The Biggest Selling and Most Popular Song of All Time

The Biggest Selling and Most Popular Song of All Time.

It's amazing to see what The Biggest Selling and Most Popular Song of All Time was. Was it a love song? Sort of. Was it a sad song? Not really. Was it a fast song? No way, Jose. Was it a hip hop song? Thankfully not.

As a matter of fact the song writer and the artist that sang it may not even been knowon to anyone born after the year 2000 yet they hear this song all the time EVERY YEAR.

The best selling song sold over 50 million copies - and we're not including digital downloads - by an artist born in the early twentieth century who sold over 1.5 billion records. He sold more than Elvis and the Beatles combined and he was not a rock n roller.

He is Bing Crosby and the song is "White Christmas". The composer was the great Irving Berlin, himself Jewish and not Christian.

Yes, the all time best selling song of all time is a Christmas song and it is doubtful any song would ever topple it. Interestingly enough, the number 3 song is "Silent Night" by Bing as well.

There's no need to go into the enough power of either of theses two songs, or the artistry or the ingenuity or the lyrics or images the songs conjure up.

But because it is Christmas, I want to further share these two wonderful songs.

I love the choral singers as well as Bing's beautiful whistling. May all your Christmases be white!

More on this song: White Christmas. Be sure to support Wikipedia.

Here is Silent Night - the most popular religious song about the Birth of Our Lord. This song was not written by Irving Berlin, BTW, but by a Catholic priest. This recording of "Silent Night" is not the complete song as it was written but the version bought by most people around the globe.

More about this song Silent Night.

THANK YOU all for a wonderful year. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

SHARE THIS:

A Classic Song About Charlemagne

A Classic 80's Pop Rock Song
Adapted for an Action hero of the 8th Century

Hey kids! I want to share with you a classic 80's rock song about an historical figure you public school students ain't never learnt about: Charlemagne (king of the Holy Roman Empire).

If you want to learn more about this great man, go to Wikipedia or something.

Now I bet you Steely Dan fans thought I was talking about "Kid Charlemagne". Sorry, although I love the Dan's song, this song is about a real action hero of the 8th Century. And yes, it's really a take on Blondie's "Call Me." Her music is good enough to be used for this monumental figure of human history.

Check it out and listen to the lyrics and learn something about history.

 I got a hold of the video through American Catholic reading about Charles Martel, grandfather of Charlemagne and one of my dear ancestors.

Another song about an historical figure by yours truly: Cortez


SHARE THIS:

It's the Age of Heroes

It's the "Age of Heroes."

These 2 Mirrorkats play a mean guitar

I come across so much music that it spins my head.

Ah, but every now and then I find a gem, something fresh, and something surprising.

This post is different. Instead of me yammering about a group of young talented musicians, I'll just get out of the way and let you tune in.

If you like them, support them and become a fan and perhaps leave a kind message on their Reverbnation page.

Here are the Mirrorkats, direct from Chicago, with their first hit, Age of Heroes.

Influenced by

David Bowie
Led Zeppelin
30 Seconds to Mars
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Butterfly Boucher

Check them out at The Mirrorkats on Reverbnation

SHARE THIS:

TOP 5 Song Hits July 31, 2015

TOP 5 Song Hits
July 31, 2015

For the week ending Friday July 31, 2015
By Rob Lattin

Yes there were some glitches such as slow loading of Reverb songs. I am working on a way to make it faster so you can hear the Top 5 Songs that currently are not on the radio but well loved by music followers worldwide.

A would first like to note that ever since AM radio had Top 40 hits and Billboards Top 100 that everyone wanted to get on the list as it increased exposure and revenue, not just for the artists but also for the record companies, and ancilarily, to radio stations.

What I like about the old top 40 layout back in the day was that it was not limited to one single genre. What I hear on radio of "top hits" is generally all the same genre and aimed at girls between the ages of 14 and 24.

In olden tymes, AM top 40 had crossover music. For instance at Super CFL or old WLS in Chicago, you would have Billy Preston's "Outta Space" an instrumental fighting its way to the top with Emerson Lake and Palmer's "From the Beginning". Then you had Chicago's "Saturday in the Park" going up against such songs as Vicki Lawrence's "Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy", Deep Purples "Smoke on the Water", Grand Funk's "Rock N Roll Soul", "Motorcycle Mama" by Sailcat, "Rocket Man" by Elton John, Michael Jackson doing "I Wanna Be Where You Are", The Temptations epic song "Papa Was A Rollin Stone", and Rick Springfield's "Speak to the Sky".

Talk about variety!

So what's your point Robert?? Well, dear grasshopper, my Top  5 Hits (or aptly, should be hits) run the gamut of genres. I will include instrumentals, live tracks, alternate versions, metal, rock, blues, pop, folk. But being the man who edits this I will not allow anything objectionable.
By the way, I do not get paid for selecting any of these songs so if you find a song completely repulsive, let me know and I will handle it with utmost care.

Between my staff and others who rated last weeks five songs, as well as based on their fans comments the following song has become this weeks number 1:

TOP 5 Songs for Week 1 July 31, 2015 

#1 From London Suzanne Cooke’s “My Dream”

Free Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com

Here are the next four songs and a runner up.

Top 5 Hits July 24, 2015 by Rob Lattin

TOP 5 Song Hits
July 24, 2015

For the week ending Friday July 24, 2015
By Rob Lattin

Every now and then I write about classic rock bands I love or share links about them such as Paul Revere, Robert Lamm, the Ides of March, etc. Then I also write a bit about talent on the rise such as Bat Eats Moth (upcoming article) and Noise Floor and others.

Well, I thought it high time to post a list of my TOP 5 songs from different musicians around the world. These are songs I feel worthy of radio and TV airplay and a lot better than junk like Lady Gaga, Megan Trainer, One Direction, and (yuck) Miley Cyrus.

I post these in no particular order but I need your input. Tell me just which one you like best and that will become the official number one. I will also be gathering tallies from people I run into at clubs downtown when given the chance as well as my staff. If no one gives a suggestion, I will select the official number 1 and add 5 new songs next week. There will then be 6 songs posted, with number 6 considered a runner up in the Top 5. We'll see how long this experiment, if you would, lasts.

Comment below on your favorite one below.

So without further ado, here are my

TOP 5 Songs for Week 1 July 24, 2015 

From the UK “One Last Time” by Feud

Promote your mixtape at ReverbNation.com

From London Suzanne Cooke’s “My Dream”

Free Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com

Standby from Danbury Ct with “Watch Your Step"”

Upload your music for free at ReverbNation.com

"Power" from the Memphis Rain Band of Bellingham WA

Free Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com

And finally a nice modern psychedelic ditty by Jeff the "Woodsman" of Dearborn Heights Michigan with lovely and tasty ‘Green Ice Cream”.

Sell your beats online at ReverbNation.com

Let's see who survives to next week!


SHARE THIS:

Pioneer of Rap Music: Obscure Rap Song on a 1967 Christmas Record

Obscure Rap Song on a 1967 Christmas Album?

Wow, Rap Music Inspired by a White 60's Rock Band, or Rap Formula Created on a Christmas Album?

As many of my friends and family know, the four types of music I generally do not care for are Country Music, Pop (like Meghan Trainor, Miley Cyrus etc), Death Metal/Screamo, and of course rap music (most, not all.). We all have a disdain for various types of music, don't we?

Well, to my surprise, while searching for some old music to listen to, I came across a song on a Christmas album from 1967 from one of my favorite 60's bands. This was an obscure album I did not possess. 

I was an avid record collector for mucho years and have an extensive library of rock, blues and other music albums. This Christmas album was hard to find so I more or less gave up searching for it. After all, I had been too busy with my own msic and family life and had ceased collecting vinyl years ago.

When I first listened to this song: "Rain Sleet or Snow" from the album "A Christmas Present . . . and Past" I was expecting a Christmas message. Not so much. But I was absolutely floored when I heard this. Here we are in 2015 and the rap formula was being pioneered in 1967 by the legendary 60's rock group Paul Revere and the Raiders!

(Hear the song below)

Now, if you never heard of them, you need to go to Wikipedia. Here is the link: About Paul Revere and The Raiders, one of the few groups to have several TV shows and a boatload of "pop" hits in the 60's and 70's. Their number one hit "Indian Reservation" 1970 outsold any and every single release up to that time and that record was not broken until 1983 with Michael Jackson's "Beat It". Paul Revere and the Raiders were the one long-term band that always gave the Beatles and the Beach Boys a run for their money. But, somehow I digress.

Listen to "Rain Sleet or Snow" by Paul Revere and the Raiders, featuring Mark Lindsay. The rap formula we are so used to started here and fell into obscurity.

Note - as a recording artist and composer myself, I immediately knew the secret to Mark Lindsay's compressed vocals. (They did not use excessive compression back in the day, yo.) He sang with a mike pumped through a guitar amp. 

Because of this song, I my admiration increased for Paul Revere and the Raiders, and now, MAYBE, I will open up a little to listen to some good rap music - but it has to have a melody, be not angry, and be not vulgar.

Now if you have suggestions for rap songs I need to hear that I MAY like, please leave them in the comments box.

ROCK ON - RAPPERS!

Related Links:

Paul Revere and the Raiders

Mark Lindsay

Rap and Hip Hop History

Michael Jackson

Thanks to 60s70sVintageRock You Tube Channel for posting this awesome song.

RIP Paul Revere, 1938 - 2014. You were an inspiration!

SHARE THIS:

Great Prog Rock for the New Millenium: Noise Floor

New Music Discovered

Being a musician, I come across many types and flavors of bands over the years. Well, folks, I just discovered Great Prog Rock for the New Millenium: Noise Floor.

Not screamers, not teeny bopper pop, or little girl fantasy-songs, here's real musicianship. Not sure who their influences are but I hear touches of Yes and Chilliwack.

The lead singer is Stewart Turcan who also plays lead guitar. Stewarts voice shows true emotion and sensitivity about what he sings. His voice is a pure blend for some of the guitar fingering with Dakota Allemang's jazz-tinged bass playing. And drummer Quincy Johnson, keeps a perfect beat without trying to ham it up like John Bonham (RIP). The first tune I heard was "Lilt". What a relief it is to hear this rare kind of music.

Learn how to get your song on itunes at ReverbNation.com

This is from their bio on Reverbnation:

. . . from Hamilton, ON. The trio that makes the band consists of three audio technicians who met during their time perusing higher learning. In the last year they have recorded and mixed their very own first full length album titled, "...And So It Begins".   . . .With dynamic tonal and structural writing styles, Noise Floor seeks to maintain the attention of the audience throughout each song. Their ability to seamlessly interchange between various time signatures while still providing the listener a rhythm they can tap their foot to. Their chemistry on stage gives the audience a sense of how close the three of truly area not only as musicians but the true roots of very close friends.

"Time signatures", how many new groups know what that even is? Shows how serious Noise Floor takes their music.

I then saw their video of a live performance and although the initial acoustics were of the club where they were performing a little irritating (it's live so what do you expect?) the music was clear and moving. The guitar had that retro sound of Emerson Lake and Palmer and other similar monumental bands of the prog rock era. Yet, this stuff is fresh.

I also noticed Dakota playing an eight string bass. Yeah! His playing is very clean and precise, on not overbearing.

Here's that live video of their song Sonar:

Hey it's good, isn't it?
Visit them online and show your support.
Peace.
SHARE THIS:

Blogger VS WordPress Death Match

Building a blog should be a
little easier than this

Blogger VS WordPress 
Death Match

I spent most of my life doing artistic things, actually working as a professional cartoonist, doing design and layout and even drawing charcoal portraits of children. Like many visual artists, I also have a talent for composing music.

When music and art meet, a true marriage (artistically speaking, of course) occurs. Obviously not all artists are great musicians and not all musicians are great artists. But one does help the other, just like in a marriage.

Yes I've designed album covers before, for local bands as well as my own which shows a kind of conjugal union between art and music. However, I see that there is another medium that joins the two together, and that is blogging.

Many bands use blogs basically for disseminating information. MOST of the time it is dry and boring and many times unnoticed. This is especially from blogs posted on a service site such as Reverbnation (this is not to dis RN because their site and services are awesome), or blogs connected to band's website. (I'm not going to divulge any names here.)

Most musicians see blogs as info setting (like a text or email) or even perhaps as a marketing tool. That's fine and dandy but I want candy! I like to see, beyond information, eye appealing text, illustrations, photos, music players. I want to see color or for emphasis black and white or sepia. I want cake but don't give me stale cake.

I want to see original art, modified art, and borrowed art. I want to see and sense that some thought was put into DESIGNING the blog as well as each and every post.

Listen, how many times do you click on a link for some information and you're whisked away to either a landing page or a blog?

Landing pages are getting old. Most of the information blogs are dry and there's too much pastel. (I can't stand it!!). Boring design makes me bored and then I feel ho-hum about the information.

Nothing exciting there, folks. Off to the next site, or a nap.

So some add pod casts or a million pictures or way too many links and ad words and ads on top of ads. No concept of design, no experimentation, no real feeling for the reader (or listener).

Give me something that will make the cones and rods in my eyes stand up and take notice. I have done this with color on my Fantom Phactory cover (both versions) where the red or blue gyrates naturally in your eyes and even create a sense a 3 D. Don't stare too long or you may start to see things.

Let's Get Specific

Now I have to hone in more on blogs, not generally, but at the provider level. 

Although many bloggers use WordPress and provide some valuable information, the blogs are drab.

And many who use Blogger tend to seem either simplistic or non-professional.

So we know there is ugly on both sides, and there is without a doubt a lot of good information or things valuable on both as well. However, I am tired of getting bored. I am tired of getting hit with paragraphs of keywords. I am tired of ads interfering in the middle of an article I read.

And I hate pop-ups. These annoying little redheads show their freckled faces just when I was ready to get interested in the post. What a turn off.

Enough of my rant. You say that WordPress free does not have ads and that is true. But the dang thing is so boring, no matter what you do to it.

Blogger, you can have ads, and that is fine, and Blogger too, because of the writer/creator, can be boring as well. 

So let's get to the fight. A Death Match, if you will. In one corner is free WordPress and in the other corner is free Blogger.

Round 1. Which is easier?

for me, hands down, Blogger is easier. Although I have a degree in computer programming, I don't need to jump through hoops to make a well designed. WordPress was a pain in the neck, but Blogger jumps keeps making things easier for me.

Round 2. Which is more flexible?

again, WordPress seemed to restricted and restrictive. There's a lot of things you can do on Blogger that would frustrate me if I had to use WordPress. Blogger's connection to You Tube and integration for music is a big plus. Also, I can easily change the blog design, structure, and tone without hassle. I especially like that I can add tabs, modify them and make the blog look like a web page.

Round 3. Which offers more?

Since blogger is a part of Google, Blogger has more. Easily integrate charts and forms, and other blogs and gifs and videos and sound and special effects as well as cool apps. Again, maybe you can do that with a paid WordPress, but free WordPress is a times-consuming headache (I don't mean this to hurt anyone's feelings. If you can convince me otherwise, let me know and if true I will retract these words. Amen.)

Round 4. What about Art and Design?

Ah yes, that brings us full circle, the reason I wrote this. If I want to have a blue pastel site like everyone else, on Blogger I can. Then I can add blood dripping from the top. And I can add a woman's scream to play every 10 seconds. I can turn this drab blog into a slasher-film type blog to make your skin crawl. WordPress, sorry - I don't see that happening. Text, images, sounds, movement, and COLOR. This is what I enjoy using and Blogger makes it possible.

'Twas a tough battle

Ding Ding Ding

The Winner is . . .

Blogger.

When you do research on blogs take note of the best and most creative ones. Skip raw information for now (Remember there is a lot of good data out there and ugly blogs and websites). Make note of the cool ones. Comment to the owner that the art or design is excellent and ask them what platform they use. Most would be from Blogger.

Not all of you are artists, so if your blog looks like whatever, that's OK. I am also not saying that Blogger is perfect because there are areas that do need improvement, but right now when it comes down to choosing Blogger VS WordPress, I continue to choose Blogger.

To be fair, here are other reviews on Blogger versus WordPress. Remember, my opinion is that of an artist and musician, not a dispenser of dry information.

Related links:

Blogger VS WordPress

WordPress vs. Blogger – Which one is Better? (Pros and Cons)

WordPress vs. Blogger — The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

This blog was an experimental blog and it changes frequently, but if you want to see my Super Blog then click Rob Lattin Music just to see a simple heading but some excellent use of color and design. Check out some of the tune as well. I used to have fireworks as well as snowflakes in the background just for fun. I decided that the fireworks made the blog TOO EXCITING, and settled on the snowflakes to give an interesting appeal to the overall blog.

If you are reading this a year from now past the original post, my Super Blog may have changed - check it out any way. (It's like I'm speaking in a time machine - Wow!)

I am not against simple, btw. My new site Songs About thrives on simplicity and the purpose is to drive the reader to become a listener to the tune. We must all keep our purposes in mind.

Other blogs to discover and get ideas*:

Dark Roasted Blend

Creative Minority Report

Dark Shadows Newspage

Living With A Toy Collector

Urban Sketchers

Southport Corridor Chicago

Crime In Chicago

Illustration Art

Art Blog

I Am A Food Blog

Siriously Delicious

Music for Maniacs

Music Favourites

Music Archive

Music Blogtrotter

Women of History

Ghost Notes

* If you want to know why I chose these samples, contact me.

SHARE THIS:

Recommended Musix: Hard Life by Danny Vash and Nite Wolf

It's a Hard Life, Baby

Hey, as an avid music collector, I am in search of new music that doesn't follow the "American Idol" or pop radio trend. 

I look for great hard rock and roll and it's tough to find. However, I found a gem on Reverbnation.

It's "Hard Life" by Danny Vash and Nite Wolf.

Great vocals - great bass, 
great guitar 
and great drums. 

And it's an especially good recording, too. 
The video is below. Check them out on Reverbnation and become a fan - I did.

Thanks to Danny Mike and Bill!

SHARE THIS:

My Three Monster Rockin' Harley Cruisin' Songs

Heavy Metal Harley!

Now Whatcha RIDIN'? and Now Whatcha Playin'? 

I'm playing three of my favorite songs which are PERFECT for cruising on a Harley. Before I get into it, I want to mention that the following songs can and shold be adapted for bikers:

• No Holds Barred - Ted Nugent
• Highway Star - Deep Purple
• Low Rider - War
• Legs - Z Z Topp
• Movin' On - Bad Company

Just adjust the lyrics a bit to appeal to bikers worldwide, that's all.

Number One, never to be topped is . . .

Yes, Steppenwolf's MONSTER anthem: Born To Be Wild.

And second on my list is this song which is so exhilirating that you have drive or fly! Perfect for Hog owners!

Number Two . . . 

Maybe their music is more for musle cars but Deep Purple's Space Truckin' seems to fit the feeling of flying on a Harley through the Milky Way. (If only . . . ahhh)

Number Three . . . 

Then I made my own Harley tune and I can't stop listening to it either. 

Heavy Metal Harley by Rob Lattin Music - YEAH!!!

Here it is:

ENJOY!


SHARE THIS:

Robot from Lost In Space Sings in Tribute

Here is a great video I discovered on You Tube from a tribute to the late Bob May (the Robot from TV's classic show Lost In Space). 

I like this very much as you get to see Bob May and the Robot. 

In this tribute, the Robot sings and engages in banter with Bob.

There is also a little show at the end of this video. The dialogue is between a robotic Dr Smith and the Robot and it is excellent. 

The voice impersonations are excellent and the adding of the music just tops it off.

 related links: 
Revenge of the Robot
Can You Robot Dance?

I Robot, You Robot We All Robot SHARE THIS:

The Most Unusual Video

I came across the most unusual video on Facebook yesterday. Although this is not music based I just had to share it.

Post by Mis Curiosidades.

That is unreal, isn't it? SHARE THIS:

New Music Player

Hey check it out! I got a new music player from CD Baby. With this one you can hear the full songs, not just 30 second clips. The songs are awesome, are they not?!!!! Play them and SHARE them. I've added a tab at the top so you click on it and you can pick and listen to whichever song you like. I bet I know which one the girls love!!!

Cannibal Bar-B-Que

Has anyone seen my wife???!!

Here's an oldie from 2009. Yes my wife and I were invited to a bar-b-que at the Kennibles. Naw, not really, just joking around. So Listen to this song.

Dinner At-The Kannibles SHARE THIS:

Christmas Song Preview 2014

Here's what I've been playing (recording and mixing) for the past week.

Last year I posted a demo version of one of my Chrstmas songs, "This Is The Birth" to see what people thought. I was shared a little late in the season so I didn't get much feedback. The feedback I did get was pretty good so I decided to finish the song and round it out.

It will be officially released December 2 on CD Baby as MP.3. IN the meantime I want to give you a preview of it. The offical CD Baby description of the song stats as follows:

Here is a simple song about the birth of Christ, described simply from almost a child's point of view. This song can be considered an "unfolding" of the life of Christ and his mission. Musically it's a folk/jazz backdrop with some rock-ish guitar solo. Not melancholy, but moody, almost like feeling the awe of first seeing the child and his mother. 

Well, you know Christmas songs are usually meant to explain the Nativity narrative of Jesus Christ in song. One thing that is common with most Chrstmas songs is that they are written in major key. (most, but not all.)

This song is not in a traditional major key. The chords are mostly major sevenths because they  have that bell-like quality. I puposely avoided using the over-used Christmas or jingle bell sound. Something can sound like Chrstmas without jingle bells. Refer to Frank Sinatra songs for proof, who was a master at singing a song and emoting it to sound like Christmas.

My vocal style is a little subdued and the original had a Rod Stewart type quality to it. This final version has new vocals which is my unique sound. I had to refrain from singing too deep and tried to get a nice mid range quality to it. It's not perfect, but hey, I'm a composer not a full-fledged Amercian Idol singer. Duh!!

I listened to the final just a few minutes ago and yes, now I see my Robin Trower influence. I'm more or less referring to his acoustic and light electric styles, as well as tempo. The man is phenominal and I've learned a lot from his songs.

Enough talk!

Here is This Is The Birth . . .

This Is The Birth . . . by Rob Lattin Music

Fire of Love Available on CD Baby NOW!

Rock N Roll Baby! FINALLY!

The album I've been telling you about is available NOW at CD Baby and soon at iTunes and elsewhere. 

It's entitled "Fire of Love" and has many of the songs I let you preview in their demo forms now complete and ready to bring you into pure listening pleasure.

Enough of the hype! What's on this album?

This 9 song work of love opens with 'The Gate To The Sonic Dimension" Classic rock and progressive rock meets on this song. Press play and close your eyes and you will soon visualize yourself travelling through time and space and quickly break through the gate-barrier of this reality into a groovy dimension. The Sonic Dimension.

Then, next comes my "Happy Dude" song. Crank it up, be positive, and rock on. I has that Detroit edginess and some nice fingerwork to dazzle you.

Enough of the hype already! (Sorry, I'm just too excited about this.)

Other songs include Heavy Metal Harley, The Rescue (an instrumental), Cortez, and the title track Fire of Love (9 minutes of sound starting in the jungle through searing guitar leads, ethereal vocals, and bass interludes.)

To hear snippets and to order go to CD Baby.

Don't forget to check out Shenanigans (also on Fire of Love) my tribute to the Three Stooges on You Tube.


SHARE THIS:

Guest Bloggers Wanted - Blues, Jazz, Rock, And More

Guest Bloggers Wanted - Blues, Jazz, Rock, And More

Getting very busy with so many things on the table that I must resort to looking outside the box to find quality writers for my blogs.

If you know anything about the blues, then go to Chicago Blues Blog A Zine and read about article submission and conditions. The pay-off is in marketing exposure and the ability to sell your wares or generate a social buzz. You need not be a musician, but most definitely a lover of music.

You can write about "how to play the blues", what is the best blues harmonica or organ. Here are more suggestions:

Biography of great bluesmen, British Bluesman like Alexis Korner, the early blues of Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, acoustic or delta blues, Joe Bonamossa, Hendrix, Catfish Hodge, Elvin Bishop, early Steve Miller, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Big Joe Williams.

I need articles to be ready monthly so I appreciate the help.

NOW, if you know anything about jazz, then go to Anything Jazz Blog-A-Zine.
The first article will appear within the week, but I'm looking for some real jazz enthusiasts to contribute.
If you are a musician and want to show off your music or video and talk about it - let's just say that that would be a jazzy idea. I would also write an intro to your piece. We both push it into social media. I get a quality article and you get all the glory.

If you are not a musician, but you understand jazz (if that's possible), then we'd love to hear from.
These blogs are a labor of love and in my world, the music comes first. But you may be a writer and writing comes first in your life followed by love of jazz.

You can blog about "piano jazz vs brass jazz", or jazz crossovers, or jazz rock, or jazz rap. How about an original biography (short) about Benny Goodman, or how to play "Take Five". How about "Elephants Memory - Jazz or trash pop", Pat Metheny or Automatic Man or the styles of Steely Dan.

Endless

And that's not all folks! Now Whatcha Playin' can use a few good writers. This blog is a potpourri of music: pop, instrumental, Christmas, classic rock, old Heavy Metal everything but country and rap.

Just email me and we'll take it from there.

Since the Cubbies aren't doing too well this year,
as usual,  it's time to get down to some serious work!

Again, for budding writes or experienced bloggers, musicians and others, this can be a great boost for you, or just a fun thing to do. So think about it and contact me.

Thanks

Rob Lattin

Going Under Construction

Howdy you all! My page and my Reverbnation profile is currently under construction.

Although you can still purchase my songs on Reverbnation, I've taken the full streaming versions off for now as I wanted to tweak some of the songs. I am busy working on my "Sonic Dimension" music as well as Mad Experiment.

In the meantime go to Chicago Blues Blog-A-Zine to read the first issue I just published

Introducing: Chicago Blues Blog A Zine

On Rob Lattin Music blog I updated you guys about how much time I spent recording, mixing, re-mixing my new album. I lamented the fact that I spent more time doing music that I could not do as much blogging or social media stuff. Just ask my Facebook friends.

Well, earlier this year I designed 2 new blog-a-zines that I had hoped to put out once a month. I wrote 2 articles, one for each blog. The first blog deals with Chicago Blues and the second one deals with Jazz.

I am publishing the first article today about my meeting Albert King.

Click on the Chicago Blues tab above and go directly there.

PSSST: I am also looking for guest bloggers for both sites, just fill out the forms or contact me if you are interested.

In The Dead of Winter. More Snow!

Mid February . . . In The Dead of Winter

Got the Winter Blues?
 Get Over It!

One of the coldest and snowiest winters ever and it is not done. (Thanks to reverse global warming, btw!)

• The South has been bombarded with so much white stuff and had traffic nightmares which usually only happen in Buffalo NY. Unprepared, and frightened, the Democrats were advising the townsfolk to blame it on Bush.

• Chicago winter - same as always: below zero, cold, dreary, and dirty snow along the main streets. The Dan Ryan is as slow as ever, the only difference is that pot holes are filling up fast with snow, slush and an occasional Chevy Volt.

• Iowa - most snow in 100 years, records broken for deep freeze. The school kids had so many snow days off that they'll be doing class double time in August.

• Alaska - a mild season (ha!). There's been plenty of tailgating (on whale tale that is), seal barbeques, and a big thaw revealed 100 kegs of Hamm's Beer that was lost in a blizzard in 1979. Par-tay!!

• Mid Missouri - many occasions of Ice Quakes - sonic booms caused by cold ground and ice due to sub zero temps. I've witnessed these phenomena. Everytime an ice quake occurred, my neighbor yelled "Get off my roof before I send my bloodhound up there! He thought he had a raccoon problem - we just sit back, sip hot apple cider and laugh.

• Minnesota - well on my way to Rochester I was stopped the Abominable Snowman, so forget about it!

What's a non-Eskimo to do - but to listen to music. And watch some cool videos . . .