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#58: The man is made of awesome!


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35 members have voted

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

    • Clay Aiken can still curl my toes
      8
    • Clay Aiken = happy sigh
      1
    • I'm a satisfied Clay fan
      0
    • He's still beautiful, sings beautifully and he's still OURS
      2
    • He's made of awesome wrapped in fabulous with a little more awesome sprinkled on top!!
      5
    • Forget life -- It's Clay time!
      19


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From Pink Armchair at CV, more info about the WTTW broadcast and pledge tomorrow night:

Hi, everyone...I'm scrambling at the moment, but I just wanted to say this: I'm not sure if the DVD is the same that will eventually be sold on Amazon, but I'm almost certain that if you pledge for it, you will get it before you would if you ordered it from Amazon. As I understand it, the CD that is being offered will have a special bonus track of "Build Me Up Buttercup" that was specially mixed by Decca for PBS. (That's what I was told, anyway...hope I'm right) And for the first time, pledgers will be offered the option of a physical CD or a digital download. I think the operators that night will have better info.

I will post Saturday's phone number (and also some other information!) later today or this evening, but here's the deal: yes, I did say that it's most important to pledge to your local station in August, but obviously the program has to do well here tomorrow for many stations to pick it up. So if you can afford to do both, great. Even a token $20 to WTTW would be helpful and much appreciated! (And it will look fantastic on camera to see all those phones going crazy in back of Clay, too.)

I'll try to check back here and answer questions, but it might not be until later! Thank you so much for your help and support on this.

WTTW Clay Aiken pledge page

You can get the CD (regular version) for a pledge of $55; the DVD for $75; and the DVD plus the Deluxe version of TnT for $125.

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Mack The Knife...was not my favorite on AI...I actually cringed when he came out in the tux and started to sing...just was so lounge lizard to me...so I wasn't too thrilled when I heard it was going to be on the CD but since he only sang part of it on AI and this was going to be the whole song...I was willing to give it a chance.

I love the opening so jazzy and it gets your toes tapping, but honestly, for me..it doesn't live up that opening...I just don't get that Clay is really feeling the song. He sings love songs so wonderfully and for me this one just fell short. I don't hate it, but I don't love it and honestly, for me, Mack the Knife will always be a Bobby Darin song. If he was going to cover Bobby Darin...I would have much preferred "Beyond The Sea".

Kim

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PBS PLEDGE INFORMATION FOR TOMORROW NIGHT!

Since I have managed to collect all my information, I decided to go ahead and post this on the boards now, instead of waiting until tomorrow.

As you know, Clay’s big PBS premiere is fast approaching! I can hardly believe it -- I bet you can’t, either. I wanted to give you some specific information about the broadcast and how you can pledge.

TIME: 7:00-9:00 pm CDT, tomorrow, Saturday, June 12. (5:00 PDT, 6:00 MDT, 8:00 EDT)

PHONE NUMBER: 1 (773) 588-1111

LIVE BREAK TIMES WHEN WE WOULD LOVE SOME CALLS:

---Break #1: 7:20-7:28 pm CDT

---Break #2: 7:48-7:58 pm CDT

---Break #3: 8:16-8:28 pm CDT

During these times if he is inclined and as others have done, Clay might circulate and pick up some calls from people who pledge. You can call starting a minute or so before 7:20 and throughout the broadcast (and afterward), but calls during these breaks will be especially welcome!

THANK YOU GIFTS:

---Tried & True CD with a PBS-exclusive audio track, which I believe is “Build Me Up Buttercup” -- $55 (physical CD or digital download -- I think the digital download has the additional track, ask when you call)

---Tried & True DVD -- $75

---Tried & True CD (physical or digital) and DVD together -- $125

---SPECIAL CHICAGO PREMIUM -- $250. For all you lurkers out there and for others who haven’t heard about it, I guess it's time to put this out there: on October 14th, Clay has agreed to do a special, one-night only, intimate benefit concert here in Chicago at a 650-seat (accessible) venue. Seating is general admission. If that sounds good to you, please join us at the $250 dollar level! You can only pledge for this by phone, as they have to track the numbers.

Yes, we will ship to Canada. And you can group all your pledges into one call – you don’t have to call a bunch of times. They don’t care about the number of calls (we hope there are a lot, though!), only the final amount.

LIVE CHAT: I will be hosting a live chat from the studio tomorrow evening from 7-9 pm. I thought it would be fun to provide those of you not in our viewing area with a play-by-play of what’s going on, take questions, and give you an opportunity to participate in the event. The URL for that is www.wttw.com/clay. If you would like to pledge for the CD and DVD online, there are links to do it from that page, and you don’t have to participate in the chat if you’d rather not.

AND FINALLY…

Obviously, many of you are not going to be able to pledge here AND at your local station. That’s fine. I’m sure your local station will appreciate your donation in August. However, as I’ve said before, it’s vitally important that Clay’s special make a good showing in its debut airing. So anyone who can pledge even a token amount ($20, $30, etc.) to WTTW that evening will be much appreciated. It will certainly show the rest of the PBS system who are scheduling their August pledge drives right now that there’s a lot of interest in this program! And there’s nothing that communicates that better than a lot of buzz and phones ringing when the hosts and guest are live on camera.

A huge, HUGE thanks in advance to everyone who can make a pledge, large or small, tomorrow night! Supporting this program will give the rest of the PBS system confidence that Clay can do equally well for them, and obviously helps WTTW tremendously, too.

Again, THANK YOU!

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I am very excited about the special tomorrow night, but unfortunately I won't be able to pledge anything...between the two concerts I am going to and the trip to Ashville and my huge eyeglass bill I am afraid my credit card is tapped out. I also will not be able to make the special concert Clay is doing...just a little too much for me. But I count myself fortunate that I will be able to see him this summer. It will be so great to see him on TV and see these songs performed live!

Kim

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I really enjoy Clay's version of MTK altho' I miss Bobby Darin's "EE!" after "body just oozing life." :yow: When Clay did this on AI2, I thought it was a trap even tho' Paula said she chose it coz she felt he could do it -- then Clay came out finger-popping and cool as a cucumber and sang the fool out of it.

When he sings "the shark has pretty teeth,dear," I wanna sing "You do tooo" LOL and I love when he gets into the sassy part about the wimmens lining up for Mack -- "Tawdry-EEEE!" Naturally that last lonnnnnng note leaves me going :yess::Thud::tasty:

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From getclayaiken:

And, Clay will mentioned in Parade Magazine this Sunday.

Small blurb and nice pic from the David Foster thing last fall

Q What's new with Clay Aiken? Will he be touring soon in the Western states?--Nancy Mack, Meridian, Idaho

A What's new with Aiken is old: On his latest album, Tried and True, he covers classics like "Misty" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You." "These melodies are immediately recognizable and timeless," says Clay, 31. "They're much more enjoyable for me to sing than new stuff that folks don't know." He'll be touring this summer (including a stop in Reno, Nev.) with former American Idol adversary Ruben Studdard.

----

I know I skipped Misty, but I've gotta come in with some comments on Mackie. aikim, I hear the opposite of you -- I think Clay really gets into character with this song. I love the "story" aspect of it, even it is about a murderer!

I'm dearly in love with "down a river goin' slow" (see location designation), but I'm also dearly in love with the one "bay-bee" that goes high on the second syllable.

OK, off to order pizza -- with scarlett billows, just oozing life. *g*

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I like Clay's "Mack the Knife." Not my favorite, but I like it. It's easy, upbeat and jazzy.

Not at all what Brecht wrote about. He was probably the darkest playwright of his era, and there were some pretty bleak plays written then. Weill was pretty true to his vision, Bobby Darin - not so much.

For me, the definitive version has always been Louis Armstrong, who I had the pleasure of seeing in concert in my youth. The rasp and grit in his voice were perfect for the sleazy world Brecht's characters inhabited.

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I think I will never hear Clay sing Mack the Knife again and not instantly be transported back to that night in Raleigh and the incredible feeling of watching that curtain go up and seeing him standing there with his back to the audience - striking a pose and a mood that would carry right through the evening and beyond. Incredible! For that alone, this song holds a special place in my heart now.

The CD version is fun and it makes my head bop and my fingers snap. Vocally, he's amazing and he can still surprise me after seven years. I don't think there's a song on the cd that suffers in comparison to (currently) more famous versions. Certainly not this one.

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Just saw Clay on Access Hollywood...he got bleeped again! :cryingwlaughter: BF is getting quite a potty mouth, LOL! Asked about the first time he was asked if he was gay and said it scared the shit out of him because he didn't know himself. It was a great interview and looked good!

You can view it here: http://www.accesshollywood.com/why-did-clay-aiken-come-out-of-the-closet_video_1233719

Kim

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I really enjoy Clay's version of MTK altho' I miss Bobby Darin's "EE!" after "body just oozing life." :yow: When Clay did this on AI2, I thought it was a trap even tho' Paula said she chose it coz she felt he could do it -- then Clay came out finger-popping and cool as a cucumber and sang the fool out of it.

When he sings "the shark has pretty teeth,dear," I wanna sing "You do tooo" LOL and I love when he gets into the sassy part about the wimmens lining up for Mack -- "Tawdry-EEEE!" Naturally that last lonnnnnng note leaves me going :yess::Thud::tasty:

Agree with you on thinking this was a trap, especially when Paula said about lounge singer. I do think they picked this song to even the playing field since I will always believe that Clay was so far ahead of everyone else that he could have mopped the floor with all of them combined. I wasn't crazy about the suit on him since it seemed too big, but he was amazing singing it. However, I do love the cd version better. MTK was not one of my favorites from AI, even though he sang the snot out of it but I am really getting into the cd version.

As far as Bobby Darin, until recently, I'd never heard him sing. He was just a name that I knew was a singer and married to Sandra Dee, and I think died young, but that was it. So I have no attachment to his version, and to be honest, after seeing his version on youtube recently, I don't think I would have been a fan. As a matter of fact, other than Elvis and Roy Orbison, I wasn't really a fan of any of the original artist's on this cd.

And on the song Misty, does anyone else hear a part somewhere in the middle that reminds them of a cd skipping? I keep hearing something and it bugs me. I like the song except for that part because it throws me each time.

:thbighug-1: Couchie. Do you think we think alike because we are so similar, like Clay and Ruben?

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The AH interview is in the vault at CV, I believe it is a longer than what was online.

Kim

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I am very excited about the special tomorrow night, but unfortunately I won't be able to pledge anything...between the two concerts I am going to and the trip to Ashville and my huge eyeglass bill I am afraid my credit card is tapped out. I also will not be able to make the special concert Clay is doing...just a little too much for me. But I count myself fortunate that I will be able to see him this summer. It will be so great to see him on TV and see these songs performed live!

Kim

I've never been had the self pity gene but not being able to pledge for the chicago concert is freaking killing me. My car broke down and so now I can't even pledge enough for the DVD. Sigh. The bad part is that in 2 month I'm getting a big ass check and could actually go do the Chicago show and spend time in Chicago, a city I've never been to. I didn't feel like this when I missed the PBS special taping but damn I'm really trying here not to pout.

I don't like Mack the Knife. I know this is one of Clay's "signature" songs but I've just never liked it, from anyone. So he's now 2000 to 2, Mandy being the other one. He's made me like every other song under the sun.

Today I went to my nephew's commencement. He's going to Middle School! He has spent the last 7 years at this Montessori school and it's such a wonderful school. The kid/teacher ratio this school year was 4 to 1. Can you imagine that? One teacher for every four students? He's sharp as a whip too. So now he leaves his cocoon to go to a slightly larger cocoon. LOL My sister considered public school but finally settled on a Catholic school. Public schools here suck. There was lots of tears and laughter and singing at the ceremony. And the last song of the day was I Will Be Here. It wasn't Clay's version but in my head it was and it made me very emotional. Clay really has been a soundtrack to my life since 2003. I just love that voice.

And I have to say I'm realling loving the hair and him this promotional go round. He looks fabulous.

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Congrats on your nephew's graduation Couchie...believe me I feel your pain, but I have to count my blessings, I will see Clay twice this summer and since I have not seen him since 2007 I am very excited and feel very fortunate. Going to be a fun summer of Clay!

Kim

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Speaking of soundtrack, today I was at the store for about 15 minutes and while there I heard Rosanna, followed by Kyrie, both by the original artists. I thought WOW two songs Clay sang that make me think of HIM, not them, and the third song was ... This Is The Night. Now can that be coincidence? It made me all gooey inside.

I watched my DVR of Access Hollywood today and they did a promo of Clay Aiken's interview, which they said will be on "tomorrow" and whether that's Saturday or Monday I'm not sure. The promo shown was with him discussing Ricky Martin and Elton John, which aren't on either the online interview or the vaulted one. He looks wonderful in what I've seen. I remember when fans were up in arms because he said crap and crotch. Now we're up to shit and asshole, and he threw in a damn for good measure. It's a brand new world.

I never cared for Mack The Knife when Bobby Darin did it. I was a kid and a big fan of Splish Splash and Dream Lover, old Mackie wasn't anything I could relate to. But .... I was bitch-slapped by that monster note that he sang on Idol. It blew my "shit" away. In fact, it flat out stunned me. I knew at that moment he was going to be a star forever. So, I rather enjoy the song now for what it represents for Clay, in my mind. I knew a few people who weren't fans of Clay on Season 2 until that stunning last note of Mack the Knife that filled the room and went on forever. For me that song is primarily connected to Clay Aiken. You better lock your doors and call the law, babe, Clay Aiken's back in town singing about Macheath!

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I have a store/stock report for those interested. I took #4 granddaughter around to look for sunglasses and beach towels in advance of her Cancun vacation, and to pick up a few goodies for #2 granddaughter arriving for a short visit tomorrow. First to Walmart and there were three regular copies of T&T in the alpha bin in front of his name card. I moved one to the New Release rack (if Susan Boyle is still a new release, Clay needs to be up there), purchased one, and went on my way to Target. I was really disturbed to find no Tried and Trues at Target -- nothing on the wall, and although there were name cards in the alpha bin for both the Regular and Deluxe CDs, it was empty. This really ticked me off, so I continued with the shopping, but had I been there on my own I would have left the store in disgust. On heading to check out later I walked right in front of the New Releases rack at the front of the CD section and, glory be, there it was, fully stocked. I was so excited I had to buy another one. He just looks so forlorn on that cover I have to pick him up and take him home. I wonder if this is a potential problem?

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From experience, I can tell you that yes, it is a potential problem. Random CDs jump into my cart when I see them sitting forlornly on the shelf, and have for the past 7 years. cryingwlaughter.gif

So I wonder how thrilled Clay is that Access Hollywood used a papparazzi photo of Parker in their lead in? whistling-1.gif I love Clay's answers but I hope there was more to that interview that we haven't seen yet (and I hope most of it doesn't end up on the cutting room floor).

Mack The Knife....never my favourite song, in fact had never heard the full lyrics until the Raleigh concert (and therefore had no idea he screwed them up royally on the first take!) On Idol I wasn't crazy about it, didn't like the song choice, but loved Clay's delivery. At the concert it was one of those "blown away" moments that took me by surprise, and I was so so happy at the end when he announced he was going to sing it again. I was in such a daze the first time that I totally missed the whole entrance with his back to the audience thing. I am looking forward to reliving that moment on the PBS special/DVD. On the CD, I love it, it gets me bopping, but the lyrics are kind of creepy. Heh.

Crazy, busy weekend ahead. So many things I am hoping to do, let's hope the weather cooperates! Calling for thunderstorms. Son #2 is flying the coop. He is moving out with his g/f (big step) so he has a truck coming about 9 a.m. for his furniture. So I'm helping then heading over to check out the new digs after that. There is the annual rhubarb festival close by (waves to heinz!) and also an Olympic celebration for Virtue & Moir up in Scott's hometown (just north of here). And the usual weekend, catch up stuff. What would we do without weekends? I just wish they were longer! Have a good one everyone!

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KeepingfaithI am with you. I went to the Kmart in town, who has a very limited suppy in all CD's, and looked around and could not find him in new releases and no name card. All of a sudden I saw one lonely CD just sitting by itself on the shelf. I still do not know how it got into my cart!!

MTK - Not my favorite but there are parts of the song that I do love how Clay's sings it. I can not even remember how the Bobby Darren version sounded.

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:GM_FCA:

Tonight's the Night! So looking forward to the PBS Special and seeing Clay live in the Studio..I promise I will take notes and post as much as I can!

Luckiest1I believe the AH interview that aired is longer than what was online...it is the vault at CV and CH and at CU.

9 Days until Clay is Bringing Broadway Home to NC!:yahoo:

26 Days until Clay is addressing The Key Club Convention:yahoo:

41 Days until The Timeless Tour Begins!:09:

Happy Birthday to all celebrating!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

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KAndre, your stories always crack me up! Sorry to hear about your surgery, hopefully you won't be wearing a nose-cover when you go to a concert! ETA: Maybe a nose-cover with bling?

kf, I'm sooooo sorry you're not going to Reno. I was looking forward to spending time with you.

couchie, too bad about the car. And I understand your feeling -- I went through a period like that when I thought I wouldn't be able to see the first round of Spamalot. But then, silly me, I found the time and money. You'll get your chance. (Besides, you've had a M&G. I'm jealous.)

Whoohoo for luckiest1 son!

aikim, I'll be looking forward to your reports tonight. Between you and the live chat they're having, I should be good to go!

Busy weekend for me too. My husband and I leave for a working vacation to Washington, DC next week. The actual vacation is first, and then we're part of the librarian's convention. We don't get back until the end of June! (I'll have the laptop, but I'll also be relying on text messages for any good Clay updates!) Anyway, today is housecleaning day. I don't think that I'm the only one that has to leave the house CLEAN before leaving it for over a week!

I hadn't really listened to the lyrics of Mack the Knife until the other day, when I was posting them. IMO it's a bizarrely lyrical poem -- anachronistic is so many ways. And yet, I feel Clay does a great job with them. I've always enjoyed the vibe of the song, so Clay doing it makes it so much richer for me.

BTW -- SIX key changes in the song. SIX. Love that.

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:GM_FCA:

I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep, so I got up and worked on the Chicago T&T LIVE blog: Carolina On My Mind. Hope y'all enjoy. Many thnx for your visits and comments.

Sally retweeted me, so the info is at least in the Clay Aiken column (all of mine go into "All Friends" no matter what I do!), and the post is working its way down the Facebook page. There is much excitement for this concert tonight even among those of us who can't see it! :yahoo:

Looking forward to your reports, aikim! :snoopy:

Y'all continue to write wonderful reviews of the songs. Is anyone putting them in a special place? I am so behind. :clay:

th_thbirthdaygreet.gif?t=1276359600to justclay12!

Have an awesome day, all! :twinklewhore:

Caro :listen:

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