The first Marshmallow album is about to be released.

Marshmallow is pretty much a solo project by Alan Gregg who used to play in a band from New Zealand called The Mutton Birds. They released several albums through Virgin Records and toured all over the world. Along the way he also played and recorded with Bic Runga, Dave Dobbyn and The Stereo Bus.

The self titled Marshmallow album is made up of bittersweet pop songs full of big tunes and little stories. It was recorded over the last year or so, mainly in a loft in Stoke Newington in London, but also in various studios in New Zealand.
"I had these songs which had appeared and just kept hanging around", says Alan. "I realised that I had to do something with them so I made an album. I guess I'm drawn to music which is uplifting and life affirming, and that's what I set out to make with this recording".

Guests on the album include Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith and Columbia recording artist Bic Runga.

The Marshmallow album is being released first in New Zealand in early October on CRS Records through Universal Music.

Pick a song...

 


CONTROVERSIAL!

This article appeared in the UK's biggest selling broadsheet newspaper The Daily Telegraph on the 14th November. The timing was excellent, as Rupert Murdoch himself was in town to face shareholders of British Sky Broadcasting who are angry that he has appointed his son James as chief executive of the company. Also see this article from the Evening Standard.

The song 'The Ballad Of Wendi Deng' attempts to describe the relationship of Mr Murdoch and his beautiful young Chinese wife (and former employee) Wendi Deng, in the context of their plans for domination of the world's media.

 

 

 


 

 

Anytime Soon

You and I we go back such an awful long way

But even now when I try to speak the words come out the wrong way

Simple yet so complicated, easier said than done

In my heart there is a chart and you're at number one

 

Will I see you anytime

Will I see you anytime

Will I see you anytime soon?

 

Now Mother Nature and Father Time

They have never been friends of mine

Throwing salt and touching wood

Never did me any good

 

Will I see you anytime

Will I see you anytime

Will I see you anytime soon?

 

Be careful not to use

All of your I Love You's

On the first one who makes an offer

You cannot refuse

 

I've been burning up the midnight oil

Waiting for my blood to boil

And in my eyes it's plain to see

The rising of the mercury

 

Will I see you anytime

Will I see you anytime

Will I see you anytime soon?

Etc.

 

 

Come Sunday

Washing lines hanging from windows

Double locks on the doors

Footsteps come through the ceiling

Insects crawl through the floors

 

And while the city is waking

You know that you can take your time

You can smell the bread baking

You can hear the church bells chime

 

On Sunday

Come Sunday when I see you again

 

And we'll get rest and recreation

In the shelter of a rented room

Listening to the country station

Through the traffic noise and the diesel fumes

 

Come Sunday

Come Sunday when I see you again

 

They don't know

Exactly where it is you go

Or why you always disappear

Come Sunday when you're here with me

 

Past the notice boards and the neon lights

Running to catch the last train

Past the bottle stores and the building sites

Walking home alone in the pouring rain

 

Come Sunday

Come Sunday when I see you again

 

They don't know

Exactly where it is you go

Or why you always disappear

Come Sunday when you're here with me

 

Come Sunday

Etc.

 

 

Scooter Girl

See her once and you won't forget her

Riding a light blue lambretta

And you may have seen her round

Her wheels don't seem to touch the ground

 

Don't look now but there she goes

She waves to people that she knows

She weaves between the rush hour cars

With one hand on the handlebars

 

Scooter Girl, Scooter Girl

Did you ever see a cutter girl?

A different kind of commuter girl

Born to ride she's a Scooter Girl

 

Sometimes she smiles as she passes

See yourself in her sunglasses

And then you turn back to see her

Looking in her rear view mirror

 

Scooter Girl, Scooter Girl

Did you ever see a cutter girl?

A different kind of commuter girl

Born to ride she's a Scooter Girl

 

She smells of petrol and perfume

Oil, grease and lavender

But you would give a million

Just to be her pillion passenger

 

See her riding in the rain

She's passing by your house again

You recognise that engine sound

And her wheels don't seem to touch the ground

 

Scooter Girl, Scooter Girl

Did you ever see a cutter girl?

A different kind of commuter girl

Talking 'bout a Scooter Girl, Scooter Girl

Etc.

 

 

Snow

She's always so well behaved

So softly spoken

Rules were meant to be obeyed

And never broken

And she would have you believe

That from head to toe

She's pure, pure, pure as the driven snow

 

She is always so refined

So prim and proper

But when she makes up her mind

Nothing can stop her

And did you see her polishing

Her new halo?

Pure, pure, pure as the driven snow

 

Do you remember how it felt

When the snow began to melt?

Do you remember what you saw

When the ice began to thaw?

 

Now you know that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth

If only you could rid yourself of this naggring doubt

You've got to let go man

You could be her snowman

The wind is gonna blow

Pure as the driven snow

Pure as the driven snow

Etc.

 

 

Do The Decent Thing

Well you are still so young

So much ahead of you

And you don't want to be tied down

When there's still so much to do

 

But she's sick in the morning now

And soon she will start to show

And then it will be too late

And everyone will know

 

The colour turns to blue

And you know that it must be you

You better do the decent thing

Do the decent thing

 

And you're still in a state of shock

You still don't know what to do

But she's gonna go ahead

With or without you

 

You don't want to hang around

But you don't to let her down

You better do the decent thing

Do the decent thing

 

Are we gonna save our love?

Are we gonna make it through?

Are we gonna save our love?

It's the decent thing to do

 

You don't want to hang around

But you don't want to let her down

You better do the decent thing

You don't want to hang around

But you don't want to let her down

You better do the decent thing

Do the decent thing

 

Interlude

[ instrumental ]

 

Let Me Love You (Like There's No Tomorrow)

Let's not beat about the bush

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty

I know that you think I'm handsome

And of course I think you're pretty

The world is full of suffering, loneliness and sorrow

So let me love you like there's no tomorrow - yeah

 

Let's live for today because nothings going to last

Somewhere the future turns into the past

You're nobody's fool and I wasn't born to follow

So let me love you like there's no tomorrow

 

Who says tommorow never comes

I can hear the distant drums

As time goes marching on

And yesterday is already gone

 

Let's not beat about the bush

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty

You are here tonight but in the morning you must leave this city

I despise the long good-byes, they always sound so hollow

So let me love you like there's no

Let me love you like there's no

Let me love you like there's no tomorrow - yeah

 

 

Over & Done

I tried - yes I tried

But you led me up the garden path

And I cried - yes I cried

I cried enough tears to fill the bath

 

And I know - yes I know

That I'm better off on my own

And I go - yes I go

To the supermarket all alone now

 

I'm not in love anymore

I've closed the door

And you're not coming in

No I'm not in love anymore

I was before

But it's over and done

 

I'm sad - yes I'm sad

But it's better to be safe than sorry

I'm glad - yes I'm glad

To fall in love again, well I'm in no hurry

 

I'm not in love anymore

I've closed the door

And you're not coming in

No I'm not in love anymore

I was before

But it's over and done

 

It's over and done

Even through we had some fun

It's over and done

And now there's nowhere else to run

It's over and done

Your love is like a loaded gun

And I'm wounded

Yes I'm wounded

 

I'm not in love anymore

I've closed the door

And you're not coming in

No I'm not in love anymore

I was before

But it's over and done

 

 

The Ballad Of Wendi Deng

She was a junior executive at Star TV

Quickly she became more than just an employee

There's nothing wrong with exploiting family ties

It's all part of the spirit of free enterprise

 

To show his devotion

He gave her a promotion

Now she's flying high over the Pacific Ocean

Read all about it in Vanity Fair

At every news stand from Beijing to Bel-Air

 

A master of the universe and his trophy wife

Mixing corporate affairs with a personal life

Now he wears the labels of the latest designer

And he wouldn't trade her for all the TV in China

 

Married on the Morning Glory

On the New York Harbour

Did she sell her story?

Will they live happily ever after?

 

Now she is frequent flyer

On the wings of desire

Married to the mogul of a media empire

Read all about it

Watch it on Sky

On every television

From Soho to Shanghai

 

 

Born Again

I never did believe all that mumbo-jumbo, it never made sense to me

And I had no time for that hocus-pocus, but I'm beginning to see

'Cause things been happening lately that I cannot explain

And I'm beginning to believe that I am

 

Born again

I'm born again

I'm born again

 

And I've been talking in riddles and I've been speaking in tongues

And I've been saying yes to Jesus and saying no to drugs

Street corner saviours shake their fists as I go walking by

But I just wave, I'm already saved and I'm here to testify

That I'm

 

Born again

I'm born again

When I'm with you I really do believe I'm born again

 

'Cause if there's no such thing as magic

Then how do you do chose things?

And if there's no such thing as angels

Tell me where did you get those wings?

In the world today there's so much evil and there's so much pain

But when you walk beside me I feel just like

I'm born again

And in my hour of darkness you are there to give me strength

And in my times of trouble, well you make it all make sense

And now I feel like Daniel in the lions' den

Forever and ever, hallelujah and Amen

Because I'm

 

Born again

I'm born again

When I'm with you I really do believe I'm born again

Yes I'm born again

I'm born again

When I'm with you I really do

When I'm with you I really do

When I'm with you I really do believe I'm born again

 

 

Later On

Later on, I'll meet you later on

When everybody else has gone

Let's meet up later on

 

When the chairs are on the tables

And the lights are all turned out

When the blackboard has been brought inside

And the ceiling fans stop spinning around

 

Later on, I'll meet you later on

When everybody else has gone

Let's meet up later on

 

When the taxis are all taken

It's desert downtown

We'll go to a late night café

And watch the ceiling spinning around

 

Later on, I'll meet you later on

When everybody else has gone

Let's meet up later on

 

And if we see the sunrise

Maybe we'll drive out of town

Sit on a summer hillside

And watch the windmills spinning around

 

Later on, I'll meet you later on

When everybody else has gone

Let's meet up later on

Etc.