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#57: Oh yeah, he really is just. that. good.


ldyjocelyn

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40 members have voted

  1. 1. What should be the next thread title at FCA?

    • My, my, my...my boyfriend is making me feel all cougarish and slinky and growly
      1
    • I'd better hold on to my fedora cos I ain't seen nothing yet!
      0
    • He exhilarates me!
      0
    • Unremitting Fangirl reporting for duty. I'm easy and I'm proud of it!
      1
    • The man is made of awesome.
      25
    • Clay Aiken can still curl my toes.
      8
    • Clay Aiken = happy sigh
      4
    • I'm a satisfied Clay fan.
      1


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I'm so glad everyone finally gets to get a taste of what this concert was like: THE VOICE was stellar, the musicians rocked it, the atmosphere was electric, and the lighting was un-freakin-believable!!

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Wow, thnx for all the screen caps, bottle! I used five in the new Carolina On My Mind blog, and it looks as if I need to add some more. Can't keep up with you!

I included Sendspace audio and video downloads, but we need to play the video at YouTube to possibly get it to Page 1. Thnx for your visits and comments in the Carolina blog! :wub:

So glad this Clay Train seems to be taking off with a plan! :twinklewhore:

Caro :listen:

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he finally went with he was trying to bring him the message of Jesus.

BWAH!!

Oh is that what we're calling it now?

Hey, I'll EEEEEEEEEEEEE anyways. A bit of Clay is better than no Clay! Now I just wish I got QVC and I'd take the afternoon off....

Ditto!!

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Wow, the numbers on that youtube clip jumped from 303 when I went to bed last night, to 6167 this morning. I can't stop watching it! I sure wish they had included Unchained Melody, but I guess they are saving that one. Can't wait to relive the "airplane" moment! ;)

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Thanks for the screencaps bc. I was too far away to see Clay's face. I hope these concerts are sell outs or close to them so when Clay tours he can pick and choose his venues. With the current eceonomy I'm sure many of these theatres are very cautious in selecting the artists who perform in them. Clay has been MIA for a couple of years except for selected appearances. I'd also like to see more interviews discussing his career. I've had more than enough of the frogs and bashers to last my lifetime. :breakpc1:

Planning on sending out links to the youtube to friends who know of Clay. I only wish I could add the date of the PBS show but I know they will vary by station. They better put the show on an HD PBS station near me. Grr! if they don't.

Have a great day! I survived my tooth extraction yesterday so I'm looking forward to a terrific weekend. I hope you are also. :7:

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:GM_FCA:

24 Days until June 1st and The New CD!

:04:

44 Days until Clay Brings Broadway Home to NC!

:yahoo:

61 Days until Clay addresses The Key Club Convention!:yahoo:

76 Days until The Timeless Tour Begins!

:09:

Happy Birthday to all celebrating!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

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Some reactions from non-fans:

A Tweet:

Guys. Something horrifying just happened. I watched some Clay Aiken performance footage. AND I ENJOYED IT. What the fucking fuckery?

From Goldarngirl at CV:

I shared the youtube on my facebook as well. An elementary school teacher of my son's is a friend of mine on facebook and he has commented now twice on Clay links. The last comment asking when the special was, prompted me to invite him to the concert in Windsor, he had not answered as of today. I shared the youtube link and I would like to share his comment.

Wow, this guy can shift musical gears like a well-oiled Porsche! Have you ordered your tickets yet and would you let me know?

Thrilled me to see this comment from a NJU (and a possibly new Clay fan)

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Wow, the numbers on that youtube clip jumped from 303 when I went to bed last night, to 6167 this morning. I can't stop watching it! I sure wish they had included Unchained Melody, but I guess they are saving that one. Can't wait to relive the "airplane" moment! ;)

What is the "airplane" moment? or you're going to keep me in suspense lol! I was so happy to see the video when I came home from work last night took me a while to get to bed!

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I call it the airplane moment....when he goes low and then goes up and up and up in Unchained Melody. I don't know how else to describe it, but it's like nothing he ever did before. I can't wait until everyone can hear it!

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I call it the airplane moment....when he goes low and then goes up and up and up in Unchained Melody. I don't know how else to describe it, but it's like nothing he ever did before. I can't wait until everyone can hear it!

Hee! and I call it the Supernova moment. He goes from zero to holy-shit-what-was-that??? in about 5 seconds. Awesome!

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I call it the airplane moment....when he goes low and then goes up and up and up in Unchained Melody. I don't know how else to describe it, but it's like nothing he ever did before. I can't wait until everyone can hear it!

Hee! and I call it the Supernova moment. He goes from zero to holy-shit-what-was-that??? in about 5 seconds. Awesome!

I just call it orgasmic.

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:GA_FCA:

Besides Goldarngirl's wonderful comment from the teacher, that string of "Unchained Melody" descriptions by FCA members is amazing:

The airplane moment (luckiest1)

Supernova moment ... he goes from zero to holy-shit-what-was-that??? in about 5 seconds (cindilu2)

Orgasmic (lilyshine)

I can't wait to experience all that! :whistling-1:

Many thnx for your visits/comments to the Carolina On My Mind blog. This morning I added wallpapers by Fountaindawg, more screen caps (bottlecap, cotton), and a few comments from the Int'l Media YouTube channel. Enjoy!

Happy TGIF, all! :BlowKiss:

Caro :listen:

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So there's the guy who lives above me (his floor is my ceiling) who plays the cello. He doesn't play that often--gets together with a small group sometimes on Sundays--but he practiced a lot a few weeks before the taping, and was clearly practicing parts for some kind of group rather than solo pieces. I thought, nah, too big a coincidence. But I did entertain the idea that maybe.... He got home just after we did the night of the taping, and judging from the sounds (I listen to this person moving around all day long) he had his cello with him and was energized about something. Didn't know his name then, but he received a package that was left downstairs, so I checked him out. Turns out he has a rather demanding job that has nothing to do with music. Would he really have time for something like this? I figured maybe I'd find out for sure when I got the DVD, because maybe they would list the names of the musicians. But I grabbed one cap from the preview video that shows his face well. So what do y'all think, same guy, or not?

386833113.jpg386833116.jpg

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Wow, jmh, that would be pretty coincidental, but oh so amazing if it were him. It's tough to tell though without a profile pic to compare with. He's cuuute! Why not just ask him? Could be a nice ice breaker.

I would :whistling-1:

But then again, I'm a Clay whore & a nosy beyotch :cryingwlaughter:

Great blog, Caro! And thanks again for all the yummy caps, bottle :BlowKiss:

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So there's the guy who lives above me (his floor is my ceiling) who plays the cello. He doesn't play that often--gets together with a small group sometimes on Sundays--but he practiced a lot a few weeks before the taping, and was clearly practicing parts for some kind of group rather than solo pieces. I thought, nah, too big a coincidence. But I did entertain the idea that maybe.... He got home just after we did the night of the taping, and judging from the sounds (I listen to this person moving around all day long) he had his cello with him and was energized about something. Didn't know his name then, but he received a package that was left downstairs, so I checked him out. Turns out he has a rather demanding job that has nothing to do with music. Would he really have time for something like this? I figured maybe I'd find out for sure when I got the DVD, because maybe they would list the names of the musicians. But I grabbed one cap from the preview video that shows his face well. So what do y'all think, same guy, or not?

386833113.jpg386833116.jpg

I would say Yes, based on two things that are totally non-determinative - his fingers long & bendy) and his eyes (quite deep-set) Even though you'll be gone soon - go ahead and ask!

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That's why I kept the hand in the large photo--the fingers look similar to me too.

Y'all, I've never actually seen this guy in person, never run into him outside, nuttin'. I just listen to him tromp around on my ceiling all day. LOL. In order to ask him, I'd have to go knock on his door, and I'm not that nervy. And treenuts, I'm old enough to be his mom. :cryingwlaughter:

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I am running on empty...but had to look at my totally edible boyfriend.

For me, it says so much - I looked at the new clip, felt myself up in joy that I was there and knowing gleefully that most of the whole thing will be in my hot little hand shortly (and trying not to whine about what won't be) and for some reason I went here, just like I normally do from time to time...and dear lord, I still love that teen pop star (and then, he really was)...dorkilicious as he was. He was a cool, crisp, refreshing lemonade on a hot day...and he was good. Then I watched this, and said to myself, there's my Dom Pérignon for at night, when I'm in a certain mood...

I really love the artist that is one Clay Aiken...

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KAndre, you're making me hungry. And thirsty. :naughtywag:

I like the way you thing....and write. Yeah, that Clay aiken guy is definitly a FEAST for the senses!!

And treenuts, I'm old enough to be his mom. :cryingwlaughter:

And your point is? :whistling-1:

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Go to the Decca Website...They have added a bio and press release!

Kim

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For Immediate Release

CLAY AIKEN COMES FULL CIRCLE WITH ALBUM OF TIMELESS CLASSICS

TRIED AND TRUE

Aiken’s First Recording For Decca To Be Released June 1st

May 7, 2010 (New York, NY) -- Clay Aiken has never sounded more at home than he does singing the lushly arranged classics on his fifth studio album Tried and True — the international pop phenomenon’s first album for Decca Records. Showcasing Aiken’s powerful voice and considerable interpretive gifts, the new CD is comprised of songs from the ’50s and ’60s that Aiken grew up listening to as a child. The platinum-selling artist and idol to many has arguably never sounded better. Tried and True will be available everywhere on June 1st.

For Aiken, Tried and True (so named because he feels the songs have stood the test of time) was about getting back to himself after a career performing more pop-oriented material. “There are a lot of elements to this album that are about me returning to what I’m comfortable with,” Aiken says. “To me, older songs are more melodically appealing and beautiful. So doing this album was an opportunity to just be myself.”

Aiken’s delight in the material on his new disc shines through with his impeccable vocal delivery, as well as his genuine emotional connection to each track. Highlights include swinging album opener “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” made famous by Frankie Valli; “Misty,” the Johnny Mathis hit, and a soulful rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds.” Tried and True also features two songs Aiken sang while appearing as a contestant on the second season of American Idol: “Mack the Knife” and “Unchained Melody,” alongside songs with guest appearances by saxophonist David Sanborn on “What Kind of Fool Am I?” and Broadway star Linda Eder on Roy Orbison’s “Crying.”

Aiken launched his career journey seven years ago on American Idol, where he won over millions of viewers with his phenomenal voice and down-home charm. He parlayed his success into full-fledged stardom, selling more than six million copies worldwide of his previous four albums, all of which debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard chart. In addition, Aiken has launched nine live tours, made the New York Times best-seller list by co-authoring the inspirational memoir Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music In Your Life, and won several American Music and Billboard Music Awards — all while donating a significant amount of his time to such charities as his own foundation, National Inclusion Project and acting as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. In January 2008, Aiken made his Broadway debut in the role of Sir Robin in the Tony Award-winning musical Monty Python’s Spamalot. In June, he embarks on a co-headlining jaunt with good friend Ruben Studdard.

For more information, visit: http://www.clayonline.com

http://www.deccarecords-us.com/clayaiken

Bio:

Clay Aiken has never sounded more at home than he does singing the lushly arranged classics on his fifth studio album Tried and True — the international pop phenomenon’s first album for Decca Records. The bulk of the album — which showcases Aiken’s powerful tenor voice and considerable interpretive gifts — is made up of songs from the ’50s and ’60s that Aiken grew up listening to as a child in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“My birth father was a musician and my mother sang in a band when I was a little kid,” Aiken says. “There was always music playing in the house. A lot of the songs on Tried and True, like ‘Unchained Melody,’ ‘Suspicious Minds,’ ‘It’s Only Make Believe,’ and ‘Crying,’ are songs my mother used to sing. If folks do think I sound at home on this album, it's probably because singing these songs came very naturally for me. I never took sheet music or lyrics into the vocal booth. I knew them so well that I didn’t need to.”

For Aiken, Tried and True (so named because he feels the songs have stood the test of time) was about getting back to himself after a career performing more pop-oriented material. “There are a lot of elements to this album that are about me returning to what I’m comfortable with,” Aiken says. “I’ve often joked with friends that I feel like I was born at the wrong time because the person I am and the songs I like to sing are all from earlier eras. To me, older songs are more melodically appealing and beautiful. So doing this album was kind of an opportunity to just be myself. I’m kind of an old soul, so singing gorgeous orchestral arrangements backed by a big band fits me really well.”

Aiken’s delight in the material comes through not only in his vocal delivery but in the way he connects to the emotional undercurrents running through each of these melodic ballads. With the thoughtful help of executive producer Dave Novik (Decca’s Senior Vice President of A&R), as well as arrangers Chris Walden, Jesse Vargas, and Ben Cohn, the classic standards on Tried and True are respectfully updated and refreshed, but still retain the spirit in which they were written and sung by various legendary artists through the years. “I told Dave Novik that I wanted to do something that paid tribute to the Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, and Andy Williams type of sound, because those artists sang really emotional stuff and did it beautifully,” Aiken says. “I mean, have you ever heard Johnny Mathis sing ‘Misty’? What is he doing with his voice! He’s like some kind of amazing freak of nature. It’s just incredible.”

“Misty” is on the album, as well as “It’s Impossible” (memorably done by Perry Como in 1970 and later by Andy Williams). Tried and True opens with a swinging version of Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” made famous by Frankie Valli (“We chose it because it’s a song people remember no matter how old they are,” Aiken says), followed by “What Kind of Fool Am I?” (featuring a saxophone solo by David Sanborn), which has been recorded by Tony Bennett and Sammy Davis Jr. “I tried to steer away from the Rat Pack mentality on this album, because so many people I admire, like Michael Bublé, have done it really well, but Dave introduced me to this one and I discovered what a great stylist Sammy Davis Jr. was,” Aiken says. Country legend Conway Twitty’s “It’s Only Make Believe” is here, (thoroughly de-countrified), as well as “There’s A Kind of Hush” (made famous by both Herman’s Hermits and The Carpenters), and “Suspicious Minds,” which Aiken sang during his 2005 “Jukebox Tour.”

Tried and True also features two songs Aiken sang while appearing as a contestant on the second season of American Idol: “Mack the Knife” and “Unchained Melody,” which is one of his mother’s favorites. “My mom had this dream that ‘Unchained Melody’ was going to be my ticket to stardom,” Aiken says with a laugh. “She always thought she was going to take me to Nashville and I was going to sing that song and have a big hit on the radio with it, so I’ve sang it all my life. It’s exciting to finally have my own version.” Then there’s a song Aiken wanted to perform on Idol but never did, to his regret: “Moon River” (featuring a guitar solo by Vince Gill). “I really wanted to sing it, and [then-executive producer] Nigel Lythgoe told me I should, but I had folks in my ear telling me not to because they didn’t think it was a vote-getter, but I love it.”

And finally, there’s Roy Orbison’s “Crying,” which Aiken performs as a duet with singer and Broadway star Linda Eder, whom he asked to sing with him not only because of her “beautiful, crystal-clear voice,” but also because of her star turn as the ingénue in Broadway’s Jekyll and Hyde. While in high school, Aiken auditioned for a county showcase with that show’s signature song: “This Is The Moment.” “I ended being one of the only soloists in the county who got to sing for this big performance,” he recalls. It was on the very same stage, Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium, where Aiken taped a live concert special for PBS that will air in June.

It’s just another way that Tried and True feels like a king of homecoming, seven years after launching his career journey on American Idol. After winning over millions of viewers with his phenomenal voice and down-home charm, Aiken parlayed his success into full-fledged stardom. He has sold more than six million copies worldwide of his four albums: the double-platinum Measure of A Man (featuring the hits “Invisible” and “This is the Night”), 2004’s platinum holiday CD Merry Christmas With Love, 2006’s gold-certified A Thousand Different Ways, and 2008’s On My Way Here — all of which debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard chart. In addition, Aiken has launched nine live tours, made the New York Times best-seller list by co-authoring the inspirational memoir Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music In Your Life, executive produced and starred in his first TV special, A Clay Aiken Christmas, and won several American Music and Billboard Music Awards — all while donating a significant amount of his time to such charities as his own foundation, National Inclusion Project and acting as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. In January 2008, Aiken made his Broadway debut in the role of Sir Robin in the Tony Award-winning musical Monty Python’s Spamalot.

While admitting Broadway is "a challenge" he'd love to tackle again, Aiken considers the small screen his second home and has made numerous television appearances as both guest and host. He was a correspondent for The Insider for the 2005 Emmy Awards, co-hosted The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet and Live with Regis and Kelly, both in 2006, appeared on the sit-com Ed (2004) and legendary soaps All My Children (2005) and Days of Our Lives (2006). He also made a guest appearance on the comedies Scrubs (2006) and 30 Rock (2009). Popular among late-night talk-show hosts, Aiken has made memorable appearances on Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, Larry King Live, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He has a particular bond with Jimmy Kimmel, guesting on Jimmy Kimmel Live! multiple times, usually participating in skits that allow him to show his comedic side. Two years ago, Aiken’s whole world changed when he became a father for the first time. In June, he will launch his first tour since his son Parker’s August 2008 birth: a co-headlining jaunt with good friend Ruben Studdard. The “Timeless” tour, in which the two will perform renditions of classic hits from the past five decades, kicks off on July 23rd in Asheville, NC, and takes in 17 venues across the U.S. through mid-August. “To be able to share the stage with Ruben again is so exciting,” Aiken says. “He is such a talented artist. He inspires me daily and I think that respect and admiration will truly be reflected in our show.”

“Timeless” tour-goers will no doubt be delighted with the classics that appear on Tried and True. “I’ve done well with adult audiences in the past,” Aiken says, “whereas my past albums have been about trying to sing songs just because they might appeal to Top 40 radio, this album is a chance to do what I want to do: Sing songs that I think are great and not try to put a square peg in a round hole."

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Thanks for bringing those over Merrrieee; I think they did a good job...love that there is something new everyday!

Kim

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as well as arrangers Chris Walden, Jesse Vargas, and Ben Cohn

I'm glad to read Jesse Vargas was involved in this CD. I always liked his arrangements and the piano playing he did for Clay's tours.

Me too! I especially loved his Christmas tour arrangements, like the "jazzy medley."

Thanks for all of your amazing screen caps. I keep going back and looking at them. Lots. :flirtysmile3::flirtysmile3:

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I love the Bio and Press Release...love that Clay is talking about his singing roots and even mentioning his bio Dad. I love how he honored the original singers of the songs by talking about their talent and how good the songs are and by recording them so that others can remember them or hear them for the first time.

Kim

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