Been listening a lot lately to Josh Turner and friends…

…and also sharing songs via Facebook with my niece Christine who is still in hospital. I have been in the habit of sending her some music every morning. Yesterday it was Josh Turner back in 2014 singing in French and as always playing a mean guitar.

That is a cover of Georges Brassens — and a good one too.

Je n’avais jamais ôté mon chapeau,
Devant personne,
Maintenant je rampe et je fais le beau,
Quand elle me sonne J’étais chien méchant, elle me fait manger,
Dans sa menotte J’avais des dents d’loup, je les ai changées,
Pour des quenottes
Je m’suis fait tout p’tit devant une poupée,
Qui ferme les yeux quand on la couche
Je m’suis fait tout p’tit devant une poupée,
Qui fait Maman quand on la touche

That is:

In this song, Georges Brassens describes his total subjection to his partner, Joha Heiman, with whom he shared his life from 1947 until his death in October 1981. This song has been described as a love song, but although it was addressed to a woman whom he loved sincerely, it is hard to find any expression of love in it. A more accurate classification would seem to be “Lament of a hen-pecked husband”. It made me think of known relationships that chug along, fuelled by mutual hostility and of good relationships that have bad patches. But then it occurred to me that as Joha would be standing in her usual position in the wings as he sang, if this song was serious,he could expect a number of projectiles from the side. A blogger wrote to tell me that he was sure that Brassens was joking…

I had never taken off my hat
To anyone
Now I grovel and I sit up and beg
When she calls me.
I was a fierce dog, but she has me eating
From her teeny hand
The wolf teeth I had, I’ve changed them instead
For baby’s peggies

I’ve made myself real small, up against a doll
Who shuts her eyes when you put her to bed
I’ve made myself real small up’against a doll
Who goes « Mamma » when you touch her.

Josh noted: “Alex Cazares on Bass. Apologies for my French, I’ve never had one lesson.” Well I tell you what — as one who long ago did study French in high school I envy Josh his accent! His ear is amazing — for music obviously, but also it appears for language.

Yes, I have posted about Josh before, It must have been just last year that I first encountered his work, and then the work of a number of other young musicians connected with him one way or another. See my post Music career built through YouTube — and very impressive!

I have recently come upon 28-year-old multitalented musician Josh Turner and his former classmate and collaborator Carson McKee. Together they comprise The Other Favorites. I see Australian concerts booked there, but do not know how that stands with the pandemic. Wait and see, I guess.

Of course that Australian tour never happened. Josh Turner was born in June 1992 — so not yet 30. He has on his YouTube Channel music going back to age 15! Here is one from November 2008.

And here he is with another musician just four days ago.

One comment on YouTube: “I’ve concluded that Josh knows, and works with every musician on YouTube lol!”

This is the song that went viral for Josh — first uploaded in 2012 and now with over 12 million views!

Do explore his growing opus! You won’t be disappointed. And this personal note from April 2009:

Meanwhile I am really happy to see Michael Xu posting songs again on his FB. His favourite lately is a Russian singer, Diana Ankudinova.

Diana Dmitrievna Ankudinova (Russian: Диана Дмитриевна Анкудинова, born May 31, 2003) is a Russian singer. Much of her initial fame resulted from her winning two consecutive seasons of You Are Super!, a talent competition show on the Russian NTV network for children who have spent some significant part of their childhood without parental care. Diana Ankudinova’s performances were posted on the NTV web site and the NTV YouTube channel, where they soon gained hundreds of millions of views around the world. Diana Ankudinova sings mostly in Russian, English and French. She has also sung in other languages including Spanish, German and Arabic.

So she is only 18 — and quite a story so far!