AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MARCH 25

[Pamela]

Aiken's 'The Way'/'Solitaire' CD single debuts at #1 in U.S. sales chart

By Wade Paulsen
03/24/2004

A CD-single debuting in the U.S. with six-figure sales? It must be the return of American Idol 2 runner-up Clay Aiken. Clay's new RCA CD single, 'The Way' (from his album Measure of a Man) b/w 'Solitaire' (a cover of a Neil Sedaka song, which Clay performed in an abridged version on American Idol 2), debuted at #1 on the Nielsen SoundScan U.S. Singles Sales chart for the week ended March 21, 2004. Interestingly, Clay's new CD-single is the first to sell over 100,000 copies in a week since ... Clay's last commercial CD-single, 'This Is The Night' b/w 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', which was the ONLY CD-single from 2003 to be certified platinum in the U.S. Clay thus ends the one-week reign of his roommate and fellow Idol 2 finalist Kimberley Locke atop the U.S. Single Sales charts with her debut Curb Records single '8th World Wonder'. Since Kimberley's single, like most U.S. #1s, sold fewer than 10,000 copies in its debut week, there was little doubt that her reign would be short-lived ... but the strong debut of Clay's single raises the possibility that he may have the best-selling CD-single of the year for two straight years. Although Idol 1 produced only one star, Kelly Clarkson, Kimberley's strong opening raises the possibility that all of the three finalists from Idol 2 (Kimberley, who finished third, Clay and winner Ruben Studdard) could become stars. We wonder what Simon Cowell would say about that. Meanwhile, we'll see whether Clay's continuing success at retail will translate into more airplay for 'The Way' and 'Solitaire' ... something which Clay's last (promo-only) single never managed but in which Ruben Studdard's last track 'Sorry 2004' ranked #1. Perhaps Clay and Ruben should record a duet, to garner both sales AND airplay...

REALITY TV WORLD

[Pamela]

Norah, Clay Command Charts

by David Jenison
Mar 24, 2004, 3:45 PM PT

It appears there's still no way to beat Norah and Clay. On the album sales charts, Norah Jones continued to fend off all contenders as Feels Like Home secured its sixth straight week at number one. Jones, who recently signed on for an upcoming Sesame Street appearance, finished the week ended Sunday selling another 147,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan numbers released today.  
Meanwhile, over on the singles chart, American Idol alumnus Clay Aiken set a new 2004 singles sales benchmark as "The Way/Solitaire" sold more than 100,000 copies to debut at number one. Aiken, who recently shot a video for "The Way" and is currently touring with original Idol champ Kelly Clarkson, will perform the song on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Thursday and on Saturday Night Live this weekend. Coincidently, Aiken's assent knocked off another Idol alum, Kimberly Locke, who held the spot last week with her first post-Idol single "8th Wonder."

E ON LINE

[Pamela]

Billboard Hot 100: Top 10

(Compiled from a national sample of sales reports collected, compiled and provided by SoundScan; radio playlists; and monitored radio by Broadcast Data Systems)

1. "Yeah!" Usher (feat. Ludacris & Lil Jon). Arista.
2. "One Call Away," Chingy (feat. J. Weav). Disturbing tha Peace.
3. "Tipsy," J-Kwon. So So Def.
4. "Solitaire," Clay Aiken. RCA.
5. "Hotel," Cassidy (feat. R. Kelly). Nick.
6. "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," Jay-Z. Roc-A-Fella.
7. "Splash Waterfalls," Ludacris. Disturbing Tha Peace.
8. "My Immortal," Evanescence. Wind-up.
9. "I Don't Wanna Know," Mario Winans (feat. Enya & P. Diddy). Bad Boy.
10. "This Love," Maroon5. Octone.

Funny how it's listed as just Solitaire...?!?

[Pamela]

MoaM's Soundscan tally for the week is 24,222, for total sales of 2,435,686 copies.  It's #47 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart, up from #57 last week.

CONGRATULATIONS CLAY!

[Pamela]

Clay will be in the May issue of Country Weekly magazine -
on sale April 27th.

COUNTRY WEEKLY

[Her]

WOOHOO!!!  Knew it would happen for OMC.  I wonder if that's a record 100,000 copies sold by the same artist consecutively?

GO CLAY!

Thanks for the info Pamela.

[Pamela]

Feat of Clay: How Clay Aiken lost on American Idol...and became a star

By Dianne Spoto Shattuck

Though it's only been a year since the world first began achin' for Aiken, it seems he's a real natural at the fame game. The North Carolina native appeared to be coming out of nowhere when he first sang on Fox TV's second edition of American Idol: The Search for a Superstar. Affectionately coined "the little guy with the big voice," Clay won the hearts of millions across the globe in a matter of months.
So much so that people forget he was actually the runner-up to grand-prize winner Ruben Studdard. But Clay may have won the larger prize - the hearts of a legion of fans. He has enjoyed a whirlwind year of success starting wit his debut single, "This is the Night," which made history by going number one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. His debut album Measure of a Man (RCA) is one of the best-selling pop albums of all time. Clay's hit "Invisible" (written by Desmond Child, page 19) has enjoyed repeated rotation on radio and spent most of last year at number one on MTV's TRL.
But that's just the beginning. Fellow American Idol pal Kelly Clarkson and Clay will co-headline a world tour this year. In between rehearsals and appearances, Clay took a moment to tell us about his crazy new life since American Idol and his addiction to McDonald's hamburgers.

Hi, Clay! How's it going?
I'm super-busy these days. I've been working on rehearsals with Kelly Clarkson all afternoon for our upcoming tour. It's very exciting.

Do you ever lose your voice after all those long rehearsals?
No, I'm lucky. Believe it or not, I actually didn't have training in high school. I sang in choirs, and with my mom at home and with family members - it's a musical family I come from. But I never really had proper training. I guess I'm a self-starter that way.

Do you have any special singing techniques or is it all natural?
Well, I think there are different ways of singing. Some are good for your voice and some are bad. You know when you scream, how there's that feeling, the way it comes out of your throat? When I sing I make sure I don't get that feeling. I don't push it - I just let it happen, instead of screaming and trying to be loud. Let the sound resonate inside your head and you get a natural volume without straining.
You know when little kids are playing around, trying to be opera singers and they have that funny high opera voice? "Laaaaa!" [laughs] That, believe it or not, is the right way to sing. When I was working with kids in my hometown of Raleigh, I used to tell them that. "Try to pretend you are an opera singer." Then I'd say, "now yell really loud." And they'd yell, and I'd say, "Feel that tight, forced feeling? That's the wrong way." But the opera way is the good way. That's what I think of when I sing.

Did you always want to sing?
When I was growing up, I didn't originally want to be a singer. I wanted to be a teacher.

Were you a fan of any particular singers growing up?
I never was a fan of a particular person, but of the music itself. I used to sing to the radio all the time but not follow one particular artist. I had certain styles of music I loved - like ballads and fast songs with a good beat that make me smile - but I never attached myself to one artist. I always love music that emotes and singers that can emote.

How about now? What are you listening to these days?
I'm not really listening to music right now. I'm so busy I just don't have the time. The only music I hear right now is me and Kelly 'cause we rehearse all the time! [laughs]

You sound very happy today. Are you always this happy?
No! Some days I'm just "over it!" [laughs] It's a crazy life, I'm not gonna lie. I only get five hours of sleep a night, though it's not a huge problem for me now. If you told me this last year, I would have screamed and yelled, "No way, I'm not doing this!" [laughs] But my body is so used to that now that I always wake up after five hours, no matter what time I go to bed. I often go to bed at 2 AM and get up at 7.

What's a normal day like in the life of Clay Aiken?
This morning I got up at 7 AM. I watched some TV in the morning, checked my email. At 9 AM I ran an errand. My rehearsal didn't start till 2 PM this afternoon so I had some time to myself early on. I didn't eat breakfast though. My mom will be mad to read this part! [laughs] I only eat once a day. I just get so busy. I try to push myself to eat more. I'll probably go to the McDonald's drive-through later. I still love McDonald's.
Is it possible to go to McDonald's being as famous as you are?
It's not a big deal here in Los Angeles because so many people are famous that everyone is just used to it. But in my hometown of Raleigh, NC, being famous is a little surreal. I went ot the McDonald's drive-through there not long ago and they tried to pull me through the window and get me to autograph everything in sight! I have to have somebody with me when I go out in public, like to the grocery store and stuff. There are definetly parts of my life that are surreal.

Like what?
Well, I just appeared on "Saturday Night Live." That's unreal! That show is a national institution, and I was just a part of it!

Cool! What else is surreal?
This past Wednesday was the one-year anniversary of the day I flew to LA to do American Idol. It's funny: Going to the grocery store and not being able to get inside, or seeing my face in magazines, is not a surreal as the fact that it's only been one year. I can't believe it.
And now I'm going out on my own tour, which I can't believe. I was on tour with the rest of the American idol cast, and to have 10,000 screaming fans was amazing - but they were screaming for all of us, not just me. What freaks me out is this upcoming tour will be the first one solo. It will be just me, not the whole group. That is unreal to me.

What has your experience taught you that can help others fulfill their dreams?
I think my story in a number of ways is one of perseverance and believing in who you are. In middle school and high school, it's tough deciding who you want to be - and it was for me, too. But I realized earlier than maybe most people that the years I spent trying to prove myself to others, I spent alone. Everybody goes through nerdy times. And as soon as I stopped caring about what I was wearing or how I did my hair and started caring about what I wanted in my life and who I was, and being proud of who I was, the aura around me changed, and people started to want to be around me more. You can tell when someone is happy with themselves and confident, and you can tell the ones who aren't. It shows and it affects the way people treat you. That's what happened with me - people changed their attitudes toward me and they wanted to be around me more.

Give me an example of a time when you believed in yourself.
I auditioned for American Idol and actually got cut and sent home the first round. But I decided to audition again in Atlanta, and made it in, but then got cut again! I was finally allowed on, and I made it. But you know, I didn't even win the show! People forget that Ruben won! But I kept going. I could have gone back to Raleigh and done something else with my life, but I decided that this was what I wanted to do. So that just proves that if you konw you can do something and want to do it, keep trying. If there's anything I've learned, it's to persevere and believe in who you are - even if other's don't.

Here are a few people Clay looks to for inspiration:
My Mother
My mother's the person that's been there since the beginning. She has always been the parent that was supportive, yet she never pushed me. Some parents get overly excited with their kids and take it too far till it's not fun anymore. My mother always helped me out but never pushed me.
Mr. Rogers
He had the demeanor of a person I'd like to be. I've always looked up to him and aspired to be like him.
Reba McEntire
I admire her not because of her music necessarily, but because she's one of the few who's been able to be successful in all areas of the industry: music, TV, film, stage, music publishing, you name it. And she's done it all yet stayed under the radar - you don't hear controversy, her name's not in the tabloids, she doesn't offend anybody. She's a family entertainer, someone we can all look up to.

From IN TUNE MONTHLY magazine.

[Pamela]

Review: Sound system drowns Kelly's, Clay's talent

BY JAN DEKNO
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken are both exceptionally talented singers.

That comes as no surprise to the millions of TV viewers who voted for them during the talent series "American Idol" - Clarkson was the winner in 2002 and Aiken was the runner-up last year - or to the thousands of fans who cheered them on during Wednesday night's concert at the Omaha Arena.

Too bad, then, that the sound was cranked up so loud during most of the show that the quality of their voices was all but obliterated.

The problems?

So much bass that the seats literally shook, especially during Clarkson's set.

So much over-miking that some of Aiken's crystal-clear high notes were made to sound as if he were singing on helium.

Nonetheless, the audience had a great time, waving countless signs, tossing stuffed animals at Clarkson and offering a bouquet of flowers to Aiken in exchange for an autograph.

Clarkson took the stage first - as co-headliners, she and Aiken have been alternating in the final star slot - and showed that as a performer, she much prefers her rock roots to the pop songs of "American Idol."

But her voice shone brightest during her set's quieter moments. Highlights included the title song of her debut CD, "Thankful," which she wrote in gratitude to family, friends and fans; and a soulful, scaled-down version of the torch ballad "Beautiful Disaster."

After a short intermission, it was Aiken's turn to charm the crowd. And although this is his first concert tour as a solo star, he made his appearance in true rock-star style - by entering from the back of the arena and singing the dramatic strains of Mr. Mister's rock anthem "Kyrie" as he and his bodyguards made their way to the stage.

During his set, Aiken performed many of the pop songs from his debut album, "Measure of a Man," but also offered an appealing mix of other material.

Most effective was an acoustic medley that included a wistful "Fields of Gold," a sentimental "Carolina in My Mind" and a soulful "When Doves Cry," which started as a soulful hymn and ended as a G-rated dance groove.

Opening the show was a quartet of appealing Florida singers, the Beu Sisters, who showed off fine harmonies and a number of appealing pop songs, most of which the siblings wrote themselves.

And because most of the time they sang a cappella or were accompanied by a single guitar, you could actually hear their voices.

That's something that would have paid off for the stars.  

OMAHA.COM

[Pamela]

Clay Aiken's "Solitaire" serves as another "Bridge" to his success

If you have yet to own a copy of Clay's CD single "The Way/Solitaire," I suggest you immediately go online or to your local store and obtain at least one copy of this limited release recording, for it is certain to be a complete sellout. It is this writer's firm belief that this release will withstand the test of time in its relevance of showing us all justhow special and unique a talent this young man Clay Aiken is to our generation.

Go HERE for the rest of the article.  

Thanks to Blown Away for bringing the article!

[Misha]

and ended as a G-rated dance groove.

G-rated....

[GWENN]

MISHA--

I NOTICED THAT ALSO.  G RATED?  WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO DO TO GET PG?  I AM SURE THIS PERSON NEVER SAW THE SLOW MOTION VERSION.  OOPS, WRONG THREAD.

GWENN

[ClayBuf]

I was really irritated when I read the concert review in the Omaha World Herald. I think this writer was only there for the very beginning of Clay's set and then must have left -- because they did work out the sound and Clay sounded right on the rest of the night. He did sound like a Munchkin during the first couple of songs - and he was also a little hoarse. They worked out the sound and his hoarseness went away as the night went on.

I will agree, tho, that the bass was waaaaaaay too loud for Kelly's set. I had read that complaint in other reviews so kinda looking for it - but man, it was louder than I thought it would be. It did put a damper on trying to listen to her sing.

While this reviewer had flattering things to say about both Kelly and Clay, I wish she would have touched more on Clay's command of the stage. His personality comes shining through up there, and he is a natural with the audience. He was goofy and sincere, and definitely who the majority of the crowd was there to see - and he gave back ten-fold.

I think Kelly must be paying some attention to some of her reviews. She was mixing it up with the audience quite a bit last night. She signed autographs, talked to a litte 7 year old boy, made jokes, and read signs. She was a little stiff at times, but nothing like the past reviews I've read.

I didn't think the Beu Sisters were all that impressive - and for the type of singing they were doing, they were way too loud. They started to sound the same after the first couple of songs.

The reviewer also said nothing about the audience itself. It was truly a mixed bag - and NOT as predominantly female as you might think. One of the Qwest staff told me that the show was a sell-out. I'm not sure about that, but it was darn close if it wasn't.

I was really disappointed in this review - because even with some of the production flaws - it was an awesome evening and Clay is truly a star.

~Buffi

[ClayBuf]

Actually, WDC was pretty tame last night. I think G-rated is an accurate description - because it was nothing like what I have seen a lot of you describe at other shows. (I haven't watched any video of Clay's concerts because I wanted it to be fresh when I saw him the first time. Now I will download everything I can get my hands on - :) )

He and Angela did some of the moves - but they weren't steamy. It was more about the looks on their faces  - getting into it without getting carried away with it.

The reason, I'm wondering, if it was because of all the conrtroversy around here about Britney Spears who was here in Omaha last Wednesday. She got a rotten review, and a lot of her fans were offended by her show - with all the sex stuff in it. Parents were just plain irrate. So, here come MR. and MISS WHOLESOMENESS the next week - like a breath of fresh air. Something tells me the laid back version of WDC was deliberate. (A DJ even mentioned Britney and all the flack to Kelly in the radio interview right before the show - so they knew how people were feeling around here.)

Darn it -- I wanted hot'n'heavy.  I was sitting on that side, right there in the fourth row eye level with the stage and I was READY!! Oh well....I can live vicariously thru those of you who got the "other" version.

~Buffi

[grammaof6]

Actually, WDC was pretty tame last night. I think G-rated is an accurate description - because it was nothing like what I have seen a lot of you describe at other shows. (I haven't watched any video of Clay's concerts because I wanted it to be fresh when I saw him the first time. Now I will download everything I can get my hands on -  )

He and Angela did some of the moves - but they weren't steamy. It was more about the looks on their faces - getting into it without getting carried away with it.

SORRY, I just had to reply to this quote. . . . I know I'm in the minority about the 'bump & grind" dance. I don't like it. I LOVE the song however! Since the tour started there have been vivid descriptions of lust and lechery regarding that dance, so when it was time for it at the Chicago concert, I stiffened abit.

It was very tame there also. I watched the body contact to see if there was light between the two bodies and there was 99% of the time. I was sitting in the second row and the dance was directly in front of me so I had a very good view. Clay was playful and didn't seem to want to take it to the next level at all. Some of the BLPT gals I was at the concert with even commented, "He must have known Gramma was there".  : So either the 'bump & grind' has been highly over exaggerated or Clay has had second thoughts about what it does to his image.

[playingclay]

It says that:

4. "Solitaire," Clay Aiken. RCA.

It makes me wonder......hanging around this website has given me a bit of the music business education....... if it had been listed as "The Way" wouldn't the position on the chart possibly been higher?  Since the position is a combination of radio play and sales, and "The Way" has been getting some radio play, possibly could it have been number 2 or even number one?

Is "The Way" listed on this chart at all?

Otherwise "The Way" radio play, no sales, ranking is..........
Solitaire no radio play, only sales, ranking is number 4

I seem to remember reading that the sale of the single will only give "credit" to one of the songs.

HMMMMMMMM........makes me wonder. :?  :? [/b]

[ACcountryFan]

a theory as to why "Solitaire" is shown as the single might have to do with the Hot 100's rules. "The Way", even though airplay has been moderate, is being marketed to AC stations, and so the Hot 100 takes the liberty of featuring the b-side as the "hit" because the a-side isn't being marketed to Top-40 stations{!?} which it was in the beginning. so, a few weeks from now if airplay starts to pick up on AC radio, the Hot 100 will then switch and start showing "The Way" as the hit single...but that's only my theory because they did the same kind of thing with Elton John when he had out "Candle in the Wind '97" backed with "Something About the Way You Look Tonight".

[Jeannette]

About the review in the World Herald Staff that said that the singers were drowned out by the sound system--this is not the first concert review that has said this sort of thing.  It's also been one of the problems of Clay's recordings and live appearances all along. There were actually some positive things said.

I think it's really important to remember that these kinds of comments are in no way a criticism of Clay, and not to be offended by them.  The intrusive background music can be very damaging to Clay's career if it goes on forever.  Those of us who really care about Clay's success will pray that these problems get fixed, soon.  

Hopefully, Clay's managers and producers will wise up!

[LiftClayUp]

I was also there.  I was in the 9th row for Kelly's performance and it wasn't as bad as Dallas.  She was clearer in Omaha.  Also she is learning from Clay and had more interaction with the audience.  Someone must have asked about scrabble because she told them Clay wouldn't play the game with her.  After the concert and after Clay had walked the baricade (short portable fence)shaking hands and thanking us for coming, she walked the length also shaking hands and speaking with the fans and signing autographs.

During Clay's performance I had made it up to the 3rd or fourth row.  Qwest security had kept the aisle clear during Kelly's performance but during Clay's they didn't even bother.  Loads of people on my side had moved up to the front.  During "Doves" I was able to notice and remembered to Dallas, Angela really leans back into Clay , but she is leaning back on his chest and when they face each other and move in closer it is an eye contact thing.  It is our senses they appeal to rather than actually seeing a bump and grind.  Because Clay has always been "Mr. Clean",  we  tend to make more of this sensual performance than what it is.  She puts her hand on the back of his neck and pulls him closer, looking into each others eyes as, she moves closer to him they
move across the stage.  WOw.  What a turn on.

One of my roomies in floor row 12 did remark shat she felt the sound even through her chair which were really nice chairs for a floor seat.  We thought the review didn't really review the concert, what and how they sang and reaction from the crowd.  Personally I loved seeing both performers up close.  Kelly changed the ending of her set and put "Miss Independent" last which was a good move.  In Dallas Clay was first and I was so pumped from his performance that I thoroughly enjoyed Kelly.

Good Show from the pair.  My opinon only, they could just drop the Beu Sisters.  They are cute and all they do is promote Disney, which is not a bad thing, but they are not a good fit for this pair of performers.

Carol