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    Comes in a gorgeous deluxe book-format packaging, including approximately 100 pages featuring lyrics to all 50 tracks, additional interlinking text, a host of beautiful pictures and illustrations throughout, as well as a comprehensive list of credits and acknowledgements. This wonderful and unique presentation, designed by Helen Temperley at helentemperley.myportfolio.com has been a true 'labour of love' and is a fascinating and real work of art in its own right.

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about

Throughout the second half of the 1830s the sources of John’s prosperity were drying up, whilst his commitments had greatly increased. He had a wife and five children and his nephew Richard, who were all entirely dependent on him and living with him in a large house. As a result, maintenance and education costs were an enormous drain on his finances. Furthermore, his three brothers, William, Jonathan, and Richard were habitually sponging on him, plus his lavish hospitality in hosting weekly entertainments for the rich and famous of London was constantly eating up his resources. Meanwhile, his schemes for improving London had resulted in failure.

By 1837 his affairs were desperate and he even considered raffling all his old paintings to raise badly needed funds…

“I feel myself a ruined, crushed man. I shall sink now: there are no more bright days for me. My eyes have been opened to the state of my affairs and I am a pauper. I am dishonoured. I know not what will become of us. I have never attended to money matters, and this is the consequence. I have earned £20,000 in a few years, and I am now without a penny. I have been plundered and deceived.”

After a decade of misfortune and a long period of deep depression, however, he showed his mettle and eventually managed to turn his fortunes around and achieved a second period of success, beginning with his painting ‘The Coronation of Queen Victoria’ in 1839. This led to further commissions and the regular exhibiting of his latest works.

lyrics

A THIN VENEER

Dark days are upon me, cruel fate has brought me here,
I’ve been plundered, plagiarised, deceived by those of lesser peer;
The injustice pierced my heart like a burning spear;
My reputation tarnished by their thin veneer,
By their thin veneer, their thin veneer;
My reputation tarnished by their thin veneer.

I’ve seen money slipping through my hands like water through a weir,
For I lent my riches freely to friends that I held dear;
Fleeced by family and by many a-grasping buccaneer,
Sneering through the false smiles of a thin veneer,
Of a thin veneer, a thin veneer;
Sneering through the false smiles of a thin veneer.

Through the business of life, I lacked the will to steer,
My mind locked onto paths from which l refused to veer;
Blaming those I loved most through despondency and fear,
Whilst trying to hide the cracks with a thin veneer,
With a thin veneer, a thin veneer;
Tying to hide the cracks with a thin veneer.

I never dreamt that I would sink to a level so austere,
Feeling ruined, crushed, dishonoured with each rejection and arrear;
Teetering on the brink of a precipice so sheer,
Whilst masking my depression through a thin veneer,
Through a thin veneer, a thin veneer;
Masking my depression through a thin veneer.

Now my strong spirit will rise and the dark cloud will disappear,
Like Canute I will turn the tide of fortune drawing near;
It’s my Coronation Day and it has never seemed so clear,
Each wall that stands before me is a thin veneer,
Is a thin veneer, a thin veneer;
Each wall that stands before me is a thin veneer.

(Lyrics & Music: Gary Miller)

credits

from Mad Martins, released April 3, 2017
Gary Miller - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Karen Ross - Vocals
Iain Petrie - Acoustic Guitar, Piano

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about

The Whisky Priests Durham, UK

The Whisky Priests (1985-2002) was founded by twin brothers, Gary & Glenn Miller (“the Joe Strummer and Mick Jones of Folk Music”). The band was internationally renowned for its energetic live shows, released a number of critically acclaimed albums, toured extensively and developed a worldwide cult following. The band reunited to tour in 2018 and release a 12-disc Complete Discography CD Box-set. ... more

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