#21: "Surprisingly, the ice did not melt."

[muskifest]

laughn, I was thinking more along the lines of this one:

[laughn]

laughn, I was thinking more along the lines of this one:

ack! Of course...I think I was getting confused with the Christmas goose. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[Guest Toots]

laughn, I was thinking more along the lines of this one:

ack! Of course...I think I was getting confused with the Christmas goose. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Oh my gawd girls, that was just so damned funny......funny!

[JennaZ]

As found on CV and CH:

Famous 'Idol' runner-up gets in the Christmas spirit

By Kevin Johnson

POST-DISPATCH POP MUSIC CRITIC

11/22/2007

Clay Aiken

Clay Aiken says he wants to make this tour "as personal as possible."

(Getty Images)

Claymates are on alert.

Big-voiced Clay Aiken, the object of their affection and the most famous runner-up in "American Idol" history, is on his way to St. Louis to celebrate "Christmas in the Heartland."

"Doing a Christmas tour is kind of my Christmas tradition at this point,'' Aiken says. "I don't even know if I can do a December without doing a Christmas tour.

"I like doing Christmas tours because people have memories that go along with Christmas songs, more than regular secular songs. I'm not sure you remember where you were the first time you heard 'Bootylicious,' but you remember when you first heard 'Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,'""'' aka "The Christmas Song."

During his new tour, Aiken will incorporate original Christmas stories that fans submitted for the show.

"We wanted to make this as personal as possible," he says.

Aiken will perform with the Fox Theatre Orchestra. On previous tours, he has used high school choirs, community theater musicians and local symphonies. Initially, the orchestra idea scared him, but now he relishes the opportunity.

"I get a whole new orchestra every night, re-rehearsing each time with different people," he says. "Doing a regular show five nights can be stale. This freshens it up a bit. It's always interesting with these different personalities and people on stage."

In an interview last week, Aiken talked about the status of his new CD (which follows last year's "A Thousand Different Ways"); his debut next year in "Monty Python's Spamalot"; why he hasn't watched "American Idol" in a while; and that rumored tour with Ruben Studdard and Kimberly Locke.

Q. How are things going with the new album?

A. That's another reason why the New York opportunity ("Spamalot") worked out. I was in the process of putting something together for next year, that I hope to release sometime in the first half of the year. One of the benefits to doing the play is I would be in New York City anyway recording an album.

Q. What direction do you see yourself going on the next CD?

A. When they talk about direction, I don't ever know what that means. I hope anything I do will just be Clay Aiken. I won't do an album where I'm doing stuff people won't recognize as me. The album I did the last time was an album of love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This will be new music, new songs that will become signature songs. They'll stand up against some of the mess in the market nowadays.

Q. What's the story behind your Broadway debut?

A. I thought doing five shows a week was something. Now I'm going to be doing eight shows a week. I never thought I would end up doing a Broadway play. I lived in North Carolina all my life and didn't see much of that circuit. But then I'd been going to New York more often and catching shows, and I was amazed at how hard-working and talented these people are. I hope I can hold my own.

Q. What's the appeal of doing Broadway for you?

A. I don't know if it's Broadway that's the appeal. It's not that I wanted to do Broadway. The appeal is the show. The show is atypical of Broadway. It's not an Andrew Lloyd Webber show with big ballads. It's silly and irreverent, an absolutely outside-of-the-norm type show. I was hoping to do something people wouldn't expect from me, and the character I play doesn't sing that big ballad I've sung all these years.

Q. There was talk of you, Ruben Studdard and Kimberly Locke touring together. What's the status of that?

A. I'm not sure where that came from. It wasn't even something that was discussed as, 'Oh, wouldn't that be a fun idea.'"

Q. Have you been keeping up with "American Idol" at all?

A. I haven't watched an episode in two years, by choice. It's not fun for me anymore. Everyone has to graduate at some point.

LINK

[jumpingjacks]

Thanks for the recipes...they both sound yummy.

I dunno...I must be in my hibernation mode....I'm ready to bake, cook, pull out my sweats and veg while eating....

Scary thought.

Great interview and the video with Sasha was just too cute.

[jamar1700]

EEEEEEEEEEEE!

VIDEO. INTERVIEW!

and last but certainly not least....

VAAACATION!

[bottlecap]

Q. What direction do you see yourself going on the next CD?

A. When they talk about direction, I don't ever know what that means. I hope anything I do will just be Clay Aiken. I won't do an album where I'm doing stuff people won't recognize as me. The album I did the last time was an album of love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This will be new music, new songs that will become signature songs. They'll stand up against some of the mess in the market nowadays.

And you go, dude! Tell it like it is!

That was a lot of good information in a relatively short article.

[luckiest1]

Wheeee! I figured that if he gave that radio interview yesterday, he must have done some others that would show up elsewhere. I hope those album answers satisfy those who are begging for album news. It's not something that really concerns me, because I am happy to be surprised when it comes out, and I'm not really in any rush for it, either. But it's cool that he seems very positive about it. I hope he really enjoys living in New York.

[Couch Tomato]

ahhhhh Mr. Kevin Johnson... LOL. That's a pretty decent article coming from him. Of course since it's Q&A. I forgot..the side benefit of doing the Xmas tour - lots of new articles.

Clay said long ago that he would create his own pop star -- meaning not follow the usual norms and stay true to himself. I l've always liked that and he's living up to it. I love that he's doing spamalot because it is so different than what is expected from him. He's one brave dude.

ETA: Ok GB I'm going to make the pumpkin pie cake. Looks simple enough. I'm a good cook but so not a baker.

[Ansamcw]

Q. What direction do you see yourself going on the next CD?

A. When they talk about direction, I don't ever know what that means. I hope anything I do will just be Clay Aiken. I won't do an album where I'm doing stuff people won't recognize as me. The album I did the last time was an album of love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This will be new music, new songs that will become signature songs. They'll stand up against some of the mess in the market nowadays.

And you go, dude! Tell it like it is!

That was a lot of good information in a relatively short article.

Thats for sure...and it makes me think it would be very similar to ATDW except all new songs...which makes me go EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

And...YAY the goal is a CD the first half of the year...I still say that will probably be more Fall...but at least they want to bring it out by Summer...

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[Claygasm]

Q. What direction do you see yourself going on the next CD?

A. When they talk about direction, I don't ever know what that means. I hope anything I do will just be Clay Aiken. I won't do an album where I'm doing stuff people won't recognize as me. The album I did the last time was an album of love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This will be new music, new songs that will become signature songs. They'll stand up against some of the mess in the market nowadays.

And you go, dude! Tell it like it is!

That was a lot of good information in a relatively short article.

I was going to quote that same passage. Does this mean no ROCK!STAR!CLAY! ????

Wait. Clearly that wasn't Clay talking. It was obviously RCA because we all know nothing he has done so far is anything like who he really is!

And yeah. "Hope to get out in the first half of the year" most likely means fall.

[YSRN]

*beats muski to the punch*

I hope I can hold my own.

Heh.

What?

[muskifest]

*beats muski to the punch*

I hope I can hold my own.

Heh.

What?

No fair! I was cleaning the kitchen! No fair!

Besides, one would certainly hope that by age 29, he would've figured out how to hold his own. My concern is whether or not some lucky beyotch is getting the chance to give his hand a chance to rest from time to time....

[Scarlett]

So when he says first "half" of a year, is that like 3/4ths?

A. When they talk about direction, I don't ever know what that means. I hope anything I do will just be Clay Aiken. I won't do an album where I'm doing stuff people won't recognize as me. The album I did the last time was an album of love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This will be new music, new songs that will become signature songs. They'll stand up against some of the mess in the market nowadays.

I'd rather bold this part because he sounds so confident and optimistic. He must really love these songs -- can't wait to hear snippets!

omg, I forgot to greet Cotton...

[ldyjocelyn]

So, if we're bolding our favorite parts of that one section, here's my contribution:

A. When they talk about direction, I don't ever know what that means. I hope anything I do will just be Clay Aiken. I won't do an album where I'm doing stuff people won't recognize as me. The album I did the last time was an album of love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This will be new music, new songs that will become signature songs. They'll stand up against some of the mess in the market nowadays.

I'm hoping that this will give a clue to some who want to know Clay's "musical direction," that maybe, just maybe, they should let him figure that out first....if he even wants to figure it out. Oh wait, I guess his musical direction must be "Clay Aiken." Good enough for me.

Yeah, I'll be happy if it's fall 2008 at this point (see Ansa -- I'm happy!!!! *g*), and will be thrilled if his timeframe matches up with actual spring. I just hope that if it doesn't some fans don't angst themselves into a tizzy.

Thanks for bringing that over Jenna. Off to add it to the news thread, and then the articles section of FCA proper.

Darn it, I was at church tonight, wishing and hoping and praying that my M&G pass came through. Darn.

[bottlecap]

Darn it, I was at church tonight, wishing and hoping and praying that my M&G pass came through. Darn.

I just wanna know, ya know? I'm tired of jumping everytime the e-mail alert pops up. And I'm convinced that I've somehow inadvertently added Clique and clayonline to my spam blocker by mistake. Yeesh!

[jazzgirl]

Happy Thanksgiving to all and happy birthday to Cotton (who seems unusually excited about a freezer)! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

I thought I was reading a new revised version of the "I Hate to Cook" cookbook here today. I'm a minimalist cook myself, so you all are my kind of people.

And yeah. "Hope to get out in the first half of the year" most likely means fall.

and

So when he says first "half" of a year, is that like 3/4ths?

I would say that you are both gifted interpreters of "Clayspeak"!

[Claygasm]

A. When they talk about direction, I don't ever know what that means. I hope anything I do will just be Clay Aiken. I won't do an album where I'm doing stuff people won't recognize as me. The album I did the last time was an album of love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This will be new music, new songs that will become signature songs. They'll stand up against some of the mess in the market nowadays.

I find this whole passage interesting.

When they talk about direction, I don't ever know what that means. IMO this means Clay just wants to sing songs he likes, songs that he feels suit his voice and personality best. He is not out to "define" himself, or to sing songs just to make himself popular and cool.

I hope anything I do will just be Clay Aiken. I won't do an album where I'm doing stuff people won't recognize as me. See above. I have always felt there was a style or styles of music Clay LIKES to sing and that is what he is aiming for on this album. And if indeed it will be music that won't surprise anyone style wise...... Well I don't see rock music in his future!

The album I did the last time was an album of love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This will be new music, new songs that will become signature songs. Am I the only one who interpreted this as meaning that this new music will be in a style similar to the songs on ATDW? I don't mean all schmaltzy ballads, but rather in feel and style.

They'll stand up against some of the mess in the market nowadays. I don't know - I see pretty songs, love songs, music that harkens back to an era gone by perhaps (hopes for some Motown-esque green-eyed soul). And I also see him not caring if its what fits into radio formats or if it sells 10 million copies. He wants to sing what he wants to sing.

And he should.

I have always felt Clay and what's popular today don't fit. Clay once used the phrase "singer's songs". I don't think there are many out there right now. Clay has a beautiful voice and he knows how to use it. He may have made peace with not becoming the biggest pop star on the planet and being all over the radio. And I think part of the reason is he has diverse interests. He has other ambitions, desires and passions.

I have read some wondering what made RCA "change their minds" about what direction to take Clay in. How do we know they "changed their mind"? Some were sure they were going to force another cover album down Clay's throat - probably based on some of the M&G reports this summer. I always had a feeling ATDW came with a deal. I always felt when they (and by "they" I mean Clay too) weren't all that excited by the mythical "pre-mandate" album and they were faced with starting over, Clive may have said they couldn't wait another 2 years to get an album out so he decided Clay should do a covers album then and if he did, Clay would get more control over the next one. And by the way, "more control" does not mean total control. He still works for the man who holds the purse strings! Who knows, maybe that "deal" is one reason why Clay said he would stay with RCA as long as they would have him.

Of course, the above is all conjecture. But it makes as much sense as some of the stuff I read around the boards!!

My question is, if when the album comes out it is not the music some think is the real Clay, will they dig this interview up and say Clive was forcing him to say it???

[jmh123]

I love this interview. We hear his perspective on some stuff people are always speculating about, and he's very specific, very articulate. I'd like to quote the whole thing, but I'll stick with this:

Q. What direction do you see yourself going on the next CD?

A. When they talk about direction, I don't ever know what that means. I hope anything I do will just be Clay Aiken. I won't do an album where I'm doing stuff people won't recognize as me. The album I did the last time was an album of love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This will be new music, new songs that will become signature songs. They'll stand up against some of the mess in the market nowadays.

Q. What's the story behind your Broadway debut?

A. I thought doing five shows a week was something. Now I'm going to be doing eight shows a week. I never thought I would end up doing a Broadway play. I lived in North Carolina all my life and didn't see much of that circuit. But then I'd been going to New York more often and catching shows, and I was amazed at how hard-working and talented these people are. I hope I can hold my own.

Q. What's the appeal of doing Broadway for you?

A. I don't know if it's Broadway that's the appeal. It's not that I wanted to do Broadway. The appeal is the show. The show is atypical of Broadway. It's not an Andrew Lloyd Webber show with big ballads. It's silly and irreverent, an absolutely outside-of-the-norm type show. I was hoping to do something people wouldn't expect from me, and the character I play doesn't sing that big ballad I've sung all these years.

Q. There was talk of you, Ruben Studdard and Kimberly Locke touring together. What's the status of that?

A. I'm not sure where that came from. It wasn't even something that was discussed as, 'Oh, wouldn't that be a fun idea.'"

Q. Have you been keeping up with "American Idol" at all?

A. I haven't watched an episode in two years, by choice. It's not fun for me anymore. Everyone has to graduate at some point.

I love him for his mind.

[jamar1700]

I always had a feeling ATDW came with a deal. I always felt when they (and by "they" I mean Clay too) weren't all that excited by the mythical "pre-mandate" album and they were faced with starting over, Clive may have said they couldn't wait another 2 years to get an album out so he decided Clay should do a covers album then and if he did, Clay would get more control over the next one.

That's what I've always thought too.

My question is, if when the album comes out it is not the music some think is the real Clay, will they dig this interview up and say Clive was forcing him to say it???

Like I said yesterday, there will always be someone to blame when Clay doesn't do what certain fans pedict/expect/want. Maybe it'll be Faye's turn. She did make him wear those Cosby sweaters you know.

---

eta...re blog...poor sleepy face guy

[Claygasm]

CLAY BLOGGED!

[jazzgirl]

The album I did the last time was an album of love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This will be new music, new songs that will become signature songs. Am I the only one who interpreted this as meaning that this new music will be in a style similar to the songs on ATDW? I don't mean all schmaltzy ballads, but rather in feel and style.

Interesting. No, I didn't latch on to the concept of similar feel and style to ATDW songs. What I latched onto was signature songs, but it's possible that could mean feel and style. The meaning I infer is "classics", just as in the ATDW songs were classics, that Clay is striving to have his own songs that aren't disposable, bubblegum pop. I like the confident way he said "signature" and am keeping my fingers crossed that he gets what he wants.

[zena]

It's good to be back!

I've been so busy ducking all the nasties life seems to be throwing at me these days that I've missed a lot.

I see we're officially on ice....hey, welcome to my winter white world.....

and Clay's talking about the album, and doing shows every day and twice on Sunday.........

and it's only 28 days to my Meet and Greet, Story Reading, concerts with Clay.

Can you tell I'm in a good mood?

:00003653: to Cotton. The day still has an hour or so left in it where I am. I will always you remember you very fondly cuz you did me the incredible favour of capturing my very first real life encounter with Clay on your camera. Wishing you much joy!!!!!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY FRIENDS SOUTH OF THE BORDER.

I started my Christmas shopping today. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......

See you all later !

[Claygasm]

Zena - nice to hear you sound so happy!

Am I the only one who will be glad when the stories are selected and maybe, just maybe we'll get a blog on something other than the stories??

And could you tell Clay was in a hurry when he wrote it? There are tons of typos and grammatical errors in that blog! Teacher Clay - shame on you!

[Desertflower]

The album I did the last time was an album of love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This will be new music, new songs that will become signature songs. Am I the only one who interpreted this as meaning that this new music will be in a style similar to the songs on ATDW? I don't mean all schmaltzy ballads, but rather in feel and style.

He also said last Summer that he was going for a different "Sound" for this CD...so no I don't think it is going to be like ATDW.

Whatever he puts out, I think, will be uniquely Clay.