The final message of a much-loved Three Towns DJ has been turned into an inspirational song.
Scottish singer Ross Ferguson has released a surprise tribute to his close friend and collaborator Mallorca Lee.
The former pupil of Auchenharvie Academy in Stevenston passed away on February 4.
Ross, the voice of Mallorca’s last two albums, returns to virtual record stores with a new five-track EP in September, dropping a teaser single in August.
But the first taste of the EP, Love A Little, is out now and is an agonisingly heartfelt, yet incredibly inspiring outpouring of emotion which stemmed from the words of the DJ, producer, MC and artist.
Released with the full blessing of Mallorca Lee’s wife and kids, the song takes the DJ’s words and weaves them into a narrative inspired by the impact on his family, friends and fans – and the legacy those words of love have left.
Ross said: “Mall really touched a lot of people around the world with those words, as always he just said the right thing so powerfully, so simply.
“He wanted all of us, his friends and family, to look out for each other and take lessons from what happened to him, how fast things changed.
“That was Mall – he was always thinking about everyone else. Even in those moments.
“So that’s what we’ve done – helping each other through it and just life in general.
“And it’s funny, when any of us are talking, it’s like he’s there with us. It’s a thing he has done, created these bonds.
“I was talking to a couple of the guys and something just sank in. I came off the call and the song just poured out. Once again, Mall was there.”
The chorus of Love A Little contains Mallorca’s final message to his fans, the words which resonated around the world, and were at the heart of the celebration of his life: "Love, that’s all we really have, our one true currency. So tell the ones around you what they mean".
Producer Andy Haldane, who introduced the duo back in 2010 and worked closely with the pair throughout, was chosen to produce the single.
Andy and Ross performed together at Mallorca’s funeral, bringing Mall’s words and feelings to life, and are now set to do it again.
READ MORE: Fans of Three Towns DJ aim to get album to top of the charts
Ross said: “I’d love this song to resonate with people not for me, but for the message. Mall’s message.
“This thing he’s done for his group of close friends is incredible – he’s really changed all of us.
“Some of us didn’t know each other well and now we have this super close connection – Mallorca – and we’re all in it together.
“Of course we’re all trying to look out for Maria, Oceano and Angel – he asked us all individually to do that too.
“I hope like we all have, people can take this in and realise life is fast, man, it’s fleeting. It’s temporary.
“So like he said… TELL people how you feel. Please. Be more Mall. “
An incredibly talented singer, Ross is one of the most exciting talents to emerge from Scotland, breaking out of the gig circuit and capturing imaginations by breaking down boundaries through his work with Mallorca.
But there’s a lot more to Ross than collaborations, no matter who with.
The talented singer is considered to be one of the most exciting talents to emerge on the Scottish scene, with his next single 'Earth Beneath My Feet' described as a swirling, brooding, soaring pop-rock anthem/ballad which brings together everything from Springsteen to The Killers and Elton John to George Michael, with a bit of Biffy and Paolo Nutini sprinkled in.
The rest of the five-track EP - Truth, Lies, Where Hunger Dies - is under wraps for now but expectations are soaring on the back of this first taste.
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