keepingfaith

{{{{California sisters}}}} Keep it steady, now! Simmah down. Glad you're back, ldyjocelyn. You've been missed. :F_05BL17blowkiss: I'm still eating the honeycrisps too. And merrieeee, as my home girl I have to ask if you enjoyed the outstanding weather today as much as I did. Absolutely exhilarating! I'll bet you were about to explode to watch the Solitaire videos -- and what satisfaction!!! But, darlin', I can tell a big difference between the honeycrisp and gala apples. Texture, texture, texture. The perfect sweet just this side of tart. The galas are a bit mooshy for me. Someone told me today that the honeycrisp I was eating looked like the apple in the Garden of Eden. Huh? Is that picture out there? I've been talking honeycrisp all over town. That, and Bluebell Banana Pudding ice cream. This Bluebell business should be against the law. As long as the stores are selling it, resistance is futile. Wandacleo ... I have a great feeling about the next album, too. Claygasm, everything you said above .... YES, YES, YES. My visual interpretation of the mental block that is the RCA/ promotion/ comparison/ conspiracy ....... :15: Throw some water on it already!!! My audio interpretation would be a skipping vinyl record that repeated in perpetuity, "they're out to get Clay ... they're out to get Clay ... they're out to get Clay." As Jimmy Durante would say ..."STOP the music!" I love it. I absolutely love it. Thank you cindilu for providing your incredibly beautiful Clay calendar service. Well, it's good to see you have a little energy left tonight! :14:

I guess I take a broad view of this, because it would never have crossed my mind that it could be of significance whatsoever. When I saw the picture the first thing I thought, and actually the only thing I thought, was Damn! What a fantastic picture of Clay! He had this elated look on his face that was infectious. That it could be controversial would have flown right over my head. Of course, by the time I saw the picture it was an old subject. Regarding the comments at Fox News, which I haven't seen and probably won't see because I don't do business with Fox News, screw Fox News. I'm not sure I even know anybody who pays attention to Fixed Fox News.

My opinion is that if you don't want a picture, or anything else, copied and spread around then don't put it on the internet. There's no assurance of security and never has been on the world wide web.

The talk today reminded me of something that really picked up my ears when watching DCAT clack a few days ago. Clay mentioned that someone had contacted his mother and told her that he was doing a vulgar show. Who in their right mind would do something like that? I was appalled that anyone would have the gall to write his mother and tattle on him as if he were 8 years old, instead of 28 years old. Who is that uptight? I don't know, when I read that it made me ponder what he must go through that we never hear about. And he said his mother called and asked him if he was doing a vulgar show! That just stunned me.

Who released the picture? I thought Mezhgan released it on her website. I just assumed it was her picture. She must have wanted his hands on her boobs if she put it on the internet. ETA: LCV came out of lurkdom -- I feel honored!

Whoa! Were they shocked when Clay's gorgeous humongous c Waldo showed up and Pinocchio turned into a Real Man?

In the UK, pissy Clay would mean drunk Clay. I don't like the word "piss" itself -- any other word for urination is fine, but that one makes me cringe. Just as I can't handle the word "fart" -- I'd much rather hear someone say "fuck" than "fart" -- but that's just one of my word issues that I can get "pissy" about. It has nothing at all to do with profanity and probably everything to do with some neurotic word syndrome that I must suffer from.

Maybe it was her cousin.

Since everyone gets to say whatever they want about anything at all here --- I am going to be pissy Keepingfaith and say that I'm not fond of the term "pissy Clay" and don't get why that would be a good thing to be since it denotes immature petulance. Unless he was kicking a coke machine while writing that blog, that sounded like Teacher Clay to me -- which is a whole different deal. I loooove Teacher Clay. I just don't care for pissy people at all, even myself right now.

Everytime I get in one of these major swoons I always end up back at the AI2 videos. And this face gets me every time. Was he beginning to get a clue that life would never be the same?

I'm thinking that the name of the producer will be a big deal and delaying the release of his/her name is a strategic decision. And I hope and pray that Clay's management never makes strategic decisions based upon angst enamating from the paranoia corner of his fanbase. But it is sadly predictable that just as you say, this group would be freaking out about whoever it is and attempting to interfere, as per their usual and customary behavior. Just hoping such things aren't on Clay's radar screen.

lightmyfire -- I don't know if you're a journalist or a lawyer, but, if not, you should have been. Thanks for once again finding historical record and contributing to my fan education. You must have an amazing system that allows you to easily access the information or resources you need at any given time. What is it? A phenomenal memory, a master of organization, or both? Last night I was writing those questions and thinking ... if LMF was around here tonight she could quote me chapter and verse. See, I know you already. Looks like Renshaw has been very active in managing Clay's career. Bottom line for me is that I'm curious about why some things are the way they are, and why there's a faction of fans so obsessed by this stuff, but I do not need or want to know business/contract information. It takes the romance out of this love affair I'm having! I love music, artistry, performance .... but Lord deliver me from contracts and suppositions regarding contracts. I can go to work for that.

Yes, all things being equal I prefer the lighted streets over dark alleys. As long as we don't have facts to base opinions on about these inside-the-business debates, I'll go with common sense, logic and a positive perspective every time, in that order. I don't doubt that Foster has had an influence on Clay's singing of Solitaire. I recall that DF had Clay sing Solitaire at the reception in Canada for Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the spring. It's plausible to me. But working with Clay's vocal technique and phrasing has nothing to do with what Clay said he was looking for in a producer for his next album ~~ a contemporary, unified sound. David Foster seems in all respects to be a stand up guy. That doesn't make me a fan of his music, or the artists he produces whether they are successful or flop. I certainly don't hold John Stevens against him, because I don't even know who the hell John Stevens is. But I do know who Josh Groban is, and I don't like his stuff either. He has a pure voice -- and he sings one of my top three versions of O Holy Night --- Pavarotti, Clay and Josh Groban --- but I can't listen to Josh Groban sing a whole album! I'd go screaming into the night before it was over. Same with Bocelli --- I like him, but in very small doses, and only once every couple of years at most. As for Celine Dion, I've probably not heard her sing more than three or four songs ever ... and they were on TV. David Foster's music never made it onto my turntable or CD player. Clay Aiken's music did --- and pretty much took over. So my money's on Clay.

I do not get the predictable crash and burn in the fandom after every big high. It's not logical. I don't think it's necessary, and I want to know where the drag is coming from and why. But I've wondered that in vain for about as long as I've been on the boards. I just want it to cease to be. Yeah, I know, no chance, huh? Clay was magnificent last night. No question about it. As many times as I've already watched the videos, sliced and diced them for screencaps, or closed my eyes just for the sound of his voice, every little thing is sublime. As good as it gets. It lights up my face to see it. There's no past he has to live up to; there's no future he must strive for --- he is so fucking incredible.

I have a question about the Fosters. Since I was late to the ball and don't have a clue how Jaymes Foster came to be Clay's executive producer, do we know what that process was? Because if that's an unknown, isn't it as plausible as anything else that Clive Davis could have introduced Clay to David Foster? I do know that David Foster has spoken about being friends with Clive and having lunch with him, yada yada. He goes to Clive's parties. So maybe DF was brought in by Clive to help Clay determine where he wanted to go with his second album and to assist him in finding the right producer. And DF is well known for working with big voices. In this scenario DF enjoyed working with Clay so much that he brought in his sister to be the ExP so he could maintain an involvement/influence without crossing contractual boundaries. Maybe DF was the de facto producer for ATDW -- through Jaymes. We certainly know about LAA. There are more than a few avenues to travel down if it's about speculation. So if we're just guessing, why rush to the dark side? If there's known history here that I'm unaware of .... somebody spill, please!

I'd have to add the heel pivot at the end too. Like at the end of AI5 Hmm ... is this something he does unconsciously after deliverying a boffo performance? Crudite Display House coffee Haagen Dazs bars

I have no idea if that's true. Somebody posted that DF said last night that Kat would be recording her next album with him for Warner. There's also an unsubstantiated rumor going around that Ruben and Taylor have been dropped by J. I have no idea where people get this stuff, and wouldn't repeat it other than to say that it's being said and to my knowledge there's no verification for it.

It's about him NOT producing Clay's album ... because DF is responsible for Clay singing so well last night, you know. The phrasing, the control, the tone -- it's all DF and he can't produce the monster hit album for Clay because of RCA, but he can produce Kat's since she's no longer with RCA sooo, it's all the fault of ... dum dum da dum ... the label. Talk about ANY label bores the crap out of me -- especially since in 5 years there may not be labels that even faintly resemble the current system. If more and more artists are successful in selling direct to the public via the internet and downloads, they can sell for less and still make more money by cutting out the middle man. There's a lot of confusion and a lot to work through, but as more and more artists go this route, the labels will change dramatically. In fact, there may only be ONE label when it's all over -- probably just another part of the media consolidation that's going on. As soon as the power is consolidated, an underground music business will rage. JMO.

In case the honeycrisp apple people are paying attention, I started this wave a couple of weeks back as I ate my first honeycrisp while posting. I had bought just one of them (because I'd never heard of them before), along with some Galas, and after that ONE I went back to Randall's for a whole bag of them. When I was checking out I told the lady at the register how good those honeycrisp apples were, and the lady behind me exclaimed "HONEYCRISP? Those are honeycrisp apples? I haven't had one of those since I lived in Wisconsin!" Then she left for the produce department. I should at least get some free apples out of this deal! I had about a dozen of them last week and they are long gone. And size doesn't matter, I had them from gigantic to Gala-size and they're all good. May I just say that I ventured out for a while to see if other boards had some Solitaire pictures, and man am I sorry. As usual. What is wrong with these people? Don't they ever tire of it? All the RCA BS is so wearying that I don't understand how or why they stay with it. What's the point in loading up a burden like that and carrying it everywhere you go?

The lady in the first picture looks like Jaymes to me.

I need to look at this again. I love serious Clay.

This is my favourite moment of the whole video. I love it when he smiles with his eyes! What a great performance. He always pulls it off when it counts! And he looked fantastic, too. Not sure that I am seeing any marked difference between the way he looked last night and the way he looked in the summer, though (except the bangs are definitely longer and the hair is maybe a bit darker). Hmmmm ..... darker hair ..... longer bangs ....... AI5 AI5 AI5 AI5 ........ it reminds me of something .... And that smile reminds me of another smile ..... AI5 AI5 AI5 AI5 Honestly, I can't stop watching this video today. And it keeps getting better and blowing me far far away. Reminds me of something. The deep full voice and control ... This is killing me.

And ..... not to something that just magically mushroomed? That's it. It wasn't a fold. He had a mushroom in his pants. How magical.

Obviously the smoke from the candy corn.

Fold Schmold. I prefer to think of it as "definition." Can two videos be wrong .... and does he have that much slack in those pants for all this "folding"?