Ansamcw

I totally forgot that its banner Tuesday...thankfully cindilu didn't and sent us this great new banner just in time... Thanks cindilu!!!

WORD clayzedover...I hope you would post more often...

yup this is one of the reasons why i don;t get why people are so sad that clay didn't have a fairytale wedding. Its not like that is not possible anymore. scarlett..I am not surprised that boobgate happened. It was still relatively early in his career when this happened so its possible he didn't anticipate what happened after. I think this may be one of those incidents that taught him to be a bit more guarded about his privacy.

Me too!!! and IIT it actually explains a lot of the timing situation to me. It was unexpected but I totally could see the Clay in my mind doing this. Yup I am not just comfortable with the situation but a bit excited for the baby IIT. But it is totally cool too IIU. eta: big WORD to KF

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I got a job!!!! And thank you to Couchie for recommending me... Wow you guys are having a great conversation. About early message boards...I started on Bolt. I don;t know if they are still around but Clay's thread during AI2 was one of the busiest in their whole system. I do think Clay is a star. He has sold more than 5M CD's ....that can never be taken away from him....and that makes him a recording star. blowtorched puppies...can't really think of any. I guess since I don;t expect him to be perfect I can pretty much accept a lot of mistakes or unexpected behavior. I am torned between the knowing him and not knowing him. I guess I am in the middle. I guess I know enough about him to be sure that the stupid story that idiot JP was trying to spread was complete nonsense. I think I know enough about him not to be taken in by a FC. But I also know I do not know all of him. So he can still do things that are totally unexpected for me...like maybe helping Jaymes conceive a child. oh no...you fit right in!!! love Coldplay. Its truly not about the voice with this group but the music overall for me. I also love Hotel California...hee

WORD KF...that is why I am not really worried about Clay cos his style is more timeless classic pop. It may not be in step with current fads but its good music and I think that will be timeless. And he also has a lot more going for him than just the singing. I think the reason why I think he is a niche artist at this point is that he has such a distinct style that does not really fit mainstream top 40. It fits right in with Adult contemporary....As we can see with other AC artists...they can get big hits as well. I totally agree that a lot of that is good fortune...or timing....Perfect example is Buble's Home. He wasn't a big seller until he had this big radio hit. Its a song that can easily be a Clay Aiken song. So who knows...maybe Clay's Home is in OMWH... that is why I choose not to say its dead in the water when only one single was released to radio. The fact that OMWH did better in spins than his previous singles is very good cos that means progress. His foot is getting in a bit more and maybe that door is more open for the next single. I really don't know how RCA sees Clay right now. Its possible he is in a bubble to get dropped...he could be pretty secure...we really don't know because we do not know what their expectations were for Clay. I am in the wait and see car. Not stressing about it cos I think Clay will always have an audience. He will always have people willing to travel to see him. He also has a lotmore in his arsenal of talents so lots of potential there.

I think her point is that Good Charlotte's career is also not at its peak right now and yet they chose him to be an ambassador. Its just that it seems that you are suggesting that if Clay does not put his career first then he may not be as effective as a spokesperson. I say Clay has reached a point in his career that he will always be recognizable. He has established himself as a recording star and a personality...when you look at the other ambassadors in their roster you don;t see the big superstars there anyway. Oh I;m pretty sure KAndre knows about the bottom line. But bottom line is not just about sales....its about return for your investment. If you have an artist that can sell 150K without spending too much on getting a radio hit...or videos...or other sales promo...then they will still have a healthy bottom line. But if you have an artist that relies on radio hits and heavy promo to sell...then you really want to sell more and maybe 150K would be a disappointment. Also..we do not know what the acceptable bottom line is when the industry is in such trouble. Someone already said that at this point in the year only a small percent of artist sold platinum...way down compared to what it was last year. So whose to say that RCA considers 150K tanking. I remember that someone asked an RCA rep during the CD signing about what RCA's expectations were...she quipped that they would be happy with 15K. Now I bet she was just exaggerating...but the point is...they have pretty low expectations at this point because sales are WAAAAAY down overall. Yeah we want him to sell a lot. But there really is no formula for it. The people that are selling are very very different from Clay. Even Buble and Groban are very different in musical styles. Its not what he is doing that is the problem its that he is not quite in line with whats popular nowadays...So since I love Clay just as he is...I am resigned to the situation that his sales won't be in the same category as Timberlake and Mayer. He is more a niche artist now and so my expectations are much lower.

WORD

yup muski...no one...was a deliberate choice, a bit of hyperbole for emphasis. glad you're paying attention...

Now this is pretty much a defeatist attitude...there is no guarantee of course that a second single can become a radio hit..but if you want this CD to really tank... then not doing anything will be a sure way to do that. This all goes hand in hand. If we want Clay to do more TV appearances in the fall then he needs to bring out another single to sing. Will they invest in the expnse of more TV promotions? We really don't know but Clay and TC had this vacation in place even before the promo period started so I think this down time was part of an overall plan. suspect? how? There were a lot of advantages to releasing right after the spamalot...there is the momentum and piggy backing on the spamalot promo.. Also after this baby stories came out...then it really was better that OMWH came out before that. Cos if he was only starting promo this fall...no one would be interested in the music. yeah I honestly do think its that important to him. Fortunately I haven;t seen any situation where he had to choose. But at this point he has his celebrity...the horse is there...so why does he have to sacrifice his humanitarian efforts. You really don;t have to be a huge superstar to make a difference. Check out who the other Unicef ambassadors are? How many are multiplatinum recording stars? oops...as I post this I see others have responded...I hope I wasn't being redundant...off to read other posts. scarlett...you are something else...from posting something wise to multicultural smutting... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Me too Danielle!! He just does it so naturally, doesn't he? That's why I smile sometimes when thinking about whether it's true or not... I can just see that big eared red headed baby in Clay's arms. heee. OK Back to reality...I I U. Aww don't get me all schmoopie ... Clay and babies one of my favorite things to see. Even if its not his baby...I bet he would be a good Uncle Clay to Jaymes baby.

Welcome Chardonnay...

hey I got here just in time!!! new thread!!!

AWWWWW I love BMUB!!! I actually love that song...one of those fun party songs that I will always put in my playlist if I just want to be cheered up. Never think of the lyrics. I love this clip not just because of the confidence...but this is when I really knew he has grown so much in his confidence and just his demeanor. Then that subtle wit shows up when he responded to Simon's inquiry of what the song means...It is a British song....BWAH!!!! so great in so many levels.... Another big AWWW to KF for her first year anniversary of her first Clay live experience...love those pictures!!! as the say the first time will always be special!!! My first time was Toronto JBT...here is the FCA Toronto JBT page... That night was full of special memories.... first time he sang TRD...which is one of my most favorite Clay songs... Clay passed three feet in front of us on his way to where Jaymes sat....he looked wonderful!!!! I loved how he sang O Canada and love the special Canada banter Loved the whole bit with Jaymes...that was the first time I realized that Jaymes was someone special in his life...that she was at least in the same level as Quiana and Angela. I did not get to save the picture of Jaymes in the silly Disco get up but I remember seeing that and thinking she is a very attractive and sexy lady.... That night was also memorable cos its my first up close encounter with the fandom. I saw a lot of great things about it but also a lot of OTT behavior. The best part was meeting some great people like shelleyc who was with me for the whole night and other people who usually lurk at message boards. Clay was beautiful ...and he sounded wonderful. I will never forget how solid his vocals were. I don;t think any recording device will ever fully capture the power of that voice.... I am looking forward to the OMWH concert tour because I am determined to see him perform these songs live!!!!

Ahhh bottle I;ve missed your fancy emoticons... so I shall borrow them to greet our American friends a happy fourth. :bday2: MUSKI Just a few points I've been meaning to make...sorry I can't be as brief as Couchie... :F_05BL17blowkiss: topic du jour.... Tone, ldyj always points this out to me that the tone of the post is often the problem not necessarily the content. I do agree with this...however...at times its difficult for a poster to determine what words will make the tone of their post negative or confrontational. At times, wrong placements of a comma or forgetting to put IMO, or the phrase "In my experience" can change the tone of a post. So on the FLIP side....if the poster has to take care of the TONE of their posts...I also think the readers should try and give posters the benefit of the doubt. If something seems hostile and it comes from left field...it would be good to see if you misread the post first before getting upset and inquire through pms. I also recommend getting used to being disagreed with without getting defensive...don't take it personally and to know when to agree to disagree. Also...we do not post as a gang here. There are no organized attack so pile on just happens because we have a lot of opinionated verbose women that like to post ho. Not because people want to browbeat someone. On the flip side....it is really ok not to post when the points you are going to say have been made already. I think that is why I haven't been posting too much lately...I often get on the board and have to do a lot of catch up and as I make points in my head...I see other posters have made the same points...so I just word them and move on. I think there is this notion that we don't edit posts because we agree with them. NOPE. We try not to edit because we believe that everyone should take responsibility for their posts. IF posters choose to be controversial...if posters choose to be confrontational...if posters choose to call out people...then expect to get get a response and take the consequence of your post. Also be very aware that most people will judge you by your post and the history of your posts. We will not clean up after posters to make their tone more palatable. So it will be good to think twice before posting when emotional or upset. One thing that is often demonstrated through the boards history is that we do not have a hive mind. Just because certain posters agree with each other on a certain issue...do not expect to agree on every issue. I think this is why some people feel that the board has changed and they no longer fit in cos major issues have moved on and its not as enjoyable to post anymore when they are in the minority opinion. This is why its really important to interact and post on non Clay issues so that people can find more commonalities and build relationships that will keep them invested in this community through times of disagreement. Finally ...as much as we would love to be a home for everyone that registers, we recognize that not everyone will like how we run things. That happens.We truly cannot please everyone. Every board has a certain flavor and consequently, the views and attitudes of the posts will be skewed one way or the other. Couchie, LdyJ and I tend to be on the positive side. Does not mean we like everything that happens out there but we don't like to dwell on the negatives...we choose to celebrate rather than wallow. So it follows that that is the main flavor of the board that is reflected by the mods and members that got attracted to this board and have chosen to stay. Now this does not mean we don;t worry, or we can't criticize or complain...all opinions respectfully expressed is welcome. But it is simply the nature of this board to move those negative thoughts along and to try and look for the positive spins on issues...This may not be fun for some and that cannot be helped. But we still welcome people with all opinions and attitudes because that is what makes a board dynamic. That is also how a board grows and stay interesting. That is why I really commend posters that do take the chance and share their opinions, negative or positive out there. I just hope everyone will be prepared to get both agreements and disagreements...its part of board life. BTW...this may seem like an adminy post...but its nothing really official. Just some things that I have been meaning to say after a few issues and kerfuffle on the board. Now that I made this opus...no more time to comment of ALAWH...I really want to give that song some time cos I love it... Sigh, kids are pulling at me again. Summer is not a good time for me to be on the boards... oh and wish me luck....I just applied for an online job!!!! Keeping my fingers crossed...

YAY....we agree on some songs at least. I love ALAWH...I think that is close to my fave and I am sad I wasn't able to join that discussion WIDTL...love that too. And I love how it started like a typical love song...then goes, but hey I don't want to care for you cos you know...don't know if I can trust you. I also just like the melody here and that one wailing he does is cool!! So I do like some glory notes... eta: oooh cagney love that line too. I think it could be a bridge.... I also wasn;t that enamored with it on the clips...I think it was one that I always forget...but the whole song is just great. I thought it truly fits what I know of Clay and my impressions based on LAA and how careful he seems to be about relationships... OH I meant to comment on the latest picture of Jaymes...I know that it is just one moment ...one milisecond of time in her life...but the expression in her face...the way she was walking , just gave me the impression that she was much more guarded...tense... hope all is well with her and the baby.

Given that I came running and screaming to this board, I figure it's a bit counter-productive to turn tail and run. :F_05BL17blowkiss: But, speaking of tails.... :013085001176249046: (just 'cause that's so cute). And slightly OT, I don't know how banners happen around here or I'd ask directly.... just wondering what the font is that's in this banner? It'd be sooo perfect for something I'm working on. about the font ...its Hawaiian punk... BTW...we need more banners for the coming weeks...if anybody wants to submit a banner just pm me or couchie.

Iseeme...I honestly haven't followed another person's life as closely as Clay's and yet I can;t say I know him. I just know his public persona and my gut tells me that's pretty close to the private man. One thing I have seen demonstrated time and time again...Clay is a smart man...Clay is his own person. So with those two traits I can say I trust that he knows what is best for him and that he is no pushover. oh I love couchie's and ldyJ's answer too...so WORD.

So those watching Canadian Idol...how is it this year?..I think I just got so disappointed last year when all my favorites got eliminated right away and we were left with pretty generic singers... hope its better this year

Iseeme...I think its certainly natural to want to know. I want to know...but should I know??? I guess that will always be up to Clay and his boundaries. I don't have a problem when people express their disappointment that its not Clay's wedding or even hoping it is his wedding... I just think its a bit premature because we do not know what is in Clay's future. All I know is if IIT....this is something that Clay wants and that he is man enough and mature enough to make this decision on his own so we need not be sad for him.

Well there are ways to deal with all the crap out there...there is outright denial...there is acknowledgment of the crap...there is wallowing until it is all you can see.... I just believe it is a personal choice how you deal with it and what importance you give to it... There is no one right way to be.

Muski...do you really believe that anyone in this board does not know the reality that there are people that think negatively of Clay???? I hope you don't think that people who choose to be positive are simply being blind or in denial... Speaking for myself...I see the weeds with the flowers...but is there any use to hate the weeds, be upset that they are there when I know that it is part of nature? So yeah I choose too acknowledge the flowers and to celebrate the beauty...and simply accept that weeds will naturally grow among the beauty. I think we all know that everyone has different experiences...the problem is...when we extrapolate our experience and think its universal or that it has become a proven reality, that is when people start to try and disprove your point.. The problem I had with CG's post last night is the idea that most people...not just the people she knows...but in general...only knows the negative crap. I really think that is a view point that is not necessarily based on reality but a bit of an exaggeration based on limited experience or even a skewed view from a handful of reports on the net. I think when people come on and say that is not their experience...they are disputing the notion that her experience is universal. So if you don;t want to have your opinions disputed...don;t claim to know more about general reality than others...stick to your experience.

I won;t disagree with you CG...but I don;t worry about it either. I just don;t see Clay as simply a recording artist. He has such a colorful personality that it does over shadow the music. But to me...this is something that is actually helping Clay. I do believe the biggest problem of Clay is that his type of music is just not mainstream right now. IF he didn't have this celebrity...personality factor...then he would've faded out of public eye with his lack of really big hits...His celebrity factor is what enables him to get couch time with Leno...to get lots of time with Jimmy..and all the other TV promo he got when he didn't have any lead time. I think that eventually the music will make an impact...but in the meantime...he still gets buzz and that is probably why he has value to a recording company. I also think that it will allow him to easily diversify into other entertainment fields that he is interested in like TV talk shows and give him clout to do other work aside from his music like UNICEF. I just think Clay has more interest than just his music. He loves it...but it is just not his whole life... eta: oh I forgot another point....I do disagree that most people know about all those gossip. Most of the people I know is aware that clay is from AI...that he sings good...maybe some think he is gay...maybe some people have heard about him being a daddy...and that he put his hands on Ripa's mouth...but the other gossip you mentioned just didn;t get to mainstream consciousness...

Hi all.... summer is really keeping me busy with the kids...my eldest came home today from a school trip and we spent a lot of time catching up. so I missed another discussion on of one of my favorite OMWH songs...WOTW...I just find this song so fun, I often start singing to it. I think this would be a fun summer hit. And WINY...I loved it as part of the IT acoustic set. I like the way he sings it...but didn't like the dated production. I don't skip it...but I understand why it didn't even make it to atdw...it seems like they didn't really try to be innovative about this. Gives me the impression that RCA thought Clay was simply going to be a cover artist at one time before they brought out MOAM. But I am glad we finally have a copy of it. Concert WINY... yeah he became playful with this as the tour progressed...I remember when he would mix up the lyrics or how they would be playful at the end of each phrase. I didn't go to any IT concerts but I was glued to the internet for the latest clack from all the concerts...so I do remember how this concert evolved. I loved it though...I love it when Clay and his tour family have a lot of fun on stage...makes it feel like a party. AOL....I just like the fact that his music is getting streamed...does it help, Maybe...does it hurt ...I don't think so. Congratulations Iseeme...I need to find a summer job!!! Well maybe if I actually look for one online...I need a kick in the butt in that department. Love the pictures of quilts...my crafty hobby is cross stitching. I like to do really complicated designs with small squares. No cutesy designs for me. I should take pictures of them and post it. I just need to frame them and give it to people. Right now my favorite pass time is doing my needlework while listening to audiobooks...

:bday2: fear