Gary Miller Songs

Helen has produced this amazing illustration entitled "Sheriff Hill Asylum, Gateshead, June 1821" for the Mad Martins 'Four Bare Walls/Escape' animation...

Gary Miller 'A Boy's Own Story' is now available from a wide range of download and streaming platforms including : -

Amazon HERE

itunes HERE

Spotify HERE

Nellie's Temple 'Venus Through the Sycamores' is likewise available, including : -

Amazon HERE

itunes HERE

Spotify HERE

Woo hoo! We now have new merchandise available for 'A Boy's Own Story' and Nellie's Temple in the form of T-Shirts and Tote Bags, including two different Nellie's Temple designs for each.

To view my full range of merchandise click on the link to my Bandcamp Merch Page HERE.

Alternatively, to view/order each new item individually, click on the respective links/images below...

Gary Miller 'A Boy's Own Story' Design T-Shirt available HERE.

Gary Miller 'A Boy's Own Story' Design Tote Bag available HERE.

 Nellie's Temple 'Logo' Design T-Shirt available HERE.

Nellie's Temple 'Logo' Design Tote Bag available HERE.

Nellie's Temple 'Venus Through the Sycamores' Design T-Shirt available HERE.

Nellie's Temple 'Venus Through the Sycamores' Design Tote Bag available HERE.

Here's another fun little snippet of a test piece for the animation project that Helen is currently working on, in collaboration with Doorstop Productions (with producer Stephanie Stender and illustrator Michael Sciortino).

This is all working towards an animated promo video for the paired track 'Four Bare Walls / Escape' from my Mad Martins project, to herald the planned Mad Martins restructure and relaunch.

I've been very excited seeing it all come together bit by bit and we are all looking forward to sharing the finished article in due course. In the meantime, hope you enjoy this little "teaser" for now...

Over the last couple of years (during "lockdown", etc), I've been amassing a wealth of songs and home demos for various projects, e.g. "The Butcher Baronet" (a 30-song folk-rock opera), "Northern Grit", "From Coalfield to Battlefield", "Nellie’s Temple" (a project with my partner Helen, as a vehicle for her own amazing songwriting), as well as an update of Mad Martins, amongst others. And that's just the tip of the iceberg - I'm particularly excited about the multi-media project "The Weavings of the Black Wool" that Helen and me have been developing (my own instinct tells me that if anything is going to be our joint "break-through" project it will be this one).

In the meantime, there are literally dozens of songs "waiting in the wings" and I'm desperate to finally start getting some of them out there, in any form I can. So, with that in mind, I've uploaded a track to YouTube that I demoed at home a year or so ago. It's my own cack-handed attempt at playing various instruments and I'm no producer/engineer but at least now I feel ready to let it loose as it currently stands (warts and all). It may (or may not) be part of my upcoming Gary Miller's Big Picture album (which may be a single or double album - time will tell) but I'm happy to be able to at least get a taster of it out there at last to get the ball rolling...

JOURNEY

The day is on it’s journey

And you’ve been watching every clock

Waiting for something on the wind

That you’re missing all the things that really matter

Whilst punishing yourself for others sins

There’s a broken piece of you that seems close yet far away

It’s trying to crush the things that you hold dear

But it won’t mend, it’s gone, it’s history, it can’t hurt you any more

There’s a new dawn with a future bright and clear

So take courage, take hope, take this helping hand

And grab the piece of justice that you’re owed

There’s love inside and all around you

And a strength that you’ve still yet to show

There’s a stray cat in the garden that’s being fed every day

It’s more familiar than the boy sat on the train

There’s a crowd upon the platform, there’s a car parked on a hill

And a figure dashing madly through the rain

So run hard and grab the moment that is given unto you

Like it counts for every second that you’ve known

There are questions to be asked there are drums still to be banged

And many parts to you that you’ve not shown

So take courage, take hope, take this helping hand

There’s a winding path that leads to who knows where

There’s love inside and all around you

And with every step you take it will be there

(Gary Miller)

This weekend, I had the wonderful pleasure, privelege and honour of being invited on stage to sing with my friends The Men They Couldn't Hang, a legendary band I greatly respect and admire, at what may have been the final Musicport Festival, Whitby (I'd previously performed there with my ex-band The Whisky Priests (official) during the band's Reunion Tour in 2018) on Saturday 23rd October 2021.

It was a real thrill and I am delighted that it was recorded for posterity for me to able to present it here. "The Men" were fantastic on the night and the set list was superb. I joined the band for the final track of their set, 'Ironmasters', and then again for encore "Walkin' Talkin'", which also featured a fabulous guest appearance from the legendary Rory McLeod, who added some blistering Harmonica throughout.

Thanks to Helen for filming it and to Paul Simmonds, Phil Odgers, Billy Abbott, Ricky McGuire and Bobby Valentino for welcoming me into their ranks for a few brief but highly enjoyable and memorable minutes that were really special to me. Cheers and huge respect!

In conjunction with the release of 'A Boy's Own Story' (see previous entry below), I am further delighted to announce another new release - 'Venus through the Sycamores', the debut Single by Nellie's Temple...

Nellie's Temple is a new band project that Helen and me developed during the COVID-19 Lockdown to showcase Helen's songwriting skills, with her as Lead Singer and myself as Musical Director, Arranger and Band Leader.

The current line-up of Nellie's Temple (with further musicians to be announced soon) is : -

Helen Temperley - Lead and Backing Vocals, Songwriting.

Gary Miller (Ex-Whisky Priests, currently with Gary Miller’s Big Picture and also a solo artist) - Guitars, Bass, Mandolin, Vocals, Musical Arrangement.

Jake Lucas - (Ex-DEAD!, currently with Gary Miller’s Big Picture) - Drums, Guitars, Bass, Percussion, Vocals, Tech Wizardry.

Geoff 'Sid' Siddle - Backing and Lead Vocals

Like its co-release 'A Boy's Own Story', 'Venus Through the Sycamores' was recorded for the Forum Music Centre, Darlington project 'Releasing From Lockdown, so thanks again to Allison McKay, Hayley McKay and everyone else involved, particularly the wonderful Chris Davison for his hard work, patience and incredible production and engineering skills.

'Venus Through the Sycamores' is released as the lead single from the forthcoming Nellie's Temple debut album, which we are aiming to release sometime next year.

Hope you like it!...

VENUS THROUGH THE SYCAMORES

I was sitting contemplating

On how my working day had been

Drinking wine and needing to offload

You came and took my baggage

Put it away and somehow managed

To take the conversation down a different road

We sat and we saw

Venus through the sycamores

In a yellow room that was half painted green

We sat and we cried

And tried to see the other side

Of Venus and what she might have been

She will hide behind the new leaves

Another evil twin that we won’t see

Watching every move that we both make

Through the summer she will slumber

Leaving us to count the number

Of trials we’ve faced to get where life should be

We sat and we saw

Venus through the sycamores

In a yellow room that was half painted green

We sat and we cried

And tried to see the other side

Of Venus and what she might have been

We saw a crow with a stone in its beak

Did it have water it was trying to reach?

We saw Nefertiti in the branch of a tree

Looking South, what could she see?

We saw a pheasant on the highest ridge

Has he a lover’s gift he needs to give?

Only the sycamores know the truth

We sat and we saw

Venus through the sycamores

In a yellow room that was half painted green

We sat and we cried

And tried to see the other side

Of Venus and what she might have been

We sat and we saw

Venus through those sycamores

(Helen Temperley)

© 2020 Whippet Records

Copyright Control MCPS/PRS

Written and Composed by Helen Temperley

Musical Arrangement by Gary Miller

'NELLIE'S TEMPLE' on this recording is:

HELEN TEMPERLEY - Lead Vocals

GARY MILLER - Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Backing Vocals

JAKE LUCAS - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals

Recorded at The Forum Music Centre, Darlington, County Durham

Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Chris Davison

Artwork by Helen Temperley

Nellie's Temple 'Venus Through the Sycamores' is available on Digital Download direct from my online Bandcamp Shop HERE.

I'm delighted to announce the release of my new Single 'A Boy's Own Story'...

Having sat on this recording for some time, now finally feels like the right time to "put it out there". 'A Boy's Own Story' was recorded last December for 'Releasing From Lockdown', a great project put together by the good people of The Forum Music Centre, so a huge thanks to Allison Mckay, Hayley McKay and everyone else involved for giving me the opportunity to make this recording.

Further thanks to Chris Davison, for all his hard work in the studio and for tweaking stuff along the way, as well as to Darren Tansley, Jake Lucas and Helen Temperley for their amazing contributions.

I've been 'umming and ahing' about releasing this as it stands, as I felt that it was unfinished and that my first pass at the vocals (on the finished mix) needed a revisit but, on reflection, it perhaps feels better to let the song stand as it is, slightly raw and relatively sparse, so that the intensity of the emotion in this personal song can hopefully speak for itself.

'A Boy's Own Story' is the first song I've released that is intended to eventually form a part of 'Gary Miller's Big Picture', an album project I am currently working towards in an attempt to encapsulate the last five years of my life through a very personal song cycle. Anyway, I hope you like it!...

A BOY'S OWN STORY

For many years, it stood the test

Giving warmth and peace and rest

It nurtured love, it deadened pain

It inspired passion, it fostered gain

They closed its doors on a day of rain

It was never to be seen again

All its contents and knowledge gone

Except for memories that linger on

Black fire dancing through the trees

The weeping world is on its knees

Choking on the ash and smoke

But it cannot fix what never broke

For what has passed was meant to be

It was fated naturally

But its route was altered by human hands

Hateful minds, deceitful plans

Little boy hurting, little girl lost

Each one counting their personal cost

Slight the ferryman, pay off the clowns

Disperse the fog that shadows the downs

Two stars danced round a black hole

Heel to heel and toe to toe

Hand in hand and fist to fist

Good and bad both came of this

They tried to beat Eternity

With a Principle of Uncertainty

It tripped them up eventually

One spiraled in but one broke free

The Duke of York marched his men

To the top of the hill and down again

Many battles fought along the way

But they lived to fight another day

The days grew long, the men grew fat

Their hands grew idle, well fancy that!

Until they deserted on a fickle breeze

Now they fight as mercenaries

Little boy hurting, little girl lost

Each one counting their personal cost

Slight the ferryman, pay off the clowns

Disperse the fog that shadows the downs

There is no Heaven, there is no Hell

Just the confines of a wishing well

My coin is stuck halfway down

Caught in limbo, a lonely town

I’m treading water over shifting sands

Clinging on with arthritic hands

Cup your hands, give me a bunk

Lift me up, I’m almost sunk

The sky’s a blinding radiant jewel

The air is thick with precious fuel

Grasping the moment, I breathe it in

I know at last that I can win

Now I’ve got you by my side

I’m unafraid, I need not hide

The spell is broken, the bonds are gone

I’ve burned my baggage, I’m moving on

Sweep up the anguish, tie it all in

To a little bin bag that’s weak and thin

That’s all it takes to get rid of the waste

Do it with resolve if not in haste

Little boy hurting, little girl lost

No longer counting their personal cost

They've slighted the ferryman, paid off the clowns

And dispersed the fog that shadows the downs

Dispersed the fog that shadows the downs

(Gary Miller)

© 2020 Whippet Records

Copyright Control MCPS/PRS

GARY MILLER - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Bass, Percussion

DARREN TANSLEY - Piano, Keyboards

JAKE LUCAS - Drums

HELEN TEMPERLEY - Backing Vocals

Recorded at The Forum Music Centre, Darlington, County Durham

Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Chris Davison

Except : -

Piano & Keyboards recorded at Moonhare Studio, East Anglia

Artwork by Helen Temperley

'A Boy's Own Story' is available on Digital Download direct from my online Bandcamp Shop HERE.

Wow! While I've been busy buried away in the basement demoing a new song this afternoon, Helen's been hard at work producing this fabulous little test clip of moving parts towards the animated video that the talented and wonderful Michael Sciortino at Doorstop Productions is creating for one of the songs from my Mad Martins project (see previous entry below). It's exciting seeing it come together piece by piece...

As I creaked open the dusty door to the almost forgotten world of Mad Martins a few weeks ago, I was at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed with things. After the promise and joy of the first live show in October 2019, which was brilliant, things got a bit 'complicated'. Then, while I was wondering how to keep up momentum for future performances, lockdown struck. So, like so many others in the same boat, I focused on other projects to see myself through, both mentally and financially.

I am in the process of overhauling Mad Martins to reflect more where I feel things stand with it now, including adding new songs and other material, and am looking forward to relaunching the project with a fresh new outlook and approach. Helen has also been working on redesigning the visual aspect of the project to make it all more vibrant and colourful, so how chuffed were we when the beautiful people at US film company Doorstop Productions fell in love with the Martins and a madman-loving partnership was born!

Here are three test pieces that have been created from images of William, pompous inventor and philosopher extraordinaire, and Jonathan, the Mad arsonist of York Minster (yes, he really did burn it down!). This is such an exciting taster of what is to come, and I can't wait to share a fully animated video of one of the songs, which is currently in development. But which song? You'll have to wait and see!!