A Thousand Different Ways comes out on September 19th combines 10 cover versions of well-known songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s with four brand-new songs.
I'm a little surprised it's full of so many covers (Right here waiting, Sorry seems to be the hardest word, I do it for you, Because you loved me, Broken wings, Without you etc) because I would have thought he wanted to get away from the Idol-karaoke comparisons.
You can hear "Without you" on his MySpace.
I was a cynic but you have to listen to "I want to know what love is" - it is absolutely amazing. I forget I'm hearing a cover when I'm listening to this. Wow.
I like that but I think his cover of broken wings is the best song on his album
How can you say if flopped? Half of the albums that ended up number one this year on the US charts sold less than 205,000.
He debuted at #2 (behind Justin Timberlake who is having huge sales and publicity) with next to no promotion and zero radio play. Clay is only the 4th artist ever to have his first 3 albums debut inside the top 5 (Meaure of a Man at #1 in 2003 and his Christmas album debuted at #4 in 2004). Measure of a Man was a huge seller - but that was coming off the back of idol hype and the whole Ruben vs Clay battle.
Also - not all the songs are covers. Clay co wrote one of the tracks on the album and also the bonus track which you get when you download from I-tunes he pretty much wrote alone.
Anyway - Clay is going to be on Larry King Live on CNN tonight (Thursday) if you want a Clay catch up.
I do believe I said kinda. The albums sales would have to be seen as a huge dissapointment so far. We will see next week what the future for the album looks like.. if it slips more than 50% then he has no hope. Even his christmas album sold more. To be fair he was only 12,000 copies behind Justin Timberlake but even if he sold what Justin did this week, it wouldnt be very good considering his 'status'.
I know for a fact that this album has been heavily promoted in America so where are you getting your info from?.
205,000 in its first week is still very good...just not good enough.
it wouldnt be very good considering his 'status'.
His "status" is former Idol runner-up.
If you discount Clay's xmas album as a novelty then his 2nd serious album beat out Kelly Clarkson's 2nd album which debuted at #4.
Hardly a disappointment in ANY sense of the word.
Hes loved in America. I guess I shouldnt of said its flopped, I should say - People predicted it to sell way more copies. 205,000 is still good, like i said below. But many were expecting him to sell 300-400, esp given his midweeks.
And chart placings dont mean $hit really. Sure its good to get a high placing album but its the sales that matter. Kellys 2nd album may of debuted at NUMBER 3
but she sold 45,000 more copies in the debut week than clays 2nd album.
Anyway, these type of albums tend to stay in the charts a while so Im sure it will go on to sell well, I just cant wait to see his 2nd week sales.
Well since I have practically every TV appearance that he has made downloaded I think I would know...
He had no real publicity except the odd press release from the record company until the Tonight Show on Sept 15 (4 days before the album came out) and then all there was during the week of release was a couple of segments on Good Morning America (playing to the same audience each time), an appearance on The View (which screens in NZ tomorrow) and some stuff on the Insider which has pretty much *no* audience, there were only a couple of TV ads advertising it for mail order and he has had virtually no radio play (although Without You probably wan't the best choice for the 1st single). Most artists are promoting their stuff for weeks if not months before it is even released (eg Justin and Christina) and as well as that, they have a single on the radio.
I dont consider 4 TV show appearances and a few showings of an advertisment to be 'heavy promotion'.
lol at you thinking tv and radio is the only way to promote stuff
It flopped! So far kinda
It sold 205,000 copies in its first week. Aiken's 2003 debut, Measure of a Man, opened at #1 with close to 613,000 sales
I saw it on the american idol website.I have his 1st album MEASURE OF A MAN.I got it for christmas last year.Am gonna buy it for christmas if it is in the shops!
I want this album so much... but i'm not buying any CDs or DVDs at the moment. And not even Clay can convince me to break that rule.
Hopefully somebody I know will buy it so I can borrow it and revel in the Clayness
Here's a preview of the new album
"Without You
Eh. Whatever. Mandy Moore released a covers album. (That said, it sucked on the charts.)
OMG. If Clay Aiken is ever going to have any hope of being taken seriously, not just idol-karaoke image the rest of his damn life, he needs to stop doing COVERS. Not that I care, but nobody likes an album full of covers, so it's probably gonna flop. Even if he's no songwriter, didn't he ever hear of getting people to write original songs FOR YOU.
To quote myself...
People remember "Don't Let The Sun Go Down", Bridge over Troubled Water and Solitaire...not Invisible, This is the Night, The Way....etc
It makes sense to play to your strengths.
Besides, if the album is successful then he'll be setting a precedent as the only Idol after Kelly Clarkson to be successful with more than 1 album.
also worth noting...
Rod Stewart is having the biggest sales run of his career......doing albums of classic covers.
Should I hide the fact that I can remember all the words/tunes to Invisible, This is the Night and The Way then?
Lol.
Good point.
Invisible is quite a cool song for a former Idol contestant though \m/
Nah, I doubt Clay is much of a songwriter and his popularity is based on his unique renditions of great songs.
People remember "Don't Let The Sun Go Down", Bridge over Troubled Water and Solitaire...not Invisible, This is the Night, The Way....etc
It makes sense to play to your strengths.
I remember Clay's version of Grease the most vividly, 'coz he did that hip wiggle thang. /random