#22: Which brings us to Clay Aiken, as most good conversations should

[keepingfaith]

KAndre waves madly at ol' Gimpy...

Yeah, baby, I can waltz across Texas, and gimp all over Florida, as long as you keep me cool!

ETA: Hottest moment of the year: The room in WPB was ALMOST as hot as the dilapidated historic Brady. Close, but no sweatband!

[luckiest1]

Oooh, Mr. Blue Sky was really neat! Lots of footage I hadn't seen in a while, and some new stuff too. Great mix!

[Clayzorback]

Blonde Clay you say? Here are some older pics. I didn't care for the blonde in the teen mags with the spikes. Clay was so young looking then and the pale blonde made him look like an Albino, IMHO. However the latest blonde pics are some Hawt Hawt stuff. I'm liking that blonde, but these not so much.

Well this early pic has always been a favorite of mine. I could just eat him up, and I don't need a spoon.

Uh oh!!!!!!!!

I'll have you Claymates know that I'm hot stuff no matter what the hair color. So get over it......

Yes Master Clay.

[cindilu2]

Even then he had those full, luscious, ever so slightly chapped and needing to be gently moistened lips.

*le sigh*

[Clayzorback]

Awww the lips. The cheekbones, the package. *sigh*

[jmh123]

I'd like to know what all the fuss is about RCA limiting sales when AIW has apparently sold all of 1,200 copies on iTunes so far (if Ken Barnes of USA Today's stats do apply to downloads). They paid for a fricking banner, and Clay blogged, and everything. WTF? Could it be that the "enthusiastic" fans are distracted, or aren't directing that enthusiasm to purchasing $4 albums on iTunes? He certainly isn't taking iTunes by storm with the NJU crowd. We don't see many digital download stats for Clay, mainly because they're not high enough to chart. Ain't nobody stopping people from downloading from iTunes or buying from Amazon. Maybe AIW would've sold better as a re-release in the stores, given how well MCWL is still selling, but who knows, maybe a big chunk of those new sales for MCWL are iTunes downloads too. I think most are WalMart and Target, both of which had MCWL in special displays.

I do think that MGUCL has been downloaded quite a bit as a single, based on it shooting up to second all time singles downloads for Clay over even BOTW, maybe because it is on their list of 44 recommended holiday tunes. But MDYK is still his top seller of all singles, holiday or otherwise, and it's #60 of the top 100 holiday songs today based on sales--nothing from AIW is ranked on the top 100 pop singles list. MCWL was ranked in the top 100 of the pop album sales chart at iTunes for a few weeks, but isn't there now. I do see AIW is #39 in pop album sales today, so maybe next week's figures will be better.

[cha cha trusty]

this page needs some more color!!!

I couldn't find the one I was looking for!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[muskifest]

Ah...those shiny black pants from the AMAs 2003, I remember them well. In fact, on my first board a separate thread grew from the appearance of the package in those pants---we called it the Black Leather Pants Thread (although we really didn't think they were made of leather)...and the posts were somewhat skewed to the more risque (at least they were considered so at THAT innocent time in the fandom---pre many RI YGAF, etc. )...

I was fascinated by that AMA clip of him and Ruben and conducted my first up close and personal study of that clip on Totally's home computer. I begn pausing it at certain places because I kept seeing....things.

I was right! Somebody capped those paused shots for me and for the pleasure of all those who liked to play Where's Waldo? and VOILA!

That was an exciting night for Clay, wasn't it?

[cha cha trusty]

....can't seem to focus...oh wait...maybe having something to focus ON will help:

muski, if only this moved. I mean, of course it moves, but I'm talking about a gif. If only this were a gif ... if only this were a gif ... if only this were a gif ....

And a question for you .....

Is that a fold?

Here it is!!!!!!

[muskifest]

And just so you guys don't think that my gaze ONLY moves in the southern direction....

Gah. Lemme at 'em!

[djs111]

I'd like to know what all the fuss is about RCA limiting sales when AIW has apparently sold all of 1,200 copies on iTunes so far (if Ken Barnes of USA Today's stats do apply to downloads).

I am not a conspiracy theorist, not by any means, and I don't think there is any more fuss - but there is a big difference between purposefully downloading a CD, and just throwing it into the shopping cart - I do wish more had been shipped and in displays. I think that after the first couple of weeks, when the PR has wound down and the new crop du week are being pushed, buying a CD might be more of a casual thing.

Of course, I also think that lots of online fans posting - on the artist's own fan site - that they sure would not buy the CD did not help matters - if I were deciding how much to ship, and what is considered a loyal fan base has a very vocal contingent saying no thanks - why the hell would I press and ship a bunch? I think the negative buzz of a small but noisy group of fans contributed a great deal to matters.

[Clayzorback]

jmh!! Preach it sister. I wonder how many of those people who whined relentlessly about no cds of AIW available, actually went to i-tunes and downloaded it? Doesn't appear many fans did.

djs wrote:

Of course, I also think that lots of online fans posting - on the artist's own fan site - that they sure would not buy the CD did not help matters - if I were deciding how much to ship, and what is considered a loyal fan base has a very vocal contingent saying no thanks - why the hell would I press and ship a bunch? I think the negative buzz of a small but noisy group of fans contributed a great deal to matters.

Yeppers. I'll never forgive them and I know all their names. As do all the other fans they drove away from OFC. Hope they are all proud of themselves. Still over there posting as though nothing ever happened and they are all innocent. Campfire anyone?

More older blonde pics.

keepingfaith look what I found:

Oops. How did this get in here?

[Couch Tomato]

Scarlett...get off the board and start heading to the restaurant...

[liney23]

I don't think there is really any group think on the subject of RCA except that Clay can take care of his own business, he is not a helpless victim and there is probably no conspiracy to destroy his career by RCA.

Personally, I don't think Clay has been treated any differently than any other artist at the same stage of his career. I also don't think he would be treated any differently at any other major label. No artist - no matter how huge (down, muski!) - has total creative control unless they own the label.

I see no bad treatment by RCA personally. I see some not great decisions on their part, but that is all part of business. Clive Davis - love him or hate him - has had a very long and very successful career, so on the whole I would say most of the decisions he has made with his artists have been good ones from a financial point of view. Doesn't mean he hasn't made any mistakes, though.

It makes no sense to me that RCA would be out to destroy Clay's career. If they want to get rid of Clay all they have to do is drop him from the label. Why invest any money in someone just to ruin them when you can just fire them?

We do not know what was on that mythical album (which I personally do not believe was an album - just a bunch of recorded songs, probably not even in their final cut form). We do not know what transpired that lead Clive to suggest he do a cover album. None of us were there. I sometimes think much of the anger was not so much because of the covers but because it was not the hot rock album that would propel Clay to the top of the charts and prove to everyone once and for all that he is cool. I often wonder if the album had been filled with similar songs in style, just originals, how people would have reacted. If the album didn't satisfy THEIR expectations and wants for Clay, expectations and wants they just ASSUMED were also Clay's, would they have still cried conspiracy??

Something tells me they would have. Something tells me that if this next album isn't in the style they believe Clay wants they will decry RCA once again - no matter what Clay tells us.

What it boils down to with me is this: Clay is a big boy (down again, muski!). He is smart. he can take care of his own business. IMO, RCA is treating him no better or worse than any other major label would. Clay himself has indicated that he would like to stay with RCA as long as they would have him. That would indicate to me he feels comfortable there.

I tend to take Clay at his word.

Claygasm... WORD, especially to my bolded parts (no, not my bold parts, geesh!) Also, not just for Clay to be cool, but for them to be vindicated for being his fan.

Jenna.... WORD to your post, too.

My thoughts about RCA... since he is not like their overall stable of artists, I do not think they knew what to do with him besides try to market him and make him into being like the rest of their artists. He wouldn't cooperate and that made friction, I'm sure. They won't drop him. He hasn't had one album go less than Gold (EPs not counting as an album in my book). These days, even Gold is good. I'm hoping, and I'm sure Clay is too, that they have a better handle on him next CD.

Clay let it be known that he thought a covers album at that time was a mistake, but he made a beautiful album. I agree that so many of his fans bad mouthing the cd on his own fansite was a BAD idea... now we know just how bad. He has also said that he liked who he worked with at RCA and that all the labels are pretty much alike, so unless something changes, Clay is going to stay at RCA... until he leaves. They are not going to kick him out as long as he keeps going at least Gold.

Muski.... ah... memories of the Black Leather Pants Thread still make me giggle at times. I roared at so many of your posts. I used to have your "shopping for black silk basketball shorts" posts to read whenever I needed to laugh. Don't know if I still have them.

I added my donation to UNICEF. I think, with the timing between tour/Holidays/Spamalot, that it might be a harder sell to get the $100,000 by Jan. 1 than the last time they had a drive. To start this before he has even been there or done any publicity for it also seems to me to be a hindrance. I hope I'm wrong. Crossing my fingers!!!

[cha cha trusty]

....can't seem to focus...oh wait...maybe having something to focus ON will help:

muski, if only this moved. I mean, of course it moves, but I'm talking about a gif. If only this were a gif ... if only this were a gif ... if only this were a gif ....

did someone say they wanted this to MOVE??? You mean like this?????????????

:F_05BL17blowkiss: :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[playbiller]

Here is the thing, you can press as many CDs as you want, but the distributers get to order them and aparently Handleman, despite fan contact and pressure, did not want to order that many. The record company does not have the power to do more than make special offers and they can only do a few of thems a year.

See, the real pressure is not from someone calling a distributor and telling them to ship an amount, but from the fans going into the store and asking the store to pre-order one for them. That part was not organized and that is the part that really works. Predemand does affect the stores ordering policy.

As to the actual sales, I used to go to one local store and count CDs. They had 200 in stock after I came back from NC (where oddly enough most of the stock ended up in the western part of the state and not Raleigh!). So a week into sales, there are about 200 in the store, the next week, there were about 100, the week after that there were like 80. They slowly decreased in sales each week and when there were about 10 copies out, they were moved from best sellers to the tab, about 2 months in. When it sold out, they did not order more. To me, that means they will probably not order the same quantity next time. There was no second shipment, there is no sitting there stock or Aiken tab. This was the first year when I did not see MCWL on the shelves (although others reported it featured in otehr towns) usually it sells out in a week, but they only get 20 or so. There is buzz and there is buzz - I think Clay did not have the buzz for the stores to order so many and once out it did not race off the shelf - over 1/3 were sold in the first week.

I guess what pisses me off the most is the fans who got LAA PM'd to them when they would not cough up 10 bucks for the album because they did not like it because it was covers that they bothered to hear, yet I read on other boards that they are buying just about every damn other AI album when liking only one or two songs on them. I would have felt better if more a few bought it off the Canadian site instead of asking for a handout.

I still have emotional problems. I need help.

[zena]

Oooops, I think Couchie is going to be after me too for stealing a minute on my roomie's laptop. :chair:

I just got back to my room and called K'Andre to say I'd be "a little late" to dinner.

Guess I should have logged in as "invisible": funny I never really saw the need for that feature until just now.

Here, in balmy Minneapolis between the two slices of heaven I call Clay Aiken concerts, I find it really hard to let past, present, or future controversy touch me.

During the concert last night I just closed my eyes, ( ya don't have to see Clay sense the beautiful ) and let the music wash over me. And then this "feeling" you know the one; the one that starts in the pit of your gut and swells up inside until your soul just bursts with ......elation, joy, etc.

More later......

eta: the reason I'm running late was because I went on the trolley tour the Minnesota Clayfans arranged. Our tour guide was hilarious, and before she let us get off the trolley we had to each tell her one thing about Clay, without repeating ourselves, that would convince her to become a Clay fan. Well, there was no problem with repeating ourselves about our multitalented BF.

But I did render her a little speechless with my answer. I said, " No one is completely satified with their life. They are always looking for that one thing that will complete them, that will bring them real joy. For me, that one thing is Clay Aiken.

Heee.... I think she wanted to take us all straight to the pyschiatric ward......

Off to see the Posse..............

[keepingfaith]

I downloaded AIW the first day available from iTunes and was curious that it never hit my credit card. Yesterday the transaction was posted. My understanding is that iTunes will hold small transactions for X number of days in order to to potentially bundle with other small purchases -- .99 here and .99 there. I wonder if the download is not counted until the financial transaction is processed? If so, Clay's numbers could have a lag in there, just because it's priced at $3.96. Don't know, just a thought.

did someone say they wanted this to MOVE??? You mean like this?????????????

:F_05BL17blowkiss: :F_05BL17blowkiss:

The man would have never made it out of Houston that night.

[Clayzorback]

playbiller wrote:

Here is the thing, you can press as many CDs as you want, but the distributers get to order them and aparently Handleman, despite fan contact and pressure, did not want to order that many. The record company does not have the power to do more than make special offers and they can only do a few of thems a year.

See, the real pressure is not from someone calling a distributor and telling them to ship an amount, but from the fans going into the store and asking the store to pre-order one for them. That part was not organized and that is the part that really works. Predemand does affect the stores ordering policy.

The fan calling Handleman thing pissed me off royally, and I let it be known.

play your post is just another fine example of why I came here, and why I wanted you to post more on OFC. Along with tagalong, who I enjoyed reading her posts on CB and CH. jmh and dsj tried to post sense as a few others, but it fell on deaf ears.

cha cha that is cool. LOL

It was really nice here today. Think I'll go plug in a movie and get comfy. Have a good evening you lovely ladies. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[muskifest]

cha cha---lovely gif....are we allowed to submit suggestions of body parts to put in motion?

Clayzorback---

Oops. How did this get in here?

This is a question I bet no lucky beyotch would be asking Clay while they 'did the nasty'(tm CHA)....

liney...you SAVED my black silky boxer shopping trips story? Dang! I wonder if I did?

Hey, all you Minnesewwwwwtah visitors! Have a blast and then tell us all about it! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

...wonder what color Clay's hair will be tonight....

PS..I'm signing off, friends!---gonna go meet my buddy to give her the DC CITH cds I made for her and to show her some recent clack..she's gonna slide outta her seat! When she sees pictures or video clips, she reminds me of that Friends episode where Phoebe gets all squicked out giving Monica (or Rachel?) a massage because Monica keeps groaning and moaning and making suggestive noises in ecstasy! :lmaosmiley-1: That's my friend when she watches Clay on my computer screen!

[playbiller]

[muskifest]

Dang, play! I had no idea fish were so well endowed!

[cha cha trusty]

cha cha---lovely gif....are we allowed to submit suggestions of body parts to put in motion?

muski - take a really close look!!

[keepingfaith]

cha cha---lovely gif....are we allowed to submit suggestions of body parts to put in motion?

muski - take a really close look!!

Oh, if only there were deep pelvic thrusts to go with that bulging, throbbing ........

I'm goin' home. See ya'll la-tah.

[liney23]

But I did render her a little speechless with my answer. I said, " No one is completely satified with their life. They are always looking for that one thing that will complete them, that will bring them real joy. For me, that one thing is Clay Aiken.

zena... that is beautiful! I'm all schmoopie now. That says it for me, too! He brings me joy!

did someone say they wanted this to MOVE??? You mean like this?????????????

The man would have never made it out of Houston that night.

cha cha... WOW... my eyes went straight to heaven on that one and hasn't left yet. And, it appears muski missed that gem. She must be overtired or lightening struck her or sompin'

It's all in the way he moves...me! BWAH!