#58: The man is made of awesome!

[wandacleo]

I just booked rooms for Chicago. I seriously need to go through the sofa cushions and look under the bed for loose change. LOL.

I suppose we'll all be standing in line all day waiting for the theater to open! That means on top of everything else, I need to save money to buy that IPad to keep me busy all day!

What I do for Clay....

[cindilu2]

Taking a quick Report Card break...

Quite amazing what Pink pulled together! Oh to have been a fly on the wall in the studio there yesterday!

I was able to copy the entire WTTW chat in it's entirety, so that I can actually read the whole thing sometime when I'm less busy... hopefully next weekend. Would you guys like me to post it here somewhere? It's obviously quite long.

Or did somebody else already get it copied and posted somewhere?

It does have everybody's names as they entered them on the chat, so Cindilu2's full name etc... , so maybe somebody would wanna go through it and delete out last names first? I dunno.

You might want to check with Pink Armchair first (unless it's posted elsewhere) as she did say at one point she wasn't sure the chat was permitted to be re-posted. In any case I'd rather not have my full name posted anywhere.

[Carolina Clay]

I had a time with the new Carolina On My Mind blog, but it is loaded with recaps. Hope you enjoy!

Since some of you are quoted -- some asked, some not -- you may want to locate your part. I grouped several together and hope I credited all. Aikim was nice enough to let me use parts of her recap. Wanda, I never did ask you for permission about "the cave," but I figured you wouldn't mind. I just read your piggy bank post here and may have to augment your segment.

As always, thank you for your visits and comments. Apparently this is a "hot topic" because I notice on the "live feed" that people are SEARCHING for "Clay Aiken Special on PBS." Kewl!

I notice in Pink's post that I may need to clarify the phone number/extension/hours for the Chicago concert. Pink, kudos to you and thnx for all your hard work! :clap:

Have a great evening, all! I am off to locate a wine bottle ...

Caro

[cagney1950]

I realize I am way behind with song of the day and at least want to do Misty.

When i first heard the rendition through the facebook link, it hit me that this was a different kind of song than i am used to hearing from Clay. It doesn't build to a crescendo or even a mini crescendo-it has the same kind of pacing and dynamics pretty straight through. I like it for this song very much and if I ever have the guts to call in a request for Sleepy Hollow (a Sunday morning program of eclectic mix of music on xpn.org-an alternative music station) this would be the song i would choose. I think Clay sounds absolutely gorgeous on this song. I love how he sings "just what I want you to do." A very good song-I just don't think of Johnny Mathis as much as I thoughtI might.

Tomorrow i will tackle Mack the Knife-probably my favorite song on the album.

[aikim]

Don't forget Clay will be on Sirius Sinatra some time today...I believe CV is planning on streaming it.

7 Days until Clay is Bringing Broadway Home to NC!

24 Days until Clay is addressing The Key Club Convention!

39 Days until The Timeless Tour Begins!

Happy Birthday to all celebrating!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[ldyjocelyn]

Good morning everyone! Back to work people! LOL!

Thank you all for your contributions to the song of the day. I enjoy reading all your thoughts! Today's song is:

It's Impossible

[keepingfaith]

Randomitis: Yesterday I took my most gorgeous and precious granddaughter shopping, and I was jamming out Mack the Knife on the car stereo. Maybe because it was murderous hot in Houston. Anyway, I parked, got out, and the BMW passing me in the parking lot was blaring Sinatra's NY NY. It was a moment of pure retro, and maybe a sign of the times?

My granddaughter is so much fun, and so sweet. When she was four and visited, she wanted to go to the candy store and to Toy R Us:

When she and my grandson visited a few years later, they wanted to go to the Astros game:

This time she shows up looking like this:

I asked her what she wanted to do Saturday and she said, "Before anything, I want to see Nana and Papa." Awwwwwwww:

Pardon my indulgence here, but I'm really proud of her, and not because she has physical gifts, or a brilliant mind, but because she's so kind and caring at 16. She was just wonderful with my mom and dad. When we went to eat, she was holding my mother's hand, and flirting with my 90 year old dad, which made his year!

[FearofH2O]

Before I get to my second favorite song,II, word about MTK. Clay's version is boppy and catchy but we used to listen to The Threepenny Opera frequently on vinyl. That version is dark and moody, so I'm listening to Clay's version as a different song. I really enjoy him singing this in person as he did little movements to the music at the taping and I can't see it on the cd.

[Carolina Clay]

Here is Scarlett's story about working the pledge phones in Chicago Saturday night. She sent it to Perma and me via email and asked that we post it here, among other boards. It's also now on her FB wall:

I know but I wasn't online very much last week because there was a ton of things I had to finish before the weekend. I worked overnight on Wednesday and until 3 am on Friday just to make it...so I ended up seeing him after having slept only on the plane and that's not a good thing because everything just melds into mushy goodness.

I will say though, that he was everything we remember and more -- witty, charming, funny, sometimes forgetful (like he had to ask Nancy beside me what the bonus songs were and Nancy paused so I ended up naming them after which he immediately turned and started talking about them onscreen -- Nancy and I were aghast because what if we'd given him the wrong titles!!!) but that's Clay for you and there he was just like always, simply oozing charisma and scrumptious goodness everywhere he turned.

Normally, I'm one of those who can keep their heads when all about them are losing theirs but then he started talking to Michelle on my other side about being 'local' and although my brain kept saying to me, go tell him you're local too, just not here in Chicago, i couldn't get it out in time. Thank goodness I was off-screen for most of the night although the corner of my laptop seemed to have pretty good air time. I'm going to attempt a real recap later but if you'd care to post this on NNHB or CH/CV it can travel.

I added Pink's pix to the Carolina blog. Thnx to all who have visited.

Aspiegirl has a new montage, but it got blocked at YouTube; so she's investigating Yahoo. :bananajive:

Have a great day, all!

Caro

[liney23]

Randomitis: Yesterday I took my most gorgeous and precious granddaughter shopping, and I was jamming out Mack the Knife on the car stereo. Maybe because it was murderous hot in Houston. Anyway, I parked, got out, and the BMW passing me in the parking lot was blaring Sinatra's NY NY. It was a moment of pure retro, and maybe a sign of the times?

My granddaughter is so much fun, and so sweet. When she was four and visited, she wanted to go to the candy store and to Toy R Us:

When she and my grandson visited a few years later, they wanted to go to the Astros game:

This time she shows up looking like this:

I asked her what she wanted to do Saturday and she said, "Before anything, I want to see Nana and Papa." Awwwwwwww:

Pardon my indulgence here, but I'm really proud of her, and not because she has physical gifts, or a brilliant mind, but because she's so kind and caring at 16. She was just wonderful with my mom and dad. When we went to eat, she was holding my mother's hand, and flirting with my 90 year old dad, which made his year!

keeping... she's beautiful, apparently inside as well. Kewl! I babysat my son's three this weekend and the oldest was 13 in March. Also of a sudden his voice has changed and he looks so grownup, like a young man... and I just saw him 3 weeks ago. LOL

couchie... the concert in Chicago is definitely not sold out and since there are no more show until August, I think you could most likely still get a ticket when your ship comes in. Just save the pledge phone number somewhere handy and you're set.

[gbmifan]

It Impossible, even though he sounds great and has a few lines that gives me chills, is one of my least favorite on the CD. I do appreciate the fact that he sings it well. For some reason I do not remember the original. I was probably young at the time but remember most of the other songs that are on the CD from hearing them when I got older.

[keepingfaith]

There are days when It's Impossible is my favorite on the CD and I think this is one of those days. I don't remember this song at all before Clay sang it at the Gala, but that doesn't surprise me because in 1970 I was listening to The Doors, The Moody Blues, Led Zeppelin, CSN etc. etc. et al. That I don't remember a Perry Como song is easy to accept.

On this song, I love Clay's voice, his phrasing, the classy embellishments, the flugelhorn, the sexy slow dance in the moonlight quality, just all of it. Short and sweet -- I'll love this song forever.

[aikim]

Clay on Sirius Sinatra Radio being streamed on CV...so far songs played...Baubles, Bangles and Beads, Frank Sinatra (from the Broadway Play Kismet; World on a String, Barry Manilow; It was a Very Good Year, Frank Sinatra). All songs are Clay's choices. He is being the DJ

Fun Fact: His Business Manager was Frank Sinatra's Business Manager.

Stormy Weather, Lena Horne

[aikim]

What Kind of Fool Am I - Clay Aiken (This is me!)

Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra (mentioned the Show on Broadway now about Frank)

Mack The Knife - Frank Sinatra

Summer Wind - Michael Buble

Autumn in New York - Frank Sinatra

Moon River - Clay Aiken

Moon River - Frank Sinatra

Feeling Good - Michael Buble

One For My Baby - Frank Sinatra

[00lsee]

While on a trip to Tennessee for my niece's wedding, my Clay-fan kid woke up one morning with 'Can't Take My Eyes Off of You' in her head. I asked where she heard it, if it had just been on the radio or something and she said 'no, it just 'popped into my head'. I laughed and told her that Clay sings that on his new album...and then we proceeded to torment my non-Clay fan kid with our own rendition of this song, especially belting out the chorus. No idea where she heard this song to know the words because she did not even know it was on Clay's album. Maybe from a movie?

I keep hoping some day, somehow, a song by Clay will be featured in a movie, even if just over the credits. This voice deserves to be heard, y'all!

Bwah! Just answered my own question. I bet it was in "

, sung (slightly off-key) by Heath Ledger, complete with marching band. She loves that movie! LOL

[cindilu2]

Sendspace for Playing Favorites. This is the program including the music. Frank's live version of Mack the Knife is pretty amusing (the ending). I thought it was a curious choice on Clay's part to play his and Frank's versions of Moon River back-to-back. Word of warning though - Clay plays two, yes two, songs by his friend Michael Buble *gag*

[cindilu2]

It Impossible, even though he sounds great and has a few lines that gives me chills, is one of my least favorite on the CD. I do appreciate the fact that he sings it well. For some reason I do not remember the original. I was probably young at the time but remember most of the other songs that are on the CD from hearing them when I got older.

Swear to god, I am not picking on you gbmifan, but your post cracked me up. He sounds great, gives you chills in parts and sings it well, but it's a least favorite. I'm looking forward to the review of one you love!

This one and WKOFAI compete for my favorites. This one generally edges into first because it's just so danged romantic and for some reason I think of it as 'their' song. 'Impossible' at 3:07 is to die for. And the line 'I would sell my very soul and not regret it' gets me every time. Especially the three-syllable 're ger et'. In hosting Playing Favorites, he lauds Frank Sinatra's way with phrasing. I think Clay is just as masterful in his interpretations - and he only gets better. This song is a prime example of that talent.

[aikim]

"Playing Favorites" is now in the vaults and CV and CH.

No offense to any fans here, but I could have done without the Michael Buble songs...he just sounds like a Frank Sinatra wannabe to me and I cannot imagine going to a full concert. Give me the original anytime.

Kim

[gbmifan]

I am not a MB fan either, I do not own any of his CD's but kinda like the song he has on the radio now, that is until one day on a long ride I heard it probably 5 times in 2 hours and grew sick of it.

Cindilu2 just wait to I get to one of my favorites! I think we did cover one and that was IOMB(love this song). Its Impossible, even though as I stated I love part of it, is just to slow for me. But if I keep listening maybe it will become one of my favorites.

[FearofH2O]

It's Impossible-

Clay puts so much feeling into the song. There is something about his voice and strings. He is simpatico with them. I listened to Perry Como's version of this song. That version had a lot of strings but being a baritone, he isn't in sync with them.

Maybe I'm just a cheek to cheek kind of gal, but this song and Clay's voice is just a big wow to me.

[keepingfaith]

To be honest, I'm not interested that much in what Clay's favorites are. I know that he's my favorite, and he's his own favorite, so we have that in common. I just refuse to listen to Buble, and I'm not much of a Sinatra fan either, although I do like some of the songs he recorded, including One For My Baby. When it comes to It Was A Very Good Year, no matter who sings it I dislike that song immensely and intensely. It's right up there in gross creepiness with Peggy Lee's Is That All There Is? Clay is entitled to have his preferences in music. So was Beethoven. Beethoven's 5th and 9th Symphonies are the gold standard of the greatest music ever written, yet Beethoven preferred his 7th. What was up with that??? I could care less that Beethoven preferred the 7th, or that Clay likes Buble's version of Feeling Good, when everybody knows that Nina Simone owns that song into eternity (don't they?). But then if it were my list, the Nina Simone on it would be Just In Time, so there you go.

[ldyjocelyn]

To be honest, I'm not interested that much in what Clay's favorites are.

And see, I am. I like knowing how his tastes compare to mine. Some of them I'll totally disagree with, but many of his choices, I was thrilled to hear. (Lena made me swoon...)

And yes, I'm in the minority around here, but I like Buble. He's not the vocalist Clay is, by a long shot. But I enjoy listening to the music he does, so I'll just take my Buble albums and sit in the corner by myself.

Nina Simone owns that song into eternity (don't they?). But then if it were my list, the Nina Simone on it would be Just In Time, so there you go.

Know the name, never heard her. Don't shoot me.

[merrieeee]

I was checking out the Siriusly Sinatra Forum and this was written by a senior member of the Forum, about Clay:

His stint on "Playing Favorites" was warm & personable. He also has a nice way with a ballad. Hope he has a long and successful career!

[Couch Tomato]

Awww.. LdyJ you don't have to sit in a corner. The radio station that they play at work has a few Buble songs in the rotation and I like them. He's fun and groovy LOL. I'm not a music expert but music moves people for different reasons and it's not always about the perfect note. In fact most of the time it isn't. For me, I've stopped trying to figure out what it is about Clay. I can't explain it - I just enjoy. Buble is playing the Coliseum (football stadium), 15 minutes from my house. I see the big electronic billboard every day as I ride past on Bart and what cracks me up is that his silhouette is in a pose that reminds me of one of Clay's poses from the IT tour.

I like to know what Clay likes so that I get to know Clay. It's not really about me or me liking what he likes or changing my mind because Clay likes something. Lord knows that hasn't worked with his tv shows - well except TAR. But I still love hearing what he likes and why. And even what he doesnt' like. When he said he couldn't listen to top 40 station for long that told me a great deal about him. It unwraps a little bit of the mystery. I found it interesting the first time he did something similar on the billboard show that his favorite song was some obscure ballad that even I hadn't heard of despite the song being by 2 of my favorite R&B artists. Of course 7 years later those artists have been squeezed out of my brain.. Patti Austin? Anita Baker? James Ingram? I can't remember LOL. I'm old.

I'm very happy to see Clay doing so much radio. I don't know that he'll ever have a presence but it's a good way to promote himself to an audience that may not otherwise hear him. I think he's easy to like. People just need to have the opportunity to hear him. i guess sat radio is the big thing now. Paying for radio is a concept I don't see myself embracing any time soon. Unless it's free and nobody told me.

I'm watching the show Treme and I swear I'm only watching for the great New Orleans music. The show is slow as molasses but the music is just a revelation.

[jmh123]

"It's Impossible" was an earworm for me from the first time we heard him do it on the GFI cellcert. I did know the song, but didn't have any particular feelings about it one way or another. I love his voice on this song--so lyrical and smooth. On this album, every song is a story and he makes me believe it and see it and feel it. Love it when he sings "ask a baby not to cry, it's just impossible" with a smile in his voice, and "hold you closer to me and not feel you going through me" is hawt. When he sings "sell my very soul and not regret it" and "if you asked me for the world somehow I'd get it" I believe him. I love the horn on this one, and the guitar counterpoint, especially at the end when it's the three of them as a trio: Clay, the horn, and the guitar. So this one is one of my six or 8 of 10 most favorites.

Catch up--"What Kind of Fool am I"--I heart his deep voice on "what" and "who." So resonant! This song is slower than previous versions I've heard, I think. It's a teeny bit like "talk singing," and very poignant. It makes me think of Lover All Alone and Lonely No More, and again, I believe him. I have a feeling this one is a particular favorite of his. Love the way he says "kiss." When he changes up the melody a little on the first "what kind of fool I am," it creates an emphasis on that phrase that makes me believe it. Then the horns start to swing, and the song speeds up and gets more upbeat, more energetic, more urgent. I love the "cry" on the "why can't I" at the end. Someone already mentioned the way he gets loud, then soft at the end, instead of doing a loud final glory note that's typical in other versions--I think it's very effective also. The horn solo is magnificent on this, and also the little melody from Sanborn at the end, and the resonance of the sound of it on the last few notes.

Woo hoo, now I'm only three songs behind. I can do it!