jmh123

:F_05BL17blowkiss: Hey sweetie. Hope you'll be a regular here.

Great snark!! Love it. Thanks for the funny!! :dancingpickle: :dancingpickle: :dancingpickle:

Wahoo - it's Shadylil!!!! Come on back and set a spell. Welcome to Fully Functional and Clayzorback. More newbies, more newbies!! :dancingpickle: :dancingpickle: :dancingpickle:

Hmmmmm. Wonder what that means??

I lurve Time of the Season. I want him to sing A Change is Going to Come (Sam Cooke). I relistened the other day and it's orchestrated in a similar way to some of Clay's JNaT and a few of the ATDW arrangements. Proof that American Idol is not a singing contest. I've never believed they couldn't find 24 people a year who could really sing. There are too many people out there who can. Yoo hoo Clayzorback!! Yup, me too. TV, TV, TV. Oh, and go Heels.

Breathe in..... Breathe out.....Breathe in...... Breathe out..... TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 ETA: From the CH: At first, I thought this meant two pop tours... but I have a feeling it means a summer pop tour and then the Christmas tour. But I can live with the thought of summer outdoor concerts and winter indoor holiday ones - it looks like we may be getting two tours this year! I figured it would be likely, because I think Clay does intend to keep up his holiday tour tradition... but it's exciting to be hearing about it this early! However... second (third? fourth?) thoughts... how big is the Qwest Center? Is that a likely venue for a holiday concert? eta Well, that's interesting, MsMarm... why would Clay be looking at a venue of that size? I wonder what the time frame is between the first and second legs of these tours... Two legs!! Wahoo. This is getting good. Something's in the air, can you feel it? It's exciting. I've done this a lot, and I'm still already tingling with the excitement. I like wondering what cities he'll be in and so forth. I enjoy this time. I'm a lot more laidback now about tickets too. I don't feel like I have to buy one in the first five minutes if good tickets are not coming up. I've gotten great tickets half-hour into sales more than once, including gala tickets lately. I've gotten decent tickets a month before the show. I've never bought a ticket from a broker. It's going to be different for me this tour. I won't have my old travel buddies. *sniff* And I'm not living in the densely populated NE. But I'm still excited for the TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And YAY for whatever's going to happen between now and then to spread the buzz, because I believe there's a plan to do that.

Hells bells! Maybe the FCA should partay at the Nokia? Do y'all think this'll be the first concert?

See, that's what I thought. But then I'm just a cock-eyed optimist. ETA: Well, shoot, and YAY - it appears that the Nokia is confirmed for July 7 (the shoot is for a hope I had for that date).

oops!

Clay is an ambassador for the US Fund for UNICEF: Who We Are - Celebrity Ambassadors; What We Do - US Fund for UNICEF. Oh look, UNICEF USA has the whole press release on their site here: Idol Gives Back. Here's the board of the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund: About the CPEF. With the possible exception of Fuller, these are good guys. Richard Curtis, who was the brains behind this whole idea, is an amazing person. Interview with Richard Curtis.

I wouldn't mind a co-tour with another musician I liked. I don't think that's going to happen this time because the two shows that have been announced haven't mentioned it. Of course, that doesn't mean it won't happen. I've wanted him to sing a duet with someone/anyone that would get some play, get heard, for a long, long time. He's so good at duets, so generous as a performer, and he harmonizes so nicely. It couldn't happen too soon or too often to suit me. I too am glad to see them going into places they haven't gone in a long time, and I hope those folks will come out and see him in droves. He has booked a lot of shows in PA/NY/NJ over the years, and they've always sold extremely well, so I can see why they kept going back. I still think there must be some big publicity plans underway, even if Nokia is cut down to less than its maximum capacity. We all know his shows are great, and he's been able to get TV time to discuss his tours before, but they haven't done as well with local advertising and so forth, and not everyone knows what a great show he puts on. I hope there are big plans afoot this time. Looks like it's going to be an extensive tour--time and distance both--and something convinced the venues to book him. It wasn't the record-breaking sales of ATDW. (Pets pretty, pretty ATDW.) And weren't some of the CH prognosticators saying that he had been hurt by previous tours being booked in places too large and then not selling out? Evidently this hasn't stopped them from booking him again in good-sized (several thousand or more) venues. And YAY for the TOURRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 I've always thought that David and Jaymes have encouraged Clay in the AC/ballad route because the man has an amazing voice. People who appreciate voices probably think a voice like Clay's is wasted singing rock or bubble-gum pop. It was Jaymes who told Clay to stay in his lane and David said the same thing about himself recently. I'm very appreciative of what I think is their influence in Clay's learning to sing with more subtlety and in the growth he has shown musically since being associated with them. I've never thought they would "save" him from a fate such as ATDW, especially since they were involved in making it. Agreed, and well said. I don't love Simon or AI, but I think this fund-raising show is a fantastic idea that can help a lot of folks. I don't think Clay's nearly as petty or self-centered as some of his fans are on his behalf--at least I sure hope he isn't. I agree. The man loves the cheesy-goodness of it all. I agree with this too. Only a few performers have been announced, and it's a 2 hour show. What else are they going to do with the time after those few have performed? Well, maybe, just maybe, when they say, "and many more," they mean "and many more," and maybe some of those are former contestants who've gone on to do very well. I hope to see Clay on this show and--gasp!--on another AI show this year as well. I know some people think that AI resented all the stir Clay caused at the finale, but frankly, I think they loved it. Publicity, attention, ratings--what's not to love? Thank you--and well said. He was volunteering and working in the "helping" professions a long time before AI. I think he found it much more uplifting than smiting his enemies. Smart guy, good guy.

Something else to speculate about. What is Clay going to do between now and then that makes them think he can fill the Nokia this summer (or enough seats to make it worth it)? Cause I think they wouldn't be going for venues of this size if they weren't aware of some big publicity coming down the pike. They could just as easily have gone for small theaters with this type of show.

Hee, me too! I was driving to work this morning and the first line of Sorry came on and I figuratively kicked myself that we'd forgotten to put it on our set list! I get 37 on account of this one: "add all our suggestions of songs NOT on the album," that is, the MOAM songs, Tears Run Dry, Back for More, and the other covers suggested. Sounds good to me--also lots of banter. That would make the show what, 4 hours long. Think anyone would object? :medium-smiley-070: Of course Clay and his people are doing the same thing as we are, except for real. Must be hard to decide what to keep and what to leave off.

Try, Dream, and Compromise. All co-written by Matt Bronlewee, a CCM writer and producer who was at the Nashville conference. Compromise was planned for the album til the last minute. An earlier track list also had a song called "Mysterious."

1. Here You Come Again 2. Right Here Waiting 3. Lonely No More 4. Because You Loved Me 5. Everything I Do (I Do It For You) 6. Why Don't We Do It In the Road? 7. Everytime You Go Away 8. Run to Me 9. Broken Wings 10. A Thousand Days 11. Alone 12. I Will Carry You (the Oprah arrangement, with added strings) 13. When You Say You Love Me 14. To Love Somebody 15. When A Man Loves A Woman 16. TOUCH 17. I Know How the River Feels 18. Lover All Alone 19. These Open Arms 20. Ya Gotta Have Faith 21. Tears Run Dry Encore 22. If You Don't Know Me By Now 23. Invisible 24. Back for More Me too! Anyone want to move things around? I do. Add more? Maybe. Shall we have a poll? It's fun to think about it. Wonder what he'll banter about, and when in the program. What kind of audience participation will he think up for this? ETA: The thing is, I expect him to have a theme to the program--some sort of narrative or theme which would determine song choices and the the order they are presented, as would Couchie's variations in tempo. So I'm not sure...... The Christmas show was 19 songs--lots of banter. The theme of that show was a no brainer. What will this one be?

I've actually got the volume up tonight. It's a pretty entertaining show.

1. Here You Come Again 2. Right Here Waiting 3. Lonely No More 4. Because You Loved Me 5. Everything I Do (I Do It For You) 6. Why Don't We Do It In the Road? 7. Everytime You Go Away 8. Run to Me 9. Broken Wings 10. A Thousand Days 11. Alone 12. I Will Carry You (the Oprah arrangement, with added strings) 13. When You Say You Love Me 14. To Love Somebody 15. When A Man Loves A Woman 16. TOUCH I've got to add another one - I was just reminded of luckiest1's idea: 17. I Know How the River Feels (with full orchestration - can you imagine??) and this one has to be on the list: 18. Lover All Alone

1. Here You Come Again 2. Right Here Waiting 3. Lonely No More 4. Because You Loved Me 5. Everything I Do (I Do It For You) 6. Why Don't We Do It In the Road? 7. Everytime you go away 8. Run to me Can I help it if I like to organize things? Can we add another one? If so 9. Broken Wings

4. Because You Loved Me I'll borrow these well-wishes too!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

The name of the tour has become the battleground. A few folks want to "prove" that they know Clay better than the rest of us, that he really hates ATDW, and, like Touch, there's no way he will sing anything from the album because he is stubborn like that. Apparently there are no CDs in the stores of people who hate ATDW and want it to be done with, and plenty in the stores of those of us who love it and want to hear songs from ATDW this summer. How are the stores able to figure this out, I wonder, and what do they do when people of both persuasions shop at the same store? I can hear it on the intercom now--"Quick, hide the Aiken CDs, Sally Conspiracy-Theorist is coming in." "Hurry, bring 'em out again. Here comes Julie Jubilant-About-Clay!!" "Oh no, they're both in the store at the same time. Someone distract Sally and keep her out of electronics so she doesn't see those albums!!" Cue Twilight Zone music. Do do do do..... You know, I guess technically if he sings mostly songs from ATDW it isn't in promotional support of the album because the "promotional cycle" (whatever that is!) for the album will have ended. Much like it had for MOAM when he did the NAT. Doesn't mean he doesn't like the album. Doesn't mean it won't help increase his fanbase either. It seems some over there think because they don't like ATDW no one will and any Not.Just.Us types who are at these concerts won't like it either, thus preventing him from expanding his fanbase. Its their way or no way! I used to feel kind of sorry for the Poddies, but lately I think some of them have gone totally over the edge. Before I thought they might be forgiven for being upset about things, given all the tabloid crap and so forth, but full-blown delusion has taken over for some. I never do this, and one of the many mods can delete this if they want, but the only person I know to have been banned at the OFC was momo, and she is back again as Bets and getting more like her old self by the minute. She really is a jerk and I cannot believe how much harm she has done to Clay--his career, his fandom, in the name (or claim) of caring about him. Some of the Poddies sound so much like haters it's hard to tell the difference, and hater blogs is where some of their rumors come from to begin with. Recently groucho posted one of his ridiculous rumors over at TwoP, and a Poddie was spouting the same rumor at the OFC within a day. It boggles the mind. It is indeed just a few people who repeat themselves endlessly with lots of "clever" innuendo and endless snark, that's really just nastiness. I got caught up doing battle over there once upon a time, and still find myself wanted to sometimes when I'm there. I have a "rule" now that I post and then don't go back for hours, so as not to get caught up in endless exchanges. Because, as with groucho, some of those people have to have the last word, and they are always right, always, so there is no point in trying to engage in a logical discussion. It's unfortunate that in their crusade against Clive and RCA, they end up making the fandom such a downer, making Clay look like a helpless fool, and doing the work of the haters so often. {{{{Hugs and good vibes to Muski's Kenny and to all the family as they struggle with this life change.}}}}}

Oh, you are funny. Heh heh heh.

TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :club0:

When will you learn??? Clay only speaks in code. I heard that at the OFC, same place I heard that there's a new album coming out any. day. now. and that the tour will be in support of it, not ATDW, because ATDW is finished, I tell you finished. How dare it sell only 500,000. Folks better quit playing ATD on the radio and putting that video on websites everywhere. Die bad ATDW, die!! Ooops, sorry, that's a PC not an album.

Ohhhh muski, that avatar is hawt. Haven't seen that one in ages.

My bold predictions, which I also am totally unattached to (as always--I love making them) are similar to this. I'd just add that ATDW will be reissued, with LAA and IFDKMBN on it. The new single will be .... hmmmm..... have to give that some more thought. Maybe LNM. I'll also predict that the new tour will be JBT II. Heh.