards.

Named the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by the Guinness WorldRecords, Michael Jackson is among the most highly acclaimed and influentialartists in pop culture. He was named the World Music Award's Best-Selling PopMale Artist of the Millennium and received the American Music Award's Artistof the Century Award. He has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fametwice: in 1997 as a member of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist in 2001.

THRILLER - 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Thriller - original track listing - US Billboard Chart Peaks

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" - (#5 Hot 100, #5 R&B)

"Baby Be Mine"

"The Girl Is Mine" (with Paul McCartney) - (#2 Hot 100, #1 R&B,

#1 Adult Contemporary)

"Thriller" - (#4 Hot 10, #3 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks)

"Beat It" - (#1 Hot 100, #1 R&B)

"Billie Jean" - (#1 Hot 100, #1 R&B, #9 A/C)

"Human Nature" - (#7 Hot 100, #2 Adult Contemporary)

"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" - (#10 Hot 100)

"The Lady in My Life"

Bonus Material:

10. Someone In the Dark ^

11. Billie Jean (Michael Jackson's original demo recording) ^

12. Carousel ^

Previously Unreleased Tracks For 25th Anniversary Edition:

13. The Girl Is Mine 2008 with will.i.am*

14. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008 with Michael Jackson and will.i.am*

15. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008 with Michael Jackson, Akon and

will.i.am*

16. Billie Jean 2008 with Kanye West*

17. For All Time (unreleased track from original Thriller sessions)*

^From 2001 Thriller Special Edition

*-previously unreleased

Bonus DVD

The Videos

1. Thriller

2. Beat It

3. Billie Jean

4. Billie Jean performance from Motown 25:

Yesterday, Today and Forever

25th Anniversary Executive Producer: Michael Jackson

Original Album Produced by Quincy Jones for Quincy Jones Productions

www.michaeljackson.com

www.legacyrecordings.com

www.epicrecords.comSOURCE Legacy RecordingsTom Cording of Legacy Media Relations, +1-212-833-4448,LegacyMediaRelations@sonybmg.com

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