U.S. singer Michael Jackson rehearses for his comeback tour "This Is It" in this undated handout photo released in London August 26, 2009. Michael Jackson's fans and music experts spotted that the new released song "This Is It" was similar to an 18-year-old recording.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhuanet)-- Michael Jackson's fans and music experts spotted that the new released song "This Is It" was similar to an 18-year-old recording, according to media reports Tuesday.

    "This Is It" was promoted as a new Jackson recording and was released around the world nearly four months after the "king of pop" died in Los Angeles of a prescription drug overdose at the age of 50.

    Fans said the "This Is It" song has the same melody and almost identical lyrics to a little-known 1991 recording "I Never Heard" by Puerto Rican singer SaFire, which was posted on YouTube on Monday.

    In Los Angeles, 1960s teen idol and songwriter Paul Anka alleged that he was the co-writer of the song, and that Jackson himself had recorded it under the title "I Never Heard" in the early 1990s.

    Anka said Jackson's estate moved quickly to give him credit, promising Anka 50 percent of the song's profits.

    Sony Music's Columbia/Epic Label Group and executors of Jackson's estate did not immediately return calls for comment.

    Jackson's other executor, John McClain, who is also a co-producer of the "This is It" album, said in a statement on Monday that the song "only defines, once again, what the world already knows -- that Michael is one of God's greatest gifts."

    The "This Is It" movie is based on rehearsal video shot in Los Angeles in the weeks before Jackson's planned 50 comeback concerts in London. It was the subject of a 60 U.S. dollars million deal between Jackson's estate and concert promoter AEG Live and Sony Pictures.

    Sales of Jackson's records increased after his death and the release of the movie and album will add to the value of the "Thriller" singer's estate, estimated at around 400 million U.S. dollars.

    (Agencies)