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Mark Mulligan New CD: White Sand Warm Sun & Salty H2O

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Mark Mulligan is living out the words to his Trop Rock songs in his hometown of San Carolos, Mexico. Moving to his favorite paradise over 20 years ago, so much of his music is influenced by the people, the coastal lifestyle and experiences just south of the border.

White Sand, Warm Sun & Salty H2O

Mulligan’s new CD is titled White Sand, Warm Sun & Salty H2O, three favorite things of any Trop Rock lifestyle fan. This title track captures it all, of course. It’s up beat, with horns and pans for an island feel. He’s singing about addiction, one many of us can’t shake. He’s even tossing out the 12 step program, “I’ve given up on rehab. It’s far too late. This life long addiction is impossible to break.” That addiction (of course) is “White Sand, Warm Sun & Salty H2O.” It’s a song destined to make you happy every time you hear it.

Mark Mulligan Covers Hugo Duarte

Mark covers “A Little Bit of Rain” by Trop Rocker Hugo Duarte, who left this earth in 2014. Mark said “I loved the spiritual element of the song and my wife, coming from a wheat farming family herself, could really relate to the lyrics.” Mulligan began singing the song before Hugo passed away and laughs saying “In true Hugo style, he initially got on me about playing a chord or two differently!” Mark added, “all kidding aside, he was happy I was singing it and I hope in Heaven he’s happy now that even after his death, his song lives on and continues to touch people.”

Rum & Coke, Sunny Jim and a Finished Song

Here’s the behind the scenes story of how a great song is written. Mark hit a mental roadblock in writing “Corona Sunset” and credits James “Sunny Jim” White in helping him complete it. Mark explained “last year during Mulligan’s IslandFest, Sunny Jim and I grabbed the guitars, a couple rum and cokes, and sat in my condo with James bouncing some great ideas at me. Those ideas helped shape the song and turn it in a new direction.”

mark-mulligan-sunny-jim

Photo courtesy Cheri Cooper Robertson
Mark Mulligan and James “Sunny Jim” White seem to always be having fun.

Well, it turn out to be a beautiful collaboration. “Corona Sunset” is a sweet song about falling in love in tropics after a chance encounter. Mark’s voice is smooth and well complimented by Wendy Newcomer’s vocals, creating almost a dialog between this new couple who met on vacation.

Bigger Isn’t Always Better

There’s a bit of a theme with several songs on this CD. In different stories and different ways, Mark Mulligan sings songs about finding what is important in life. In “Red Red Wine and A Lot of One Love”  a song that encourages us to leave the cubicle behind for paradise with the one you love. Mark brings in a little bit of a Reggae sound promising you’ll be nodding your head along with the beat.

In “Simplify,” a song written by Thom Shepherd, the story focuses on simplifying life and getting rid of the tangible things that hold us down. Another fun and upbeat escape song and I love that he keeps a slight Country feel to the sound.

In Mark’s song “Deeper Waters, Bigger Fish” it’s back to his signature sound. Skillfully written, Mark takes us on a journey starting from childhood to parenthood. Living a life of always trying to achieve more, but in the end it’s really not what’s most important.

Different Type of Connectivity

Mark readily admits he’s not the most tech savvy guy and he doesn’t use Twitter or Instagram. In his new song “Talk to Each Other,” he reminds us to engage in real life, the present that happens beyond our fingertips. We live in an overly connected world (you found this article on Facebook didn’t you?) and for all it’s good points, Mark points out the tiredness we experience in being connected all the time in his lyrics “I used to own this gadget, now this gadget owns me.”

In the story line of “Talk to Each Other,” Mark mentions encouraging his son to put down the iPad and get outside. I asked Mark if the tether to technology was any less for his kids growing up in a small community in Mexico. He said “My oldest son is at the age (14) where he loves to be connected, and thinks I’m an old fashioned wacko for preferring actual human conversation.” When writing the song, Mark remembers his son hearing the final verse and “knew it was about him, but I have to say, he was a good sport about it.” Adding “I’ll cut the kid some slack because he’s not on his iPad all that much, spending lots of time after-school on the weekends playing soccer and basketball.”

Now that you’ve finished reading this article, click the LIKE button at the bottom and spread the word of his new album by sharing it with all your friends on Facebook. Next click on the link to Mark Mulligan’s website, purchase his new CD “White Sand, Warm Sun & Salty H2O.”

Then take his advice “Hashtag done with this. I’m loggin’ out.”

Visit his website, read the lyrics to all his new songs and get your copy of his CD at: Mark Mulligan

I love easy recipes and delicious desserts and happy to share with you my favorite recipes. My favorite places are tropical, family always comes first and I'm a cocktail enthusiast for sure!
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  1. Tammy Camp says:

    Turk, we’re so glad you come to hang out with us and hope you enjoy a little escape while you’re here… although, living out on the ocean must be wonderfully unique (let me know if you ever want to write an article about it!) Keep livin’ the Trop Rockin’ life!

  2. Turk Sims says:

    Thanks for this article, and for putting this web site together. I find it enjoyable to stop by from time to time, while I’m out here on the ocean. It’s a crazy life out here, but, thankfully, we do have some level of internet access so we can try to keep up with what’s happening in places with lots of tropical libations, great Trop Rock music, and no need to eat with one hand keeping your plate from sliding away.

    Aloha,
    Turk

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