Springsteen Pens Track For Anthony's Pop Set

NEW YORK (AP) - A track Latin superstar Marc Anthony received from Bruce Springsteen will appear on his second English-language pop album, due out in January. Titled "I'll Stand by You Always," the song had been written by Springsteen for his son. Springsteen thought Anthony would be the right person to sing it.

"Isn't that an honor?" Anthony, who is also producing the track, tells Billboard for the Nov. 17 issue. "I thought it was very, very generous of him. And I think it's the ultimate compliment, when someone like that thinks you're worthy of singing a song he wrote for his son."

"I'll Stand by You Always" will be added to the Columbia album - which Anthony's official Web site says is titled "Mended" - and may well become the single, although that has not been determined yet. An exact release date for the album has also not yet been set.

"Tragedy," the pop album's intended first single, was written by matchbox twenty's Rob Thomas, who scored a major hit with "Smooth," his contribution to Santana's 1999 comeback album, "Supernatural" (Arista). But, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., Anthony was uncomfortable promoting the single, even though the track had nothing to do with tragedy itself (it actually refers to a couple that is parting ways and coming to grips with it). A video was shot prior to the Sept. 11 attacks, and is posted on Anthony's site, as is the audio track.

Currently, Anthony is in the midst of promoting his Spanish-language salsa album "Libre", which is due out next Tuesday (Nov. 20). He's scheduled to perform first single "Celos" Thursday on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" and on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on the night of the album's release. "Celos" debuted at No. 18 on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart this week.

The artist can also be seen tonight singing "She's Out of My Life" on the CBS broadcast of Michael Jackson's 30th anniversary tribute concerts, which is set to air at 9 p.m. ET/PT.