#20: Clay is just so frickin' cute! Cute, cute, cute!

[ldyjocelyn]

Really cute montage on YouTube from cate....

Bubbly

Toots, my gut feeling on your question is that there's no way in h-e-doublehockeysticks that a record can truly capture the magic in Clay's voice. You mentioned falling for his voice during AI....but we were watching at the same time as listening. I know this isn't the case for everyone, but I think his voice IN COMBINATION WITH watching him sing makes me swoon all the more. (That's why I have TONS of video clack, and actually very little audio clack -- I had to rectify that situation with the acquisition of my iPod!). Also, I think live performances will always capture Clay much better. There's an extra added "oomph" that goes with his concerts that I don't think a record will ever be able to capture.

As for the topic du jour of the morning....I'm with play and laughn in that I take the man at his word and refuse to look for hidden meanings anymore. However, I'm in total agreement with laughn on this one as well....

However, I also give everyone the right, even myself, to change their mind. I don't expect Clay's statements or style, either in music or dress, today to always hold true for tomorrow.

I know I sometimes forget that one myself -- "he said this three years ago, it must still be true today!!!" Um, no. So yeah, he may be in for a total rock sound this go around. Maybe not. We just don't know.

I guess my question is always -- "why do we care so much?" I'm his fan, and truly enjoy the surprise of it all. I don't need to know what his musical style is going to be 3 months in advance of the next album. I'd rather savor and experience it at that particular moment, without any rumors/innuendo/preconceived notions about it clogging my addled brain.

[cindilu2]

Ooops!

[jazzgirl]

I don't need to know what his musical style is going to be 3 months in advance of the next album. I'd rather savor and experience it at that particular moment, without any rumors/innuendo/preconceived notions about it clogging my addled brain.

Given the dearth of info we have about whatever the upcoming album will be, it looks this will be happening. All we know is he has a producer and apparently two approved songs, with some interesting possible tidbits from fan sleuthing. I am waiting to see if Clay will be more forthcoming with info in the M&Gs; he did share a bit of a recorded song with some early in the SRHPT.

[cindilu2]

His voice has something - and it's as clear on cd's as any clack or in person - that touches me like nothing else on the planet. Literally. 4+ years in, I listen to the AI Unchained Melody and get chills. As does Solitaire. And The Way. And Broken Wings and Everything I Do, and Without You.

Yes, his voice is different recorded than live, but it's no less magnificent.

[merryclay]

Sorry if this is a repeat. I didn't see it anywhere. Clay's package at the Rosie auction is up to $4500.

[ldyjocelyn]

Sorry if this is a repeat. I didn't see it anywhere. Clay's package at the Rosie auction is up to $4500.

Calling muski....

[luckiest1]

O.K. this is a serious question, who get's the blame for the recorded voice? I know how much better his voice was on AI but I'm wondering if he really likes the recorded voice or just listens to the executive producer? The voice I fell in love with isn't well represented on his CD's...exceptions of course.

I am not sure I understand why any blame needs to be placed? I think with MOAM, neither Clay nor the producers of the CD were quite sure how to reign his voice into some typical "pop" fare. It's not always front and centre, like I prefer it, but it's certainly there. You can hear him wailing away on The Way, and although it's in the background, on Shine too. MOAM still gives me chills. I used to drive around town with my windows down, blasting out TITN and BOTW so people could hear it. And when the Solitaire single version came out, I just about died listening to it for the first time. Hee, not sure if NCDonna is still lurking here or not, but she can attest to how much it affected me, that first time I heard it, in her van.

I think with each album since, there's been more of an effort to bring his vocals to the forefront. I cried when we heard that first leaked version of MDYK. Hee, I was just reminiscing this afternoon about the year MCWL came out. At the time I was working in a call centre, so I was on the phones except for lunches and breaks. I used to sneak over to an unused corner of the centre at lunch, kind of hide myself away in a corner, and put on my iPod. I remember just being in 7th heaven listening to the album, it had just been released, and I would just die at certain lines, just the tone of his voice, the way he sang the words.....I remember being so upset every time lunch was over. I used to try to stretch out every minute until I had to put that damned headset back on! And then ATDW, well, I've been pretty gaga since it came out....only recently took the CD out of my car's player, and then only when the live audio from last summer's tour started to pour in. Thank god I can now wear my iPod while I work!

And of course we can't forget AIW, the EP, which I think has captured his voice best to date. It's just a masterpiece, IMHO. I am so glad that it will be on the US iTunes this Christmas season, and also that the public will get a chance to hear the song AIW live on Christmas day, from the Holiday On Ice taping. That performance deserves to be heard!

Of course, I still love the old demos. I think they captured his voice amazingly well, all those years ago. Even if they were recorded with backing tracks for the most part.

[keepingfaith]

It's my opinion and observation and all that, that Clay has personally invested in everything he's ever done -- from AI to present. In reading above, I noticed a comment that he's going with a pop sound on the next CD. Do we know this? From what I glean he's happy with the new album, he's mentioned contemporary, but contemporary covers a wide field. I think an album that reflects Clay would be eclectic, featuring pop, rock, r&b, a couple of power ballads, and maybe something with a Latin flavor so he can move it, baby. He seems so pleased with the new album, I wonder if it will be self-titled?

Also, I love recorded Clay and live Clay. I adore the recorded versions of WY, RHW, and I don't think he could do BW live with the same result achieved on the CD. WY definitely improves with age, and I've deeply loved it from the first time I heard it. Recently, I heard the Nilsson WY at Walgreens, and it sounded so empty compared to Clay's rich version. I do believe that IWTKWLI, TOA, BYLM and HYCA were better live. Who am I kidding? -- I love it all. For all the pissing and moaning last year, ATDW is a part of my life and will have much greater staying power in my collection than MOAM. It already has. I never had the need to listen to MOAM with the same intensity and frequency as ATDW. Not saying I don't love and appreciate MOAM, but I've never gotten strung out on it to the extent I have with ATDW.

I think ATDW has a timeless quality and when styles change and today's pop tunes sound like yesterday, ATDW will still be relevant. Some albums take 20 years to go platinum, and they ultimately have much greater impact than some of the stuff that sells millions and disappears forever. There's music that sold millions in the 70's that people would rather take a beating than listen to now -- and there's music from the 70's that I didn't get into until the 90's. Okay, an example: the early 70's Bonnie Raitt album with songs like I Feel the Same, Guilty, Everybody's Crying Mercy, Write Me a Few of Your Lines, etc.... I bought it at least 25 years after it was released. Lee Michaels had a huge hit back in 1969/70 with his album featuring songs like Do You Know What I Mean and Heighty Hi and everybody I know had that album. It was everywhere and blanketed radio for a long time. The only reason to listen to it now would be some overwhelming nostalgia, and I don't think I could ever get that nostalgic. But Bonnie had it going on, and just because the world wasn't so aware of her in those days, the music stood the test of time. The name of that album, BTW, was (and still is) "Taking My Time" -- and she did. None of this may be analogous to Clay at all, but it's one of the reasons I don't think instant gratification is imperative with recorded music.

[luckiest1]

From Aron at TBAF via CH:

We are tentatively planning our 2008 Champions of Change Gala for New York, NY in mid to late spring. We are hoping to plan an event where people who want to can come to New York to participate in our gala and to see Clay Aiken in the Broadway production of “Spam-a-lot.”

[Couch Tomato]

Well hot damn! Just give us that date, and quick.

ETA: KeepingFaith, Luckiest1, Jenna - may I just echo your feelings about CLay and ATDW. I'll never wish that one away..it's beautiful!!

Oh and ETA: Jenna, I went grocery shopping and saw that Matt Damon is the sexiest man alive. I love me some Matt.

[muskifest]

Woot! At a staff meeting just now, our boss told us that we get the whole Christmas week off with pay! Officially, we were only getting Dec. 24 and 25, but he's going to give us the week!

woo hoo!

I need to celebrate...COUCHIE! is it time for a brew or two after work today?

From Aron at TBAF via CH:

We are tentatively planning our 2008 Champions of Change Gala for New York, NY in mid to late spring. We are hoping to plan an event where people who want to can come to New York to participate in our gala and to see Clay Aiken in the Broadway production of “Spam-a-lot.”

Ooooh! Gibby! Do you think it might be while we're already in New York to see him? Does that mean we can see him more than once?

[Couch Tomato]

I need to celebrate...COUCHIE! is it time for a brew or two after work today?

I'm sick Muski. I got to work at 8:30 and then at 9:30 went to my car and slept for 2 hours... maybe sometime over the 4 day weekend...Saturday?

Mid to late spring.. what does that sound like..April?

[playbiller]

From Aron at TBAF via CH:

We are tentatively planning our 2008 Champions of Change Gala for New York, NY in mid to late spring. We are hoping to plan an event where people who want to can come to New York to participate in our gala and to see Clay Aiken in the Broadway production of “Spam-a-lot.”

Heh, Guess I better have a clean house for that thing. Hope they ahve cheap seats, being a fan is getting expensive when Clay likes to tour near you. Six this summer, three this winter.......Las Vegas, Sedaka, and now maybe a gala. Don't ask how many Spamalots tickets, I am buying a subscription to a discount ticket place to see what I can get, you can reserve SRO $20 tickets through them and the Mezzanine is often just $60. Hope my feet have healed by then.

[aikim]

Welcome back Wandacleo!

Great news about the possible plans for the Gala! I'm reading it as giving people the option of a two-fer; coming to the Gala and seeing Clay in Spamalot if they choose. I don't think the Foundation is buying tickets for fans to see Clay in Spamelot.

Kim

[luckiest1]

From CV: New interview from DC radio station WASH:

http://www.washfm.com/pages/clayaiken2007.html

I just listened. Briefly, he talks about the past Christmas tours, involving the community in some way, school choirs, theatre groups, symphonies. Says they will still have the symphonies this year but then talks about fan stories too. He calls it a "big Christmas card". The stories will introduce the songs. He says he's personally read 1200 - 1300 stories, not sure if it was a good idea, then laughs. He says some of the ones he is considering for the DC show are from Maryland, Virginia and DC. He says "we haven't told them yet". Says they are all so powerful, some are about how things were at Christmas in the 50s, one about the Alaskan wilderness. He says the stories are not esoteric. She asks him about his favourite holiday tradition and he says it's the Christmas tour, he can't imagine a December without one.

She asks about his plans for the holidays. He says he will spend Thanksgiving in Raleigh. They are rehearsing around the piano in his living room right now for the tour. He will take a Unicef trip in December during the holidays to an undisclosed destination. First time away from his family at Christmas. He will go directly from the Unicef trip to NY for Spamalot so he will not be back in Raleigh from Thanksgiving until May 4th. He laughs when she says he's a young guy, he will be able to keep up with it all.

OMG it's so good to hear his voice again!

[Couch Tomato]

Oh I agree. Of course the foundation isn't buying tickets....they are just giving folks incentive to choose gala date as my spamalot date. I had already planned to go in April but haven't bought any tickets or air or anything as of yet...so this will be perfect. Guess I better start saving.

eeeeeeeeee for the interivew. Wow, he's going to be busy. Good for him. I wonder where he's going.

[Desertflower]

Heh, Guess I better have a clean house for that thing. Hope they ahve cheap seats, being a fan is getting expensive when Clay likes to tour near you. Six this summer, three this winter.......Las Vegas, Sedaka, and now maybe a gala. Don't ask how many Spamalots tickets, I am buying a subscription to a discount ticket place to see what I can get, you can reserve SRO $20 tickets through them and the Mezzanine is often just $60. Hope my feet have healed by then.

Want to trade positions....probably not. *g* But then if you factor in Plane Fares, Hotels and other incidentals into what it costs a West Coast Fan to go and see him........I think you come out ahead.

I actually think his voice is better now then when he was on AI and in the Demos. I think he may have lost some of that pure tone, but his voice is so much richer now and his interpretation of lyrics is so much more mature now. I still think you here that pure tone from time to time with some songs.

I think ATDW and AIW captured his voice very well....but, as always the more he sings a song the better it becomes.

Oh I agree. Of course the foundation isn't buying tickets....they are just giving folks incentive to choose gala date as my spamalot date. I had already planned to go in April but haven't bought any tickets or air or anything as of yet...so this will be perfect. Guess I better start saving.

I haven't bought tickets yet either so I'm going to try to do it at a time where I can go to the Gala and Spam-a-lot. Sometimes it pays to be a procastionator.

[atinal]

His voice has something - and it's as clear on cd's as any clack or in person - that touches me like nothing else on the planet. Literally. 4+ years in, I listen to the AI Unchained Melody and get chills. As does Solitaire. And The Way. And Broken Wings and Everything I Do, and Without You.

Yes, his voice is different recorded than live, but it's no less magnificent.

Also, I love recorded Clay and live Clay. I adore the recorded versions of WY, RHW, and I don't think he could do BW live with the same result achieved on the CD. WY definitely improves with age, and I've deeply loved it from the first time I heard it. Recently, I heard the Nilsson WY at Walgreens, and it sounded so empty compared to Clay's rich version. I do believe that IWTKWLI, TOA, BYLM and HYCA were better live. Who am I kidding? -- I love it all. For all the pissing and moaning last year, ATDW is a part of my life and will have much greater staying power in my collection than MOAM. It already has. I never had the need to listen to MOAM with the same intensity and frequency as ATDW. Not saying I don't love and appreciate MOAM, but I've never gotten strung out on it to the extent I have with ATDW.

I think ATDW has a timeless quality and when styles change and today's pop tunes sound like yesterday, ATDW will still be relevant. Some albums take 20 years to go platinum, and they ultimately have much greater impact than some of the stuff that sells millions and disappears forever. There's music that sold millions in the 70's that people would rather take a beating than listen to now -- and there's music from the 70's that I didn't get into until the 90's. Okay, an example: the early 70's Bonnie Raitt album with songs like I Feel the Same, Guilty, Everybody's Crying Mercy, Write Me a Few of Your Lines, etc.... I bought it at least 25 years after it was released. Lee Michaels had a huge hit back in 1969/70 with his album featuring songs like Do You Know What I Mean and Heighty Hi and everybody I know had that album. It was everywhere and blanketed radio for a long time. The only reason to listen to it now would be some overwhelming nostalgia, and I don't think I could ever get that nostalgic. But Bonnie had it going on, and just because the world wasn't so aware of her in those days, the music stood the test of time. The name of that album, BTW, was (and still is) "Taking My Time" -- and she did. None of this may be analogous to Clay at all, but it's one of the reasons I don't think instant gratification is imperative with recorded music.

Cindilu and Keepingfaith, word to both of you!!!

I too, love both recorded Clay and live Clay. I never knew their was dissapointment in his voice being over powered on MOAM until I started reading the boards weeks after that CD was released. I had not seen Clay live at that time, but I thought his voice sounded great on that CD. With live Clay you get the personality and the feeling he puts in to the songs and the change ups he chooses to make plus the electricity. I just think Clay has a classic voice that translates well in both the live and recorded form, but I've said fairly often, I'm pretty easy when it comes to Clay, if he's singing it's all well and good for me.

[cindilu2]

Awww, Christmas on a Unicef trip. How much do I love this guy? Like, LOTS.

He sounds so excited about the Christmas tour and concept. The interviewer sure seemed impressed by it, too. Guess she didn't get the memo, huh?

[liney23]

The man is insane... I love him anyway... he's gonna do 8 shows a week, then on his one day off, he's gonna do a Gala???? He's planning this before he has actually done the 8 shows a week deally... Hope he's VERY strong or he'll be sleeping thru the Gala... course I would pay to watch him sleep.... even drool!

I LOVE ATDW!!! Some of those songs just slay me. My fave, long term, on MOAM is MOAM. LOL I love I Survived You cause of what he did with it in concert. It wasn't just the glare, but also the jazzing up he did on it.

Don't know what he's searching for musically, but I'm following along for sure. As long as he's happy, I'm happy! My only concern is that he always do well enough to continue touring and filling or almost filling every venue. And, making a good living doing it! Bottom line!!!

I keep forgetting to mention this... I'm sure you all have noticed how Clay crossed his fingers before he started AIW in Vegas. I wonder if there is something in the skits between segments (like Sasha's teaching him to skate) that references the crossed fingers. Also, another segment explaining the hugs from Shae Lynn. That's one of the reasons I can't wait for the show... the other is to see the skating I missed with my binoculars squarely on Clay during his songs... The producers said they wanted their show not to be the typical skating show, so.... can't wait!

{{{wandacleo}}} Glad you're back.

I love short weeks.... only one more day of work, then four days off!

[ldyjocelyn]

Actually, I don't think recorded Clay has disappointed me either (and I'm sorry if I gave that idea). cindilu's suggestion that it is "different" though is what I think I'm addressing -- and I think that's very true! Recorded Clay and Live Clay are two totally different animals.

EEEEEEEE! for the new radio interview. What a fangirl interviewer! Hearing him talk is just making me swoon! And I'm personally thrilled that his Christmas memories now revolve around his Christmas tours -- that to me suggests he'll be doing those for a LONG time to come.

I'd venture a guess that his next UNICEF visit is Bangladesh, what with that terrible cyclone tragedy there.

For those going to the Gala/Spamalot thing -- have fun. Me, I'll just sit home, listen to the cellcert, and eat Cheez Doodles.

[bottlecap]

I hope he's mostly done recording the new CD, because there doesn't seem to be much time in his schedule to work on it...

[Couch Tomato]

I hope he's mostly done recording the new CD, because there doesn't seem to be much time in his schedule to work on it...

bwah.. heee it will get here bottle. Maybe not in the spring...but I never expected that anyway.

[cindilu2]

I hope he's mostly done recording the new CD, because there doesn't seem to be much time in his schedule to work on it...

I'd say it's more like that just wasn't what the focus of this interview was. Christmas, Unicef and a passing mention of Spamalot.

He said in his blog that the CD was progressing as planned - that's good enough for me.

[Cotton]

The interview won't play on my mac!!!

'Scuse me while I pitch a fit!