On My Way Here: 200 Freestyle Michael Phelps, Park Tae-hwan, and Peter Vanderkaay

Since this is a Clay Aiken-centric blog I usually don't blog about other topics, but the fantastic 200-freestyle in the 2008 Olympics with a record-breaking gold medal win by Michael Phelps warrants a break from the main topic.

Michael Phelps now ties Mark Sptiz, Larisa Latynina, Paavo Nurmi, and Carl Lewis with 9 gold medals. In the winning swim, Michael broke the world record by more than a minute with a time of 1:42:96. He finished more than a full body-length over silver medalist Park Tae-hwan. Michael touched the wall so early that he got to watch the rest of the field coming in. First-time Olympian Peter Vanderkaay won the bronze. Congratulations to all three.


Since this is a Clay Aiken blog it seems fitting to feature this video of Park Tae-hwan which was shown on Korean TV following his silver medal swim. The footage features Clay singing "On My Way Home":

From Crackle: On Way Way Here:

Technorati Tags: On My Way Here Clay Aiken Park Tae-hwan Michael Phelps Peter Vanderkaay swimming freestyle 200 final gold medal silver medal bronze medal world record

Hope: Rising from the Ashes

~~Spotlight Video~~

Overcoming Adversity

Montage by IU Gal

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Song by Clay Aiken: Ashes

The Journey

Spotlight Montage

On My Way Here

~By Dreamlarge~



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AOL Sessions

Check out the performance videos that Clay Aiken recorded for AOL Sessions:

"Ashes"

"Everything I Don't Need"

"Something About Us"

"On My Way Here"

"Where I Draw The Line"

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On My Way Here

On My Way Home was released this week. It features an eclectic mix of music from symphonic ballads, midtempo pop-rock, to a song with R&B flavor, one with a bit of country, and a beautiful, jazzy love song. I've never loved all songs on any album before, not even other Clay Aiken albums, but I truly can't pick a true favorite this time. There isn't one song I feel compelled to skip. Three that really stand out to me are "Where I Draw The Line", "Sacrificial Love", and "As Long As We're Here". Tomorrow there will three other stand-outs. Special mention for the best song on the album, "Lover All Alone". This song was a bonus with the iTunes purchase of A Thousand Different Ways and is now the the physical CD of OTWH. "Lover All Alone" was written by Clay (lyrics) and David Foster (music), and remains one of the most lyrically poignant and beautifully melodic songs I've ever heard. Clay might not consider himself a songwriter, but LAA proves that he is.

Clay promoted the album on several shows this week. Here are two performances:

"Ashes", an uptempo songs that is on the Good Morning America website (it was performed but was not show on-air), and "On My Way Here" from The View.


~Ashes~

~On My Way Here~

Technorati Tags: Clay Aiken CD On My Way Here The View, Ashes, Good Morning America, CD David Foster

On My Way Here: Broadway and Beyond

AI Extra interviewed Clay at the Shubert theater during his Spamalot run for his thoughts on Broadway, NYC, and his new CD.

Watch the video:




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On My Way Here: New Track List Revealed

From AceShowBiz.com

Clay Aiken has unleashed a new promotional picture, which is said be the advanced version of the cover art, for his upcoming and fourth full-length album "On My Way Here". The American Idol runner-up also reveals the track listing that includes a title track and previously revealed track "Ashes".

As reported earlier, Aiken's album will be released on May 6 via 19Recordings/RCA, featuring a production from Kipper (Sting, Chris Botti). His camp now reveals that Jaymes Foster will once again be back executive producing the album and that one of the tracks in the album will be a Ryan Tedder-written. The OneRepublic frontman wrote the song "On My Way Here" that Aiken "fell in love" with instantly. The lyrics tell how lessons are learned as we grow up and those are what eventually shape us as adults.

"I thought if we could find songs along those lines, that deal with my life over the past five years and what I've learned from my experiences, it would be a great concept for an album," Aiken said. "Since I got into this business, I've learned so much about myself and about life and the world. I'm nowhere near an expert, but this album has taken on the form of addressing how far I've come in those five years and how I feel like I've found myself."

Aiken who made his Broadway debut in January playing Sir Robin in Monty Phyton's Spamalot, has sold more than six million copies from his three albums, "Measure of a Man", 2004's holiday CD "Merry Christmas With Love" and the 2006 "A Thousand Different Ways".

"On My Way Here" Track Listing:

1. On My Way Here
2. Ashes
3. Everything I Don't Need
4. Something About Us
5. Falling
6. Where I Draw The Line
7. The Real Me
8. Weight Of The World
9. As Long As We're Here
10 Sacrificial Love
11. Grace Of God
12. Lover All Alone

Teasers:





Clay Aiken CD On My Way Here Track List

Perfection

New CD Cover



Order at Amazon


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Clay Aiken Fans Drive CD to #1 on Amazon plus Fan Pictures at the Stage Door

May 6th seems more and more definite as the release date now that the CD is for pre-sale at Amazon.com. It's already at #1 for new release rank which is an indication of how eager fans are for the new CD of original Clay Aiken music. Now if only there were a nice press release or official word from RCA or a song released to radio. I don't have much faith in their competence since they and the whole record industry is in such a turmoil, but it is what it is.

Order your copy here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00130973W

********************************

While we wait for a new CD, we always have Spamalot. Here are some photos taken by fans after the show at the Stage Door.

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CD News: The countdown begins!!

Clay Aiken CD News

Finally the moment we for which we have been waiting, news on the new CD which will hopefully be out on May 6th or at least before the summer. Clay announced on at this link. There are three videos related to the new album, so make sure you don't miss any.

Clay's theme for the album grew out of a song submitted to him called "On The Way Here", which was written by Ryan Tedder of One Republic. After listening to the lyrics, he noticed that several songs under consideration had the same theme of journey and growth, so the theme of Clay's journey over the last five years was born.

Here are the lyrics:

On My Way Here

I took my first step
On that black and white kitchen floor
I sometimes wonder if that house
Is even there, anymore
I had my first glimpse of love
When I was five
I watched two people split apart
But still the three of us survived

I’ve seen the best
I’ve seen the worst
I wouldn’t change what I’ve been through
I’ve touched the sky
I’ve hit the wall
But I did what I had to
Ooooohhhh

CHORUS:
On my way here
Where I am now
I’ve learned to fly
I have to want to leave the ground
I’ve fallen hard
But I’ve been loved
And in the end it all works out
My faith has conquered fear
On my way here.

Oh yeah yeaaah

My address has changed
Almost every year
I've found that standing still
Can quickly make a lifetime disappear
I'd rather try and fail
A thousand times denied
And this, whenever you feel pain
It lets you know that you’re alive

I’ve been a fool
I’ve been afraid
Yeah, I’ve been loved
I've been lied to
I've been wrong
And I've been right
I stood up when I had to

Yeah Yeahhhh

On my way here
Where I am now
I’ve learned to fly
I have to want to leave the ground
I’ve fallen hard
But I’ve been loved
And in the end it all works out
My faith has conquered fear
On my way here.

No guarantees
I believed that I would find
An open door or a light
To lead me to the other side
I guess that is why

On my way here
Where I am now
I’ve learned to fly
I have to want to leave the ground
I’ve fallen hard
But I‘ve been loved
And in the end it all works out
My faith has conquered fear
On my way here

Yeahhhh
Oooooohh


Here's a cute montage that previews clips of three songs that should be on the album:

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