# 12 An Evening With His Royal Highness Fantasy Fodder

[JennaZ]

What did the WSJ say about Kelly's statement? I can't seem to access the web site.

[lightmyfire]

What did the WSJ say about Kelly's statement? I can't seem to access the web site.

JennaZ The WSJ article was published prior to the dropping of My December and covered the issue.

GAWD...I love Anderson Cooper.

[Ansamcw]

What did the WSJ say about Kelly's statement? I can't seem to access the web site.

I read this and it was a long piece but I remember totally agreeing with it too...

WSJ Kelly article

[ldyjocelyn]

Nevermind...Ansa beat me to it....

[YSRN]

You are welcome. I am multi-tasking...listening to the Democratic Debate and reading threads.

Have a safe trip tomorrow... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Me too. Love the YouTube format and Anderson!

And thank you! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Thanks for the WSJ link!!

[JennaZ]

Thanks for the WSJ link. Very interesting article. It looks like Kelly and The Firm gambled big when they chose to have her write her own songs, and the result was a loss of millions.

[Totally]

I keep wanting to post in here, but keep trying to catch up first - the second not conducive to the first, I'm afraid.

I had less than a week at home from our vacation before my GYN sent me to the ER due to a few days of particularly heavy bleeding. Somehow, I ended up in the OR the next morning getting a hysterectomy. This was last Wednesday. I had already the surgery scheduled for later this summer. My doc just decided that we needed to do it immediately. So I spent a couple of nights in the hospital and have been home recovering these past few days, and I must say - it hasn't been fun! I don't know why I thought it would be, but it has been a lot worse than I expected it to be.

And it has interfered with my computer time in a big way!

But all we really care about is that it doesn't interfere with my CA concerts! Right?

So I just read that tonight is the last night that Clay is going to perform ATD because he has been falling asleep during it. AND that he told the audience last night that he was thinking of what he was going to have for dinner during LAA. WTF?

I have been looking forward to hearing and seeing him perform LAA ever since I first heard the song, and all I can say is that he better look like and act like he is into it and not thinking about his dinner. And I think he should also learn that there are some things better left unsaid. Also, perhaps he should have a little snack before the concert so that he's not so hungry by the end of the concert. Whatever, but just don't screw around with LAA, boy!

If I sound cranky, blame it on the drugs!

[Claygasm]

{{{{HUGS}}}} to Totally! I'm glad at least you will be better for the CA concerts! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[muskifest]

Totally, so glad you're posting. I sent you a PM on EAYOR, did you get it? :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Gonna go see about gathering the two girls and my hubby for a big dinner birthday celebration for him...I asked him if he'd rather have the dinner at a Horatio's type place (a nice seafood/steak place near us on the bay) or a Chevy's type place. He chose Chevy's! Heh...problem is that Chevy's went away around us and I'm pissed...maybe it's TGIF? heeeee! I love my hubby. He's so easy to please.

heh again.

[playbiller]

gives Totally a nice soothing Marijuana cookie - it is a present from Kelly It will make you feel better.

[Totally]

gives Totally a nice soothing Marijuana cookie - it is a present from Kelly It will make you feel better.

BWAH!!!!! Thank you.

Hi Claygasm and Muski - (yes I got your PM and have replied to it)

Edited July 24, 2007 by Totally

[jamar1700]

Very interesting conversation here today. Sorry I couldn't be part of it. Silly work.

But I thought you all covered it very nicely.

This is an amazing place.

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

The "Clay Show" sounded like soooo much fun tonight.

---

Accck. My avi's gone dead. Wonder whats up with that?

eta...*whew* it's back. Don't leave me Clay...

Edited July 24, 2007 by jamar1700

[institches]

Thanks for the link to that article about Kelly. Interesting. Confession: I really like Kelly. I didn't watch the first season of idol...only "discovered" her after the fact. I think she has an incredible voice...albeit a little yelly now and then. I ran right out to get her new CD, having heard little snippets about the "controversy" here and there, and I listened. And I listened again. And all I kept thinking was, "why so ANGRY, Kelly?" I almost couldn't hear the voice through the anger!

Now as I watch things continue to unfold, I can't help thinking of that saying, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." It's almost like she was soooooooo up.set. by whoever hurt her, that she lost all sense of rational thought, got on her high horse, and dug her heels in. Kind of a childish, risky thing to do with millions of dollars and your career, but hey, what do I know?

I don't know what went on, what her motivation really was for the whole scene. I admit I felt a little bit of "you GO girl" when she was sticking to her guns. But it seems now, like she was only borrowing the balls she was showing at the time. Heh. So "My December" wasn't another "Breakaway"? She got to make her stand. And much like with Clay...a half-a-million albums is nothing to shake a stick at!! And she looks kinda cute with her tail between her legs.

Topic: I missed the Clay show tonight ... but I have no doubt it was amazing.

[Ansamcw]

For those that missed this show tonight...you guys gotta dl the listen Clack. Angela couldn;t sing it ...she disappeared from the stage for this song so Clay and Quiana improvised. It was fantastic!!!!

[Gibby]

Hey, Totally!! So good to hear that you're doing okay! I know you'll keep getting better as time goes on.

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

[Couch Tomato]

Wow, just have to say that I loved all the convo today. I've seen lots of theories today - some I agree with some I don't, but I found them all quite thoughtful.

For a moment, I'm going to take Clive out of the mix only to say whatever Clay brought him he didn't want. What do we know about this mythical album. We know what he presented at JBT - Just You, Tears Run Dry, A Thousand Days and Back for More

Just You disappeared quickly but that doesn't mean anything. It was NOT a favorite of the fans.

ATD - large portion of the fans dissed the lyrics - label liked it - Clay liked it - song was stalking him and ended up as one of the original songs but it strains his voice and it goes on forever and he's already tired of singing it. .Back For More, the fist pumping anthem that represented his splash onto radio, he found cheesy and didn't like it and sang it for the fans. Tears Run Dry - my personal favorite so what else really matters LOL.

We have no idea if any of these songs were presented Clive at all - well yes we know ATD was. I'll assume these along with others were presented. If the fans weren't really in love universally with any of them but perhaps Back For More, and Clay didn't even like it, then why is it hard to believe Clive said -- are you kidding me?

Why? Because the mythical album has turned into the best, uptempo rock star album that ever existed.

No one supposes that Clay submitted country songs. Nobody thinks they were CCM type of songs -or inspirational songs more on the lines of I Will Carry You. Despite the fact that the fans totally dissed the songs he presented - of course he then went and found all new great songs to present to Clive and he turned them down out of spite.

The first and probably only back channel gossip I heard was during JBT. And guess what? It is the exact opposite of what turned out to be. Supposedly Clay was this stick in the mud and the label wanted him to let loose and they pulled some sort of trick on him - presenting him with Justin Timberlake like songs - and after he stormed out - they then reassured him that they didn't want him to be Timberlake, just more I guess cool. That came from the inside sources, probably the same ones that have been running the show since. Reason number one why I tuned out everything else I've heard from the insiders since. If you believe 2005 insiders Clive never wanted Clay to be Barry Manilow.

Moving on - we heard for months from a couple of people who supposedly knew people who had heard the songs and they are going to blow the roof off the motha. Unfortunately these testimonials raised expectations so much that anything less would be a disappointment I won't get into the credibility of these people - other than to say, one I love very much. However, as we have learned this week, Clay has a new uptempo bluesy song he is considering for his next album or wait - maybe it's a gritty ballad. The gritty ballad description I have yet to hear repeated over and over on sites like TWoP or even fan sites. I have no idea what this song is like and I have no clue if the raves for ATD happened at all, or whether the telephone game/filters/hopes and dreams for Clay influenced the transferrence of that info.

We have various titles we know he recorded. We know that Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song for him that hopefully will turn up on his new album since Clay didn't use it. We may finally know what one of the songs is like - a song fitting for a contemporary Christian/pop artist..I

Now unless there is some bootleg clack around that I don't know about..that's all we know.

I stand by my theory that Lover All Alone would NOT have been on mythical album at all - and maybe would never have been written at all if not for the delay. If I'm wrong about that Clay will let that out of the bag one of these days.

I think we want the world for Clay. He's a genius that can sing anything. He's so talented and deserving of recognition, has had to deal with so much that we can only fathom this scenario where he is just perfect and every one else arround him - from his label to his mother to his publicists don't have his best interests at heart - or deserve his trust or good will. There's just no way the album he presented wasn't commercial enough or good enough. Although we have no trouble normally calling his taste suspect.

The Kelly thing has brought some perspective. Did you know the label was right on that one? That she should have listened. THat her songs are sucky? That she should be quiet? That she should be tactful? That she should be greatful? The best part of the Kelly saga is that we can judge for ourselves. I've heard the album. IT SUCKS. CLIVE WAS RIGHT. LOL. He was totally right about her needing help. So maybe he knows a little something.

Do I wish he could have put out the album he wanted? Yes. Do I hope and pray it was the most wonderful thing every done/ Yes. I want to hear one of these days every single song he ever presented. But you know..I think he's beyond them now. I think he's beyond songs on the level of Just You and Back for More and A Thousand Days. I don't believe they are just going to pull out these songs and slap them on an album. I really don't. I can't wait for this album. Wait, actually I can. I can wait.

Is it possible that the label did not respect Clay's artistic choices when they asked for a covers album? Sure. But maybe the original songs he chose weren't the sure thing many fans believed they were. And if TRD and BFM represented what he had, maybe things wouldn't have been that different if he had released an original album. It's hard to say. I can see how RCA might think covers would have broader appeal.

Or I could have just read that and skipped the book I wrote.

I resent people who want me to worry about Clay....

me to Play. It's a sign of loyalty, passion, commitment I guess. Except not. Sorry about the birdie...lucky my ass hiney!

couchie, miniony type things will be GOOD for you! It'll help with the brainwashing independent thought I admire so much!

bwah

Anyway, I'm loving this tour so danged much that it has revitalized ATDW for me -- and I already loved it immensely. But now I listen to TOA over and over and over. And Without You freshly blows me away. Everything he sings in concert are now the ones I MUST hear. And while RHW, LNM, BW and EID were big favorites, I don't feel compelled to listen to them as much as the ones Clay is singing now. I think the label should release TOA as an AC single. I like that it doesn't have a piano intro, that it is dramatic, has excellent lyrics and melody, a beautiful string arrangement, and that Clay sings it like no other ever could.

Amen. He's making me appreciate These Open Arms and I want to Know what love is. These are the ones I didn't really take to. But wow, he is blowing them away in concert and I love them now. I hope and pray that if he does drop A Thousand Days that he adds either Broken Wings, If you Don't Know Me By Now or Lonely No more.

And I wouldn't be surprised to learn the demo material coming in geared itself to the CCM market. And that was not going to fly. JMO.

It's a thought isn't it. I don't know if they were straight up CCM but maybe more inspirational type things like kyrie and I will Carry You. Could be. Or it could have been more of the same of the four songs presented.

Sorry for the book but I"m not even halfway done catching up LOL...

[Ansamcw]

(((totally)))

hope you feel better soon.

[Couch Tomato]

OK you guys have been too chatty and quoting so much that I can't even try to do the quote thing the normal way:

RESPONDING TO JMH

1) Clay's changing record labels, and RCA is trying to devalue him so he won't do well once he does.

2) Clay won't sing songs from ATDW on tour because he hates the album that much (it'll be like "Touch"), but he will sing songs from the new album to be released this past spring.

3) OK he has to sing songs from ATDW, because RCA is making him do it, but he won't SAY the name of the album and he certainly won't promote it

I'm pretty glad I stayed in my corner of the world. My head would have exploded if I had to hear that. THe whole Clay and All Is Well was used to bring people into the store to buy Daughtery was more than enough. Alrighty then.

Funny, but I didn't read a single post here that said he did want to do covers.

Nope. Alternate universe.

RESPONDING TO YSRN

Clay is going to be the new David Hasslehoff? He's about to star in his own beach series so of course he needs to be tan!!

Kelly Clarkson did not write that statement. LOL. I believe that she had all the trouble with the label and someone thought the me against the big bad label would be a way to ratchet up her cred for singing rocker/pop. But I think it spiraled out of countrol and just made her look bad since Clive didn't open his mouth. Now manybe he was behind the scenes blackmailing, mandating, ultimating but only Kelly was sassing off every other day in the media. I think if the new management came up with the idea to apologize it was a good thought - however the execution doesn't fly with me. But I think it will for most.

TO KAREN EH

You are one big tease! But it was so worth the wait.

TO CLAYGASM

Just cuz :F_05BL17blowkiss:

TO MUSKI

Happy birthday to Kenny!!!

Good luck with the job! The company I work for is about to become employee owned - well a percentage of it. I have no idea how that works. Anybody have a clue?

This CMSU, YSRN! And I'm having a blast thinking up reasons for Clay's hairless and bruised state...oh yes, I am.

Wish I had time to write up a quick, dirty about it.....

I wish you would. I mean...what are you waiting for, a lightening bolt?

TO JENNA Z:

As for Clay - here's my theory: I suspect he has more than just 5th Grader and the skating show in the works. I think he did tape something for television, something we won't see until later.

JennaZ - I've really enjoyed all your posts the last few days . I hope you are right on this one!! I would love nothing better than to quit hatin' on SAM.

My gut says that Clay recognizes that in some ways, he's more a product of television than radio. In fact, I'd even venture to say that he has better professional relationships in TV than in music. I would not be surprised if he is making a serious effort to break into television in a major way. This could be brilliant. If he can establish himself in TV, the radioplay could follow. It's not the standard route, but he's not your standard artist.

Very astute. Defining his own pop star as it were. What smat person said that?

TO KANDRE

See, I see this and I see PR - admittedly bad PR, but again meaningless spin. And neither the previous spin, nor the current spin makes me like Kelly's current output any better.

Or what JennaZ said in a much meaner way. To me, Kelly really is nothing much more than the current pop princess - for a while, wasn't some in the fandom using the Duffster as a benchmark? Not seeing a lot from her now are we? Kelly might be a better singer, but frankly I don't find her to be a better songwriter.

BWAH to the bolded. I thin Kelly has the talent to be more and I just hope she is happy with her choices.

TO JMH and NELLE

Great post from Nelle..and thanks for bringing it over. SO TRUE.

KEEPINGFAITH

I was assured he wouldn't be singing any of THOSE songs either. Clay did not have to tour to this album - he could have made up a whole new theme a la the JBT if he just needed to be on the road. He promised us this tour at Kimmell and I was gonna go all Clay Aiken fan all over his ass if he renigged heee.

[PhillyluvsClay]

*waves*

Well, If you are all talking about Clay's next album, I have a little bit of insight since I was at the M& G at Philly.

(1.) Clay does want to do an orginal album.

But, it remains to be seen what RCA will mandate for the next album and He does expect a fight to get what he wants.

Edited July 24, 2007 by PhillyluvsClay

[Couch Tomato]

*waves*

Well, If you are all talking about Clay's next album, I have a little bit of insight since I was at the M& G at Philly.

(1.) Clay does want to do an orginal album.

But, it remains to be seen what RCA will mandate for the next album and He does expect a fight to get what he wants.

Hey PhillyLuvsClay - Yep heard all that in the meet and greet reports. Fortunately since Philly, Clay has said he and the label or on the same page so great news. Will it be smooth sailing all the way? I don't expect it to be...but nothing much in life is.

I'm SO thrilled about these meet and greets and we get the updated information. I pray to god his last meet and greet isn't like those dropped call commercials if you know what I mean.

Institches - I also loved that Kelly stuck it to Clive. It was fun to read what was going to come out of her mouth next. I don't like her album but find myself liking her for the first time. Plus I went back and downloaded Thankful for the Train song. That was my favorite of hers from the IT. I totally think it was stupid strategy but I enjoyed watching it.

and finally..

TOTALLY I'm so sorry to hear what happend but glad you are on the mend. I hope you are well in time for the Clay concerts and hope to meet you. You deserve to be crabby. heee.

OK really finally - I've only seen a couple clack hits of Lover All Alone and I forget who said it but I also think Clay is acting like he did in I Survived You - setitng a mood. I'm not saying he didn't get emotional singing it a time or two but I actually have no trouble believing he's thinking of lunch. Now when I see it in person for myself I reserve the right to change my mind. But I have no doubt Totally, that he will do it justice for you and everyone, no matter WHAT he is thinking about. It remains me of Solitaire - a song I didn't even like that became a favorite during NAT b after watching him sing it live..you know the bit..he sang it like it was the last thing he was going to do on earth. Boy's got talent.

Play - I dare you to do a math problem for my space on this page.

[lightmyfire]

Kelly made a terrible mistake by ripping Clive in The Blender piece as an older music exec who wouldn't have the ear for Rock music. Her credibility was blown to pieces with that commentary as Davis is a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. And she tauts Steve Tyler as the perfect Rock Icon. Davis scouted and signed Aerosmith...

He discovered Joplin..

Edited July 24, 2007 by lightmyfire

[JennaZ]

Glad to hear from you, couchie! I remember all those backchannel rumors, and how many of them seemed to have been dead wrong. I suppose it's possible that some were true at one point, or that there was a grain of truth buried in them somehow. However, my instinct now is to doubt anything that doesn't come from Clay, himself.

It surprises me that so many have seemed so willing to take the most extreme position -- that RCA forced Clay to do an album he hated -- purely to devalue him -- because they saw him as some kind of threat. However, there are so many highly plausible intermediate possibilities--that he chose to do covers rather than wait to find better material, that he actually liked the album he put out even if he didn't love the concept, that what happened with ATDW was a miscalculation by RCA and not an act of malice. But people will believe what they want to believe.

Thanks for the report, Philly. I believe Clay says he wants an album of originals. As Couchie noted, Clay also said he and the label are "on the same page," which does sound promising. Yes, he may have to fight for what he wants, but rare is the artist who gets everything they want from the label.

I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that Clay may be a little more focused with this album. He is the kind of guy who learns from experience. When he got cut in the Charlotte auditions, he picked a different song and made it through in Atlanta. When he was eliminated in the first round, he came back with "Open Arms" and put himself into the competition. He lost Idol, but his media saavy helped him quickly surpass the winner in sales and coverage. I wouldn't be surprised if he's analyzed his situation from all angles, and come up with a game plan to get where he wants to be. He may not divulge it to fans at this time. Quite frankly, that wouldn't be prudent. However, I do believe he is more ambitious than he likes to admit, and that what we see is only the tip of the iceberg.

FWIW: I like Kelly as a person, and I do think she has talent as a singer. I can understand why she might have felt so committed to her music, especially if it felt deeply personal. However, I do think it was a mistake to include too many angry songs on one album, and an even bigger mistake to publicize her disagreement with Clive.

[Totally]

Thank you for all of the kind words, Gibby, Couchie, Ansamcw, and anyone else I missed. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

I think both of these quotes are from Couchie -

But I have no doubt Totally, that he will do it justice for you and everyone, no matter WHAT he is thinking about. It remains me of Solitaire - a song I didn't even like that became a favorite during NAT b after watching him sing it live..you know the bit..he sang it like it was the last thing he was going to do on earth. Boy's got talent.

I know he probably will, and he can think about anything he would like to while he's singing (just like my husband can think about anything he wants to while we're having sex), but he doesn't need to tell his audience that he's not really focused on the music but more concerned about what he's having for dinner. I remember when Billy Joel told his fans that he was bored singing Piano Man and usually thought about his dinner when he was singing that song, I thought "Why would he tell us that?" And then his daughter repeated it on JK when Clay was there - maybe that was where he got the idea to start thinking about dinner during his performance, lol.

Amen. He's making me appreciate These Open Arms and I want to Know what love is. These are the ones I didn't really take to. But wow, he is blowing them away in concert and I love them now. I hope and pray that if he does drop A Thousand Days that he adds either Broken Wings, If you Don't Know Me By Now or Lonely No more.

I think Clay's songs come alive in concert in a way that many of them just don't in their studio recorded versions. I know that there were a number of songs on MOAM that I couldn't grab onto that after the IT and NAT, I just loved. Clay's performs live with such a passion that the songs metamorphize into something really special. For that reason I think it was a mistake for him to wait so long to tour to support this album. Clay needs to support his CDs with lots of live performances of all of the songs, not just one or two being done over and over again on TV shows. Also his TV show performances are never the same as his concerts. But I'm so glad he's doing it now!

That's to say that I'm really excited about seeing them live - I think it will make the whole album come to life for me!

[atinal]

Totally, this has been quite a while back, but I believe it was in one of those Clay and Kelly radio interviews when they were on the Independent Tour. They both joked about being in the middle of a song and starting to think about what they were going to have for dinner. I think a lot of the "hot pocket" type of jokes started being made when Clay would mess up a line or something like that. Like others have said, I think here it was a way to side step a question that was too personal.

[playbiller]

Billy Joel did not tell his fans he was tired of Piano man and was thinking of dinner - it was his brilliant daughter/singer when she was on Kimmel with Clay.

Look, Clay is a kidder, his fans should know that. I don't really analyze everything he says - as long as I love the show, who cares what he is thinking about?

Edited July 24, 2007 by playbiller