June Tabor - Strange Affair (2004)

song: Richard Thompson
guitar: Martin Simpson
Logo squelcher that worked fine with Tiger is playing silly buggers with Leopard - dontcha just love progress? But I'll risk it this twice to indicate there's still life hereabouts.
Please support the artists, especially if not legally obliged to fund auntie Beeb.

[@naztubez]

Still come back to this regularly, and now again in 2023. Absolutely beautiful performance from both. Martin Simpson is such an outstanding guitarist it blows my mind.

[@nellybash356]

Fond memories back in the late seventies of June singing for us, just a handful of people, in a room upstairs in a pub at Harrow-on-the-Hill

[@lastrada52]

No showboating, no theatrics, no smoke machines, spangled dancers and synthesizers. Just the deep beautiful tones of June Tabor, a great guitarist, and a Richard Thompson song. This is musical artistry -- this is a performance. Excellent.

[@zaneyron]

When you hear a superlative voice accompanied by a superlative guitarist there just ain't any words left.

[@paulhoughton5164]

This is the perfect storm!! A beautiful Thompson song, Martin simpsons eloquent guitar and June’s perfect vocal delivery. Like so many of June’s songs it connects straight to the heart. She is an underrated treasure

[@clouddog2393]

One of the great Richard Thompson,s finest songs sung by one the best female folk singers . Lovely .

[@johannbogason1662]

the blessed Richard Thompson. truly so

[@JackT13]

Martin Simpson is a national treasure

[@pluke0]

Sublime. The mutual repect, even adoration of each others performance takes this beautiful song to greater heights. For me it's nothing to do with god, It's what human beings can aspire to be.

[@mildandbitter]

Richard Thompson song, June Tabor singing and Martin Simpson playing guitar. Can it ever get much better?

[@shelflife3867]

Tears in my eyes listening . Best cover of a Thompson song I've ever heard

[@MrGrungefuttock]

If theres a better guitarist on the planet at the moment I would love to hear them. He is incredible.

[@seanhansford9642]

Still the best xx

[@Kate1Chopin]

Wow, the sublime June Tabor. Voice unsurpassable! Respect, June! Xxxxxxxxxxxx. Xxx.

[@caley956]

Richard's song is his take on a Sufi poem by Si Fudul al-Hawari (hope I got the gent's name right). It would appear to be about putting your trust in God when all others - mother, father, relatives, friends, even enemies - fall away from you and death approaches. Note the line "The time has come to travel but the road is full of fear". Oh by the way, as far as I'm concerned June can talk as much as she likes. I believe it's called connecting with an audience.

[@Fjellfinn]

When I was young I often walked to the library - half an hour walking from my home - to listen to the album "A cut above". This, and "unicorn" was my favourite tracks.

[@dazzajlee]

let your faith, your belief, your spirit, your love be what you wish it to be. Feel the beauty of song wash over you and lift your love and comfort here. Amen, peacu be upon you x

[@nickbrown3020]

I had the privilege of seeing June Tabor live in about 1992. On video and in photos she seems very aloof. In person she is modest, great fun and still very talented. So pleased to have seen the real June Tabor.

[@marybroad6471]

This says it all and makes you wake up to the fact that God is by your side in your darkest days

[@barryolaith]

For you Mary, not for me. Best wishes. Be happy.

[@victorhart5376]

Thank you June for a wonderful interpretation of this poignant song for the heart..

[@goyo6502]

Beautiful! A masterpiece by 2 great artists!

[@The_momur]

Don't die of jealousy. I heard them play together in the 1980's, at McCabes, Santa Monica, CA. They're as talented inspired as ever.

[@harmoniabalanza]

I remember McCabes! What an incredible, fabulous place!

[@scottdavison1420]

I was there, too.

[@seanhansford9642]

still wonderful

[@robertm7071]

An extraordinary song and a breathtaking performance.

[@troygaspard6732]

She remains my favorite British singer.

[@goyo6502]

One of my favorites - great guitar - great singer - great song

[@Adamfront]

Wow, what a voice! I hear her for the first time.

[@uapuat]

Beautiful combination of voice and guitar. Utterly exquisite.

[@nubie34]

One of the most beautiful pieces on You-tube. Also one of the most profound and wisest. (Written on Good Friday, and I am not religious.)

[@bluesman172]

Simple, sublime, passionate, supremely gifted. As soon as the first notes played a shiver went down my back.

[@lauradamico3027]

mai sentito una voce cosi' stupenda....june tabor forever...laura

[@luweiland]

Very nice, I love her performance.

[@ashleyk.howard6996]

I keep having to count Martins fingers as I'm sure he has more than 10!!! A great wsong and great singing June.

[@joefreiburg2716]

Diese Stimme und diese Gitarre! Das ist ziemlich perfekt! Geil!

[@barryolaith]

Guten abend Joe, if you search KZbin you will find June singing a beautiful Irish song outside Koln cathedral.

[@MetryRoad]

Beautiful. Thanks for posting. Best wishes

[@hallettscove]

What a great interpretation of the Richard Thompson song.

[@Kate1Chopin]

This is truly divine!

[@robertroberts7071]

Oddly enough, this "poem" led me to some sort of "faith". Strange indeed.

[@petgerco]

achingly beautiful ! I fail to see the problem which many express in having June saying a bit about the inspiration of this song, they seem to say that knowing a little about the song diminishes it in some way. I have no faith but knowing the inspiration of the song is someones faith make no difference to my appreciation of the song. To want to know less about a song that moves you seems perverse to me.

[@Qpidon]

Woaw, this is beautifull!!!!!

[@rogerfindlay6836]

Superb. R.

[@Skolfreaks]

very good work-- sehr gute arbeit- now martin simson is one of my favourite fingerstyl performer with the interpret. of June is amaising ;) ich ahbe martin simpson erst vor 3 monaten entdeckt udn er ist zu meinen favorisierten fingerstyl guitarristengeworden... tolle interpretation von june....!!!!!

[@athanasiusjames1]

Exquisite. Thank you. MashAllah!

[@jimdee9801]

Before I die I would love to see June do a set with Van - can you imagine that

[@creativesource3514]

Damn.....I came here thinking this could be a cover of Minnie Ripperton's 'Strange Affair'. Ok back to KZbin search.

[@harmoniabalanza]

She sounds uncannily like R Thompson. As if it is written in a way that you can hear that it's his song. And on certain passages she could be his doppelganger.

[@lsdmadman]

this us beyond gawgeous....nuff said

[@ElMcMeen1a]

Oh, yes!!

[@cuzinkevin]

Nice one

[@lexo30]

I've never thought that this song was religious. Maybe Thompson intended it to be, but as far as I'm concerned it's about abandonment and hope, no more or less. It works as song about human longings. That's enough for me.

[@harmoniabalanza]

Well, even if it is religious, like any great art, it's open and many-layered.

[@billjoe39]

Great ! her voice sounds so original , no one can come close to matching it (Annie Lennox take note) Some songs can bring you down, but none of those sung by June Tabor.

[@harmoniabalanza]

Lennox is not in the same league as Tabor, not by a long shot.

[@billjoe39]

@@harmoniabalanza Lennox is good in her own way, just more commercial,compared to June

[@maxz3415]

I love you, baby............. you know who I'm talking 'bout... always ~

[@SueEGeneris]

Martin Simpson's facial expressions are almost as compelling as his guitar playing!

[@shahfuhaid]

This poem is originally written in Arabic by Muslim mystic Si Fudul al-hawari(May God give him peace) from Fez, Morocco.

[@MsEekhoorn]

goosebumps ögonblick Luisteren Magiska ögonblick...

[@TheMrgaztop]

What we going to do when they fall off the planet?

[@ruthdixon7807]

electric from the very first line.

[@susanschrader7836]

Devine....that is the word I use.

[@barryolaith]

Do you mean divan?

[@antonychant9982]

The song maybe religious in origin but the type of religion depicted in this song is not the same divisive mechanism that all too often is seen in the news.This is the sentiment of humanity as expressed by a religious person within Sufism (which has a beautiful philosophy). It really bothers me, but at the same time, shows how petty people are, who say that June should not reveal the source of the song. If its good enough for her and Richard Thompson, then it is definitely good enough for me.

[@gaspode18]

To a Sufi, ALL acts of creation are religious.

[@JaneWillowMusic]

Try playing this song at 1.25 speed. I quite like it.

[@johannbogason1662]

go to a disco... sheehs

[@kennethleandersson4252]

the lack of knowledge is a lack of humanity and June belongs to the former

[@darnelacat]

She belongs to what, the lack of knowledge? How does one belong to a lack?

[@TheTilly65]

@@darnelacat I'm still trying to fathom that one out ;)

[@1ElCondor]

.

[@lsdmadman]

this is spirituality ..potent magick...

[@Kestrelfalke]

I agree- this is better/superb, but the "Cut Above" isn't terrible :-)

[@ipekseda3087]

She sings a verse of the song (third) that he doesn't have on his record. I've seen RT at least 50 times, and he never sings it.

[@TomRAFC]

its a religious song based on a religious poem, thats just what the song is

[@lexo30]

Whoa, whoa, whoa there, tiger. You seem to have mistaken me for someone else. Where did you get the idea that I don't like religious art, or find it 'unsettling', or don't have any time for 'myths'? I just don't think that this song is religious; at any rate I think it's vague enough to be about plenty of things. I may not believe in the resurrection of Jesus, but that doesn't mean I don't love Bach.

[@harmoniabalanza]

Well, R Thompson is a Muslim (Sufi I guess) and I think it's pretty clearly religious.

[@greenman6141]

I love June Tabor, but LInda Thompson sang this better

[@jimdee9801]

not a fan of sufisism but hey

[@TheTilly65]

You don't need to be to appreciate the beauty