BY Samuel Goldsmith
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Updated Sunday, June 28th 2009, 12:51 PM
Michael Jackson's final rehearsal for his London concert tour was recorded in high definition video and audio on the eve of his death -- and could be released as the King of Pop's final album, sources said Sunday.
The rehearsals at the Staples Center in Los Angeles were taped by concert promotion company AEG Live to produce an album and DVD of what Jackson had billed his "final performance" tour called "This Is It," according to Sharon Waxman of the Hollywood blog TheWrap.com.
One AEG official boasted to a colleague this weekend, "We have a live album in the can," Waxman writes.
Jackson had failed to appear at many of the scheduled rehearsals in Los Angeles over the past two months, but he was there for an "electric" full rehearsal on the night before his death.
The rehearsal, which went on for several hours, included dancers, musicians and aerial performers. Three people close to the production said it had been captured by multiple cameras, and the audio was digitally recorded in a manner that could be used to produce surround-sound DVD and audio products.
Randy Phillips, president and CEO of AEG Live, the nation's second largest concert promoter, emailed that he would not comment for the story. The spectacular 50-concert series at London's 02 arena was set to begin in July.
AEG Live may stand to lose millions due to the unexpected cancellation of Jackson's 50-show London concert series, but potential earnings from recordings of the star's final moments could offset the losses - and then some.
Retailers like Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble have reportedly sold out of Jackson goods in the days after his death.
Patrick Woodroffe, a lighting designer for the concerts, watched the final rehearsal, he told the BBC.
"We had rehearsed for the last couple weeks. We put together a complicated show, quite a spectacular show," Woodroffe said.
"Of course a huge part of it was him, and I would say for the last week he hadn't really been with us. He would appear, and he would rehearse sometimes, and he would not rehearse," he said.
"I guess that we were nervous whether we would be able to carry off this show at the 02."
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