Clay Aiken EP: All Is Well (11-28-2006)

[giovannina]

RCA will release a 4-song Christmas EP titled "All Is Well" on Nov. 28, 2006. It's a Wal-Mart exclusive, priced at $4.84 (I think).
You can hear snippets of the 4 songs here. The Sony Music Store site had them up briefly, but Shandrim saved the direct links.

shandrim said:

Looks like the Sony Music Store finally realized that the EP was supposed to be a WalMart exclusive and took down the pre-order page.   However, the links to hear the clips still work.

All Is Well clips: (open with WMP)

All Is Well - www.sonybmgmedia.com/streams/wm.asx?id=3672839

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - www.sonybmgmedia.com/streams/wm.asx?id=3672801

My Grown Up Christmas List - www.sonybmgmedia.com/streams/wm.asx?id=3672823

The Christmas Waltz - www.sonybmgmedia.com/streams/wm.asx?id=3672816

The album cover was posted in the old Clay thread ("A Thousand Different Ways era") which is now locked. Maybe someone can post it again, here.


"All Is Well" is a fairly new song, which Clay has not recorded or performed in concert before. The other 3 are songs he has done in concert and/or on TV appearances but that he just recently recorded for the mini album.

The "Emanuel" song is not the traditional, centuries-old one, but a new tune with different lyrics based on the same Biblical text.

"My Grown-up Christmas List" was co-written by David Foster, who has recently done some collaborating with Clay. Foster has spoken very highly of Clay's softer, more prayerful approach to this song (compared with the more "power ballad" versions you usually hear on radio).

[shandrim]

Here is the album cover:

[HellonUrth]

He'll be performing the songs from All Is Well along with many songs from Merry Christmas With Love during his Christmas Tour.

Clay Aiken Holiday Symphony Appearances

12/01/06 Waukegan, IL, US Genesee Theater
12/02/06 Merrillville, IN, US Star Plaza Theatre
12/04/06 Verona, NY, US Turning Stone Casino
12/05/06 Engelwood, NJ, US Bergen PAC Center
12/06/06 Baltimore, MD, US Lyric Opera House
12/07/06 Norfolk, VA, US Scope Arena
12/09/06 Williamsport, PA, US Community Arts Center
12/10/06 Wilkes Barre, PA, US FM Kirby Center
12/11/06 Easton, PA, US State Theatre
12/12/06 Hartford, CT, US Connecticut Convention Center
12/14/06 Greenvale, NY, US Tilles Center for the Arts
12/15/06 West Point, NY, US Eisenhower Hall
12/16/06 Red Bank, NJ, US Count Basie Theatre
12/18/06 Detroit, MI, US Orchestra Hall at the Max Fish
12/19/06 Grand Rapids, MI, US Devos Hall
12/21/06 Jacksonville, FL, US Moran Theatre
12/22/06 Charlotte, NC, US Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
12/23/06 Greensboro, NC, US War Memorial Auditorium

[johnm1120]

Damn, he's not coming down here this year. :(

Luckily there's a Walmart 2 miles from my school, so I'll just head over one day and get the CD.

[shandrim]

Walmart finally put up the EP cover and song samples on their website.

Only 5 more days.

[shandrim]

AIW has been spotted at multiple Walmarts. Good thing that as a Walmart exclusive the EP isn't eligible to chart in many of the Billboard charts, because there will be plenty of street date violations.

Here are the liner notes:



Yeah for Clay getting his second Executive Producer credit (the first one was for the "A Clay Aiken Christmas" 2004 TV special). "Christmas Waltz" was arranged by W. Afanasieff, the same producer used in many of the "Merry Christmas With Love" album, and included Jacob Lutrell -one of Clay's old background singers, who is no longer with him- as a background vocalist, so that song is definitely a left over from songs recorded for MCWL. The other 3 songs all were done with John Fields as producer and Stephen Lu as string arranger. These were the same people who worked on ATDW, and they didn't work on MCWL, so the songs are almost certainly new recordings.

[getrealnow]

Found AIW in a local WalMart today. AIW is absolutely Clay Aiken at his best. Oh Come Oh Come Emanuel is also beautiful. My Grown Up Christmas list is very touching and The Christmas Waltz makes you want to sing. WooHOOOOO, more Christmas music from Clay!!!!!! All Is Well!!!

[maxwell]

Some Walmart's in my area put it on the music rack Friday and tell me it sold out immediately. I called the stores this morning. The clerks from a couple others checked but say they don't have it. I don't know if that means they also sold out or if it will be available on Tuesday.

[giovannina]

Clay sang this version of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel on Good Morning America Weekend this morning. It was taped on Nov. 17, after he appeared on Live With Regis & Kelly, and his voice sounded a bit raspy on the higher notes, as though he has a touch of laryngitis or vocal cord strain, but he sings much of it in his lower register, which has hardly been heard at all in his RCA recordings. I thought the performance was very impressive, though not his best.
I trust that the studio recording will sound even better -- assuming RCA doesn't upstage the vocals again with the background instrumentation.

[giovannina]

www.walmart.com/catalog/detail.gsp?image=http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/88/69/70/26/0088697026992_500X500.jpg&product_id=5347146&iIndex=1&isVariant=false&corpCard=false&type=0
You can hear clips now at the Wal-Mart website:

www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5347146

[doodlebug]

All Is Well is totally awesome.  The power he puts into that song is incredible.  I listened to the only other version I know of it, which is Michael W. Smith's.  While it is good, he doesn't attempt the final ending that Clay does.  And in the early place where Clay goes full power to the note, Michael had to use a choir to get the effect.  Clay's version is just stunning.

His MGUCL is my favorite version ever of this song.  I generally do not like the way most females sing it with so much vocal gymnastics and actual screaming to try to get the power they want.  The only female I have half way liked doing it in the past was Mariah--but still didn't care tons for it.  Last year I heard Quiana do it on tour, and she did an amazing job on it.  But I still like Clay's version 10 times better.  It just becomes a totally different song--one that is beautiful and almost reverent.      OCOCE is also fantastic.  I loved it in concert last year--it was such a different song from the first few shows when Jacob sang it and then when Clay took it over and showed what the song could really sound like with full emotion, power, yearning---hearing him sing these songs in concert is almost like sneaking in and watching and listening to someone pray and have their personal devotion to God.  It's just mind blowing.

[evangy]

I got the EP today. "All is Well" is just amazing. He sings 3 octaves in that one song! I also liked very much "Christmas Waltz" as it's so old school and classy. "O Come O Come Emmanual" I like more how he sang it in concert than on record, but it's still very good. And "My Grown Up Christmas List" makes me feel so emotional. He sings with such power and grace.

I so enjoyed the entire CD. I'm sad that it's only 4 songs. I know that he has "Merry Christmas With Love" as a full length Christmas album, but I wanted more.

If you can find this EP at your Walmart, get it. If you like Christmas music, you won't be sorry.

[TeddyR]

I never really got the Broadway references in regards to Clay until listening to the song "All is Well". What a gorgeous performance. I certainly could visualize a song like that as the showstopper of a Broadway musical.

[doodlebug]

Yes he could definitely DO Broadway and be great. The problem with the references all the time is they were treating the concept like it is a putdown as opposed to a recording artist or pop star. There are lots of people who can record or be a pop star, and would never survive one night on Broadway. It takes a tremendous talent to do it right. I do have to wonder sometimes--Simon actually tried one night to say that he wasn't using it as a putdown -- that he has a great voice and that Clay would get the part if they were casting for Phantom and he tried out. That statement I would agree with. Clay could be magical on Broadway. I just hope he stays where he is for the time being though, cause I want to enjoy him recording and touring.

[giovannina]

Clay certainly did have the pipes for Broadway during and before Idol, but if he's ever going to do something as rigorous at that or keep doing heavy tour schedules, he is going to have to take his vocal training and maintenance more seriously than he apparently does at times. He seems to have been overpushing his voice, and quite possibly not working enough with a coach or warming up properly, with the result that he blew the "glory note" at the end of "All Is Well" last night. (These concerts are unrehearsed, by the way. The first time Clay sings with each orchestra is on stage during the concert.) He and the audience laughed it off, but blowing a note once during a concert is not the isssue - blowing your voice is.

I understand, from the reports of people who were there, that he sounded magnificent in the concert except for that one note, though.

[doodlebug]

Yes he was fantastic and he totally NAILED that note Saturday night in Merrillville. There is nothing at all wrong with his voice. I do wonder if he might have a slight ear problem right now as he said Friday night that the ear piece hurt his ear and he constantly pulled at his left ear. Saturday night he did NOT wear them at all -- so he was really flying by the seat of his pants on those songs -- and he nailed every single note of every song -- better than ever.

[audiogarden]

I LOVE this EP. I am a rock fan, but I make an exception for Christmas music. I hope we can get a pop/rock CD from Clay in the near future that is mixed like this EP. Clay's voice is front and center, and not drowned in strings, like on ATDW.

[HellonUrth]

Ordinarily Clay rehearses a tour with his band for several weeks before hitting the road. When he said he had not rehearsed for this tour it's because he couldn't possibly rehearse for weeks or even days with 18 orchestras. He does rehearse with them on the day of the show, so he does not walk in and do the show cold.

he is going to have to take his vocal training and maintenance more seriously than he apparently does at times.

This statement is quite presumptuous, considering you can't possibly know what he does or doesn't take seriously or what he may be thinking on any given day. Clay's no wet behind the ears kid who needs to be mommied and told how to run his career by fans.

[giovannina]

Apparently, RCA is trying to insure that this EP doesn't sell a lot and Wal-Mart is using it merely as bait to get people into their stores. They stopped selling it on line (as a CD) the minute it was available in the stores, the stores sold out almost immediately and, we're told, no more will be produced. And while Wal-Mart has a paid download site similar to iTunes, AIW is not being offered there.

So, surprise!! It probably won't sell more than a couple hundred thousand -- if that. Because it can't, no matter what the demand is.

[giovannina]

giovannina said:

Apparently, RCA is trying to insure that this EP doesn't sell a lot and Wal-Mart is using it merely as bait to get people into their stores. They stopped selling it on line (as a CD) the minute it was available in the stores, the stores sold out almost immediately and, we're told, no more will be produced. And while Wal-Mart has a paid download site similar to iTunes, AIW is not being offered there.

So, surprise!! It probably won't sell more than a couple hundred thousand -- if that. Because it can't, no matter what the demand is.

A couple hundred thou? I wish!
Based on what Clay said recently in concert and what we're being told by Wal-Mart, it appears RCA only produced a run of about 30,000 to 50,000 CDs. Period.

It can't go platinum or even gold, either as a standard CD or digital. RCA made sure of that. None of the individual songs can chart either, since it's not available for download.

Nevertheless, "All Is Well" did OK in its first week.

www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/currentalbum.jsp
Week Ending 12-19-06

TW Rk LW Rk 2Wks Rk
Wks On Album, Artist Label Cat. # List $ Peak

Top Comprehensive Album:
54  NEW  1  All Is Well: Songs For Christmas (EP) (Wal*Mart Exclusive), Clay Aiken  RCA 02699 | RMG | 6.98  54

Top Internet Album:
15  NEW  1  All Is Well: Songs For Christmas (EP) (Wal*Mart Exclusive), Clay Aiken  RCA 02699 | RMG | 6.98

Clay's "A Thousand Different Ways," " "Merry Christmas With Love," and "All Is Well" all placed on Billboard albums charts this week. It's being reported, at Clay's Daily Double, that no other artist has ever charted with three albums at the same time. I don't know if that is true or not, but it's impressive in any case. Especially since "All Is Well" is an extremely limited release and available only in Wal-Mart stores and "Merry Christmas With Love" has gotten no promo, an little production support in the past two years.

[giovannina]

www.courant.com/features/lifestyle/hc-nujavabeans1208.artdec08,0,2248063.story

Excerpts from the Hartford (CT) Courant, Dec. 6, 2006:

LIFESTYLE
Clay Aiken Looks Forward To Small Venues
Spilling The Beans| A Coffee Break With ...
December 8, 2006
 
Q: Tell me about your newest CD.

A: It's called "All is Well" and is a holiday CD released exclusively to Wal-Mart. I never thought I'd be a Wal-Mart special, but I guess I am. It includes a couple of my favorites, "Christmas Waltz" and "O Come, O Come Emmanuel."

Q: Was Christmas a big holiday in your house when you were growing up?

A: ... We actually had a very traditional Christmas, spending Christmas Eve with one side of the family and Christmas Day with the other. I think ... people connect emotionally with [the Christmas] season. There's a warm spirit that shows when I go on the road this time of year. It shows in the audience response.

Q: You'll be performing in a relatively small venue when you sing at the Convention Center Tuesday and with an orchestra rather than with a band. How do you like the change?

A: Both of those are good things. ... [H]aving a smaller venue is exciting to me because there is not the pressure to sing to the back of the rafters. It's always hard to be a small speck onstage. You can't connect with the audience. With an orchestra and a smaller venue, you ... don't need ear monitors. You can feel the music because it shakes you and rattles you. Most of the venues in this tour are comparably sized, and it's been done intentionally. I like the shows to be intimate.

...

...

Q: So what do you want for Christmas?

A: There's nothing I want. Wait a minute, hold on, the dog threw up on the carpet. (After a few seconds, Aiken returns to the phone.) Change that, I could use some carpet cleaner.

Clay Aiken performs with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd. Tickets are $85 and $50. Information: 860-525-4500.

 

[TeddyR]

Clay's "A Thousand Different Ways," " "Merry Christmas With Love," and "All Is Well" all placed on Billboard albums charts this week. It's being reported, at Clay's Daily Double, that no other artist has ever charted with three albums at the same time. I don't know if that is true or not, but it's impressive in any case.

Not true. Johnny Cash, Kenny G, Kenny Chesney and Trans-Siberian Orchestra all have three albums charting on the current comprehensive chart.

[giovannina]

That sounds more reasonable, Doc. So many artists have multiple big-selling albums that it seems like it wouldn't be that extraordinary for someone to have 3 albums charting at once.
I wonder if whoever first posted that may have gotten the specifics of some "record" mixed up.

I'm still happy for Clay having 3 albums charting this week though.

[giovannina]

You can hear a wonderful rendition of "All Is Well" by Clay, from the Dec. 6, 2006 Christmas concert here:
All Is Well

I think this one sounds even better than the same song on the CD.

[giovannina]

"All Is Well" did not show up on the BB Top Comprehensive Albums this week, apparently because a lot of Wal-Marts sold out their stock right away and were not able to reorder. It's not clear whether RCA totally refuses to produce more copies, but if they are doing that, they dropped the ball for a critical week or two, leaving the EP hard to find during a lot of the height of the holiday shopping season.
The EP could not have charted on Top Internet Albums after its first week, because by that time it was no longer available for purchase online. And it is not being offered as a paid digital download.

There is a corporate 800 number to call for Wal-Mart to let them know if you are looking to buy the album and cannot find it in your local store.

[giovannina]

Most Wal-Marts seemed to sell out of this EP (which was a severely limited release at first, but not advertised as such) right away. Word on the (cyber) street is that some Wal-Marts have restocked the item. (New shipment or store-to-store transfer of the initial stock?)
It's a little late, but better late than never, I guess.

[doodlebug]

I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist, but dang, RCA sure has dropped the ball a lot on Clay's CDs. I remember not being able to find his first single for my mom after she heard BOTW and had to have it. I finally gave her my copy since I had it saved on my WMP anyway. Eventually I got one on Amazon even though I had never bought anything there before. Then the same thing happened with the SWAY single and then with MCWL when it came out. She couldn't find it a couple of days after it came out and the stores didn't restock it. So again, gave her mine and ordered from Amazon. Same thing with ATD and now with AIW -- only AIW can't even be gotten on Amazon. This city is pretty darn large and it's ridiculous that the stock around is so low every time. I have very seldom ever seen MOAM in the stores, even when it was still in its first few months. No AIWs at all after the first day.

We even looked on all three trips to concerts this month for AIW. That was over 3 weekends, 3 different areas and thousands of miles (when totalled up). We finally found a few at a small city about 100 miles outside of the last location we went to for a show (in PA). Totally crazy that they could have sold so many more of each of these if they had been available and gotten any press or decent placement on the shelves. AIW was placed on the end cap at my local Walmart on the first day. They had a total of about 30 when I got there (at the crack of dawn day one). I went back the next night and there were none left. And there hasn't been any more since then. So essentially the whole Christmas season, with the exception of about 36 hours, had none available. Yet it was advertised in the papers as a draw.

Really does have to make yo wonder who the genius (snark) at RCA is that plans the marketing and the number of CDs to produce and where to send them.

[shandrim]

This EP was a Walmart Exclusive last year and was sold out almost as soon as it hit stores, but this year they will finally make it available on iTunes starting Dec. 4.

Clay sang an amazing version of "All Is Well" for the Christmas Figure Skating special that will be shown on NBC on Dec. 25, so now people who watch the show can at least find and download the song on iTunes, since the physical EP is impossible to find.

[shandrim]

The EP is now available at iTunes:

All Is Well