Sean Hayes News

Name the sitcoms that have been able to attract the biggest music stars in recent years, and NBC's "Will & Grace" will probably top that list.

Madonna , Cher, Elton John and Jennifer Lopez have all appeared on the show, whose musical sensibility is part of its appeal.

With that in mind, BMG Strategic Marketing Group and NBC Universal Television Distribution have teamed to release the album "Will & Grace: Let the Music Out!" Sept. 14, just in time for the show's seventh-season premiere Sept. 16.

The makers of the album insist that it not be called a soundtrack. Rather, they describe it as a companion album to the TV series.

BMG Strategic Marketing Group executive VP Joe DiMuro says, "This is a lifestyle record that embodies the show and the artists who have been on the show. There are a lot of musical references on the show that become part of the script."

The album features the new song "Living With Grace," written and performed by Barry Manilow and show co-star Eric McCormack.

"We approached Barry since he was already working with anyway," DiMuro says. "Barry guest-starred on the show, and Eric is a huge Manilow fan. So it was easy for them to team up."

McCormack and co-stars Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally are featured on another track, which at press time had the title "He's Hot!" DiMuro says the song will feature a sample of Madonna's "Holiday."

Also on the album, Mullally and Carly Simon team for a cover of Simon's "Loving You's the Right Thing to Do." Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced the new version.

Another highlight is the Bacon Brothers' cover of "Footloose," a nod to when Kevin Bacon -- who starred in the 1984 movie and is one-half of the Bacon Brothers -- appeared on "Will & Grace" and sang the song on the show.

Previously released songs on the 15-track set include Lopez's "Waiting for Tonight," John's "The Bitch Is Back," Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves," Britney Spears ' "Oops! ... I Did It Again," Queen's "You're My Best Friend," Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" and Cheryl Lynn's "Got to Be Real."

The album originally was called "Will & Grace: Who's Your Daddy?," but DiMuro says the show's cast and crew decided that "Let the Music Out!" was a better title.

Reuters/Billboard