| "What More Can I Give" | ||||
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| Single by Michael Jackson and the All Stars | ||||
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| Recorded | September 1999 – November 2001 | |||
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| Producer(s) | Michael Jackson | |||
| Michael Jackson singles chronology | ||||
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"What More Can I Give" (also "Todo Para Ti" in Spanish) is a song written by American singer Michael Jackson and recorded in 2001 by Jackson and a supergroup of singers following the September 11 attacks. 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 initial Mandela–inspired version of the song was to be performed by Jackson in concert, and Jackson said it would be issued as a charity single for the refugees of the Kosovo War, which ended in 1999, but these plans were not carried out.
Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Jackson reworked "What More Can I Give" at the suggestion of producer Marc Schaffel. Jackson and other artists recorded the new version of the song shortly afterward; the other artists included Mariah Carey, Reba McEntire, Anastacia, Nick Carter, 3LW, Beyoncé, NSYNC, Celine Dion, Boyz II Men members Shawn Stockman & Michael McCary, Brian McKnight, Luther Vandross, and Usher. In addition, a Spanish language version of the song was recorded. Entitled "Todo Para Ti", the lyrics were adapted into Spanish by the Panamanian musician Rubén Blades. Schaffel brought three-time Grammy winner K. C. Porter on to the project to give the Spanish version a different sound from the English recording.
"What More Can I Give" was scheduled for release as a charity single in the hope that $50 million would be raised between downloads, sponsors, and donations 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 song was abandoned after Jackson started a public campaign against Sony Music and its USA music head.
"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 for several days. Jackson had the song taken down on November 17, on the eve of the raid on his Neverland Valley Ranch property by Santa Barbara Sheriffs. Proceeds from the short sale of the song went to children's charities.
Schaffel enlisted friend and famed Brazilian artist Romero Britto to design, create, and paint an artwork to be used as the cover for the single. Britto created the "ribbon" piece in bright colors including yellow, blue and red. Britto created 250 of this piece as a special collector's item and both Britto and Michael Jackson signed and numbered each of these pieces.
Jackson appeared in the video produced by Marc Schaffel. Even after his death it is believed to be the "last" actual completed song and video that Michael Jackson had done, and approved for release. It was also one of only a few tracks Michael Jackson ever performed in Spanish and is considered the last. Michael Jackson had told many people he felt that "What More Can I Give" was a definite contender for song of the year for both the English and Latin Grammys, and felt it would be as successful as "We Are the World". No official release date for either project has been given since the death of Jackson in June 2009, by either Schaffel or Jackson's estate.