MTV reports that the upcoming full-length CDs from American Idol winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken, both of which were scheduled to be released on August 19, have been delayed until September and will now be released at least a week apart.

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The unsurprising decision spares Ruben, who records for Clive Davis' J Records, from another possible drubbing at the hands of Clay, as took place with their CD singles in a head-to-head battle that obscured how successful Ruben's single actually was. Clive, who also heads RCA Records, for which Clay records, appears to recognize the inherent PR problem for Ruben's long-term career in a second such outcome, even if the Idol producers do not.

We only hope that Clive, who has played a key role in the careers of numerous adult-contemporary singers, from Luther Vandross and Kelly Clarkson currently to Barry Manilow and Melissa Manchester at Arista to Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand at CBS, ensures that the music selected for the debut releases from both artists meets the standards of his past successes.

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