Clive, Ruben & Clay - feeding the lions
Ruben Studdard has an album dropping today and a newly designed web site. I wish him all the best.
Since Clive Davis is the head of the RCA Music Group, under which both the RCA and J labels fall he's got the final say. Right? Then maybe he can explain what they were thinking when Ruben's biography starts out with this bit of subversive text.
"Studdard's post idol fame has been somewhat diminished by the fact that he has been considerably overshadowed by the runner up Clay Aiken. Despite not winning the formal contest, Aiken has gone on to be the most successful artist associated with the second season of American Idol".
It wasn't bad enough to force a cover album on Clay, now they have to put Ruben down by saying he's not as successful as his friend and fellow AI alumni. Are they deliberately trying to destroy two careers or are they employing people who are just plain incompetent.
While I'm in bitch mode let me ask this. How come Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart record classics and standards with glowing support from Clive but Clay records covers with nary a word? Aren't classics, standards and covers different names for the same era of songs? Ah, but covers has this negative connotation, while classics and standards has a positive spin.
From where I sit it looks to me like Clive Davis is feeding both Clay and Ruben to the lions.
Since Clive Davis is the head of the RCA Music Group, under which both the RCA and J labels fall he's got the final say. Right? Then maybe he can explain what they were thinking when Ruben's biography starts out with this bit of subversive text.
"Studdard's post idol fame has been somewhat diminished by the fact that he has been considerably overshadowed by the runner up Clay Aiken. Despite not winning the formal contest, Aiken has gone on to be the most successful artist associated with the second season of American Idol".
It wasn't bad enough to force a cover album on Clay, now they have to put Ruben down by saying he's not as successful as his friend and fellow AI alumni. Are they deliberately trying to destroy two careers or are they employing people who are just plain incompetent.
While I'm in bitch mode let me ask this. How come Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart record classics and standards with glowing support from Clive but Clay records covers with nary a word? Aren't classics, standards and covers different names for the same era of songs? Ah, but covers has this negative connotation, while classics and standards has a positive spin.
From where I sit it looks to me like Clive Davis is feeding both Clay and Ruben to the lions.
posted by Truth Rules | 11:02 PM
9 Comments:
Truth, I'm sure it's a "classic" tale of feeding them to the lions but I have a feeling that the two artists ARE the lions. They are much stronger than Clive/RCA or BMG think they are. The music world cannot afford to lose either of these singers. They are REAL.
Truth,
You are so right. It looks like TPTB are having Ruben reclaim his AI crown, whether he likes it or not!
All my google and yahoo alerts about Clay are coming from articles about Ruben's album! That is saying two things in my opinion.
1. Ruben's reviews are better, and while mentioning Clay as well, they are saying Ruben is better than Clay, ie reclaiming his crown.
2. These reviews and articles are almost taunting Clay fans to respond. One I read today claimed that "no one writes a letter in anger like a Claymate" and etc.
I assume if the Clay fans did write to any of these reviewers (or even if they didn't) I am sure that the portrayel of the Clay fans will be much less than stellar.
This is one tangled web, and it is sticky and ugly. I sometimes wonder if this is going to be part of being a Clay fan for the rest of the time he is a performer? I hope not, but either way I am still a fan.
A fan that is tired of this shit, but a fan just the same!
I totally agree with your assessment of what is happening to both Clay and Ruben. Clive seems to "fake" it more with Ruben,giving a token word of support here and there(probably to be socially or politically correct--as in Clive does not want to appear racist or anti black )but that's about it. Ruben voiced his dislike of what Clive wanted his first album to be like(remember the "driving his own car" comment). There were alot of delays with Rubens 1st album because of this. Clay has gone to task with Clive about naming his first album and about wanting original music on this one. Seems like both of these men are not the rote "puppets" that Clive wants in his recording artists. The fact that Ruben and Clay are good friends probably doesn't set well with the dread lord either. I love Clay and have always liked and respected Ruben. I watched him on 106th and park on BET. The VJs were trying to get Ruben to dis Clay and make fun of him. Ruben would not do it. He complimented Clay and called him something like "my man". The VJs did not know how to react and the audience did not get to laugh at Clay. I feel that it took alot of courage for Ruben to be pro Clay in that predominately black environment. I hate that they are always pitted against each other. Both men deserve better. Hopefully they will be like Daniel and come out of the the lions den whole and fully intact to record with other labels. I especially want this for Clay,as he is the one I am a fan of. Clay needs a label that BELIEVES in his TALENT and will $UPPORT him. I'm praying it comes soon.
It's almost like Clive had to do a certain amount of albums with Ruben and Clay and he did whatever he could to shut each up and then not promote them.
Don't get it. They are both very talented and can sell records with the right promotion.
Just don't get it.
Truth, good observation. I hadn't read that, but your blog is excellent. We try to make sense of it, when there is no sense to be made of any of it.
Both Clay and Ruben have been thrown to the wolves as far as I'm concerned.
Jeez, just let the two of them MAKE MUSIC. There's room for both of them. I absolutely HATE what's been done to Clay and now what's being done to Ruben.
I LOVE Clay, like Rube a lot and hope they can both thumb their beautiful noses at all the idiots out there (Clive Davis included)who are trying so hard to pit them against one another.
The will both have successful careers if only TPTB will actually LET them!!!
I really would hope that all of this is just a stupid marketing ploy (pitting Clay agains Ruben) and not something more idiotic.
It's hard to know what is real in all of this. The music business does seem full of snakes though, from the bottom to the very top.
For the record, I am a Clay fan, but I think Ruben is great too. I wish him well.
truth-rules = Lorie
I feel bad for Ruben because he is asked about Clay in nearly every interview.
However, without fail, he answers with grace and class.
I'm glad Clay and Ruben are friends, and I do believe they are. They have been seen dining together several times in Raleigh this past summer.
Your whole blog is interesting, thanks.
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