Michael Jackson called Adolf Hitler a “genius orator” in a taped interview, it's been reported.

The singer, who died in June, was apparently convinced that he could cure the dictator's evil.

He made the claims during a series of taped conversations with former friend Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, which have been published in a new book.

"Hitler was a genius orator,” Jackson was quoted as telling the Rabbi.

"To make that many people turn and change and hate, he had to be a showman and he was."

In the recording, the Rabbi then asked: "You believe that if you had an hour with Hitler you could somehow touch something inside of him?"

Jackson replied: "Absolutely. I know I could. You have to help them, give them therapy, teach them that somewhere, something in their life went wrong."

Boteach, 42, recorded more than 30 hours of interviews with Jackson, according to The Sun newspaper.

In other conversations, Jackson apparently spoke about various subject, including Madonna, Princess Diana and the killers of schoolboy James Bulger.

Michael Jackson - Funeral