Mr. Aiken, can you let it go??

During the American Idol days, second runner up Clay Aiken was judge by Simon Cowell and based on his performance Simon Cowell told him that he could do well on Broadway. He was often criticized for the over the top facial expressions he used. Even Randy at one point characterized them as "theatrical". Simon was not being rude or insulting. He was simply stating that the kind of performances he was offering were theatrical in nature. He never said he couldn't sing, he never said he had no talent, he simply said that his performance was worth of a Broadway stage. Unfortunately, Mr. "I'm too big for this planet" took it as an insult because he felt he was a good enough singer to be a pop star, but forgot to leave the theatrics at home whenever he sang on stage.

The comment Simon made must have really dug a knife into his overinflated ego because TO DATE, he hasn't been able to let go and every opportunity he gets, he brings it up. The irony of it is that at the time Clay Aiken was pissed by the implication he should do Broadway and his lemmings followed through by harassing anyone who mentioned the "B" word. He took it as an insult because I guess, he must have felt Broadway was beneath him for Simon to even suggest he looked in said directions.

Ahhhhhhh, but Karma, the magnificent biatch, had a little trick up her sleeve for Clayton and next we knew he was doing Broadway and loving it!! So, why make this comment then?
So often the judges on Idol will use 'Broadway' as an insult for a singer's performance. But I think there's more talent onstage here at the Shubert Theatre than in all of the music industry.
http://www.tdf.org/TDF_Article.a...cle.aspx? id=203


Clay Aiken is ASSuming the judges use the comment as an insult because to him, saying you need to be on Broadway was an insult (at the time, apparently not any more). The judges suggesting Broadway to participants only mean to let them know they have a better chance of success in said venue given the performance they offered during the contest. What's wrong with the truth? Never mind, I forget he prefers lies.

Now he believes there's more talent onstage at the Shubert, but why not say in the entire Broadway scene? Well Duh! because he's at the Shubert silly goose! So as you can see, he never loses the opportunity to prop himself since no one else does it anymore for him.

I suggest Mr. Clay Aiken, that you let go off the Broadway comment outrage because you are making a fool out of yourself. Now that you're in Broadway rather than telling Simon to kiss your butt, it is YOU who need to kiss HIS butt because he saw what a lot of people saw, but you were to friggin' arrogant and up on a high almighty cloud to see he was being prophetic because Simon DOES know what the hell he's talking about. Mr. Aiken, why can you let it go?

Clay Aiken Records Covers on His CD of "New" Songs

Clay Aiken Records Covers on his CD of "New" Songs


Clay Aiken is releasing a new CD, “On My Way Here”
that is being promoted as the American Idol
runner-up’s first album of original songs since
2003. Excerpts from official press release:

“EAGERLY AWAITED COLLECTION IS THE POP SUPERSTAR'S
FIRST ALBUM OF ORIGINAL SONGS SINCE 2003”

“The collection is the 29-year-old Raleigh, NC,
native's first album of original songs since his 2003
chart-topping, double- platinum debut Measure of a
Man.”

http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20080404/NYF06404042008-1.html

Contrary to this press release, there are 4 (possibly
5) covers that have been recorded on the CD, in
addition to the song “Lover All Alone” an original
song that was previously recorded and released on
iTunes in 2006 as a bonus track for Clay's last CD.
These are the covers on Clay's new CD, "On My Way
Here", songs that have been previously recorded on CDs
that have been released, sometimes by more than one
artist.

1. “The Real Me” is composed by Natalie
Grant and was recorded on her album “Awaken”,
which was released in March, 2005. The CD and single
are available on iTunes and Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Awaken-Natalie-Grant/dp/B0007PALDE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1206529718&sr=1-2

The song can be heard here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWQIsG9Rqw

Natalie Grant is a well-known Christian
Contemporary/Adult Contemporary Artist who has won
multiple Dove Awards for female vocalist of the year,
the most recent win in 2008. “The Real Me” was
released as a single to radio and according to
Mediabase, has 11,997 radioplays.

http://www.mmr247.com/mmrweb/Reports/Reg/EMD.asp?SOngID=1373080&NumDays=3

In a Q & A with Billboard magazine’s Chuck
Taylor, Clay failed to identify “The Real Me” as a
cover:

"Taylor: The Real Me" was written by Natalie Grant,
who comes from the Christian world but is popular at
AC. Her songs tend to explore life's challenges and
offer a positive spin.

Clay: We first looked at that song as one of
four originals on the last album. The thing I
love so much about "The Real Me" is that when I
listened to it, I thought, "It's about God." Jaymes
heard a romantic song. Other people think it's about
their mom. Everyone is able to take their own message.
Natalie was kind enough to change a little bit of the
lyric so that it fits my life even better.”

Since Clay’s last CD, “A Thousand Different
Ways”, was released in September, 2006, and
“The Real Me” was recorded on Natalie Grant’s CD
“Awaken” which was released in March, 2005,
it appears that Clay is mistaken in claiming that TRM
was ever an "original song" that he considered for
ATDW.

2. “As Long As We’re Here” has been
recorded by Brooke Morton on her album “I’m On My
Way” (2007). The album and the song are
still available on iTunes. Here’s a video of Brooke
singing ALAWH:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDe2HcYVNr0

“As Long As We’re Here” was also recorded
by Kristy Starling on her album “Kristy Starling”
(2003) that is available through Amazon and
iTunes.

http://www.amazon.com/Kristy-Starling/dp/B00008V633/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1206537404&sr=1-1

You can hear her rendition here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-mukqXC0Kk

3. “Grace of God” is written by Don
Mescall and can be heard on his myspace here:

http://www.myspace.com/donmescall

This is another cover of a song that was recorded on
his CD “Innocent Run” that was released in the
U.K. in May, 2006. The CD and single are
available for download from the U.K. iTunes and the CD
is available as an “import” from Amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Innocent-Run-Don-Mescall/dp/B000DNVNAK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1208386698&sr=1-1

”Grace of God” was also recorded by a U.K.
female trio called Hummingbird and released in the
U.K. on their CD “Tougher Than Love“, August,
2007. You can hear their version on their myspace
here:

http://www.myspace.com/hummingbirdmusic

The CD is available for sale from the U.K. Amazon
site:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tougher-Than-Love-Hummingbird/dp/B000QUUDOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1208388130&sr=8-1

4. "Something About Us" is a song by Michael
O'Brien, a CCM artist. The video of him singing this
song was uploaded by him and used to be at this URL,
with a note that a "DVD is to come":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsmXMAJC3do but it was
removed by user.

“Something About Us” is the title track of a CD
that Michael O’Brien released in 2007.

http://www.amazon.com/Something-About-Us-Michael-OBrien/dp/B000MRA6H8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1207540062&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Something-About-Us/dp/B000TPXBVG/ref=dmusic_cd_album?ie=UTF8&qid=1207540062&sr=1-3

The album and single are also available for download
from iTunes.

5. " Everything I Don't Need" has been
recorded before. On Kipper’s myspace there is a web
edit of an album “This is Different” that he
produced with different artists. You can hear a clip
of the song “Everything I Don’t Need” that
starts at around 2:09.

http://www.myspace.com/kippermusic

Also, this:

http://kippermusic.co.uk/works/

"KIPPER MUSIC
Producer co-writer Artiste
Album: This is Different

Brand new original album featuring guest performances
from Sting, Curtis Stigers, Dominic Miller, Richard
Marx, Jason Rebello, Judie Tzuke, Joy Rose & many
more. Available on iTunes soon. Go in to any B&O
store and ask to hear some tracks. "

It is not clear if this album was ever released to
iTunes.

So, it appears that Clay’s new CD is being
misrepresented as consisting of original songs, since
there are several covers of songs previously recorded
and released by other artists. Clay Aiken
misrepresent himself? Some things never change.

I want to thank the anonymous contributor who wrote this blog.

From Spamalot to Spinalot

Before I say anything, I need to give credit to the poster at JP's who penned the phrase "From Spamalot to Spinalot". I thought it was not only funny, but fitting. Thanks.


Just yesterday a new article came out from The Washington Post indicating that an investigation was launched regarding Mr. Clay Aiken and his attendance (or lack thereof) to the President's Committee for People With Intellectual Disabilities. This is nothing we were not aware of, as a matter of fact, we have diligently pointed out the same in many occasions and questioned his commitment to said appointment.

Reliable Source

By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts
Wednesday, February 27, 2008; Page C03

Clay Aiken, Playing Hooky

Sorry, Clay Aiken fans, the ugly whispers are true: Your boy has been shirking his civic duty.

An investigation by The Reliable Source found that the most successful "American Idol" runner-up in history has made it to only one of the quarterly meetings of the Presidential Committee for People With Intellectual Disabilities since he was appointed by George W. Bush a year and a half ago.

Our inquiry was launched after a raging debate broke out over edits to the singer's Wikipedia page. Aiken detractors -- who scoured an incomplete set of committee minutes posted online and found no reference to the crooner -- were branding him a no-show, drawing fierce push-back from Aiken partisans.

The Claymates argued that: (1) A friend of a friend is on the committee and says yuh-huh, Clay has so been going to meetings! (2) Maybe Clay keeps his name off the books to avoid getting mobbed by fans; and (3) Haters don't really know, do they?

But our investigation (i.e., we called and asked) found that the former special-ed teacher in fact has skipped six of the seven meetings since he was named to the panel in September 2006, not even opting to drop in via conference call. A rep for Aiken -- now on Broadway in "Spamalot" -- declined to comment.


As expected, we are pointed at as the "culprits" behind the investigation, but in all honesty I can't attest to the veracity of the accusation because I know what actions *I* take, but not that of others who post here. I didn't contact anyone concerning the failed attendance record, so I can't take credit for it, but whoever did, (FSer or not) has my most sincere congratulations. If the mats are all about honesty and integrity, I don't understand why would they object to The Washington Post's action?
Maybe because it exposes AGAIN, their idol's deceptive ways? Who knows?

What it's most amusing about the whole deal is the reaction of the mats. TWP has now been labeled as a "tabloid" therefore, they are to dismiss the article as "garbage" and now has joined the ranks of Newsweek, NY Magazine, and others who have written the truth about Mr. Clay Aiken which we all know are "garbage" media (*eye roll*). I also just learned from the mats that this committee appointment is not that important after all as they had made it out to be. Mr. Faiken is a "busy" individual who shouldn't be bothered with such pettiness as to care for individuals with disabilities when he has other more important things to do like pandering to his mats.

For the past few weeks the dutiful Claymats have been diligent about promoting and spreading the word about Spamalot, but their duties have shifted to what they are infamous and most adept at which is to SPIN-A-LOT. I'm afraid they will have to do a lot of it to try to "'splain" this one. Happing spinning Mats!