Threaded Thursday: The Fine Line Between Love and Madness

As a follow-up to Creole Love Call and Indian Love Call, I was figuring that there must be at least a few other songs with “(Insert Descriptive Adjective) Love Call” for a title. But I figured wrong!

(Puts on thinking cap) Love call… love… call… call… love… (Lightbulb!)… You Call it Madness (But I Call It Love).

The Original "Vignette": Russ Columbo (1931)

Before there was a "Battle of the Baritones" in the late 40s, there was the rivalry between Bing Crosby and Russ Columbo. You Call It Madness was Russ’s signature song, and it’s got that definitive early-30s "penthouse" sound. It’s vulnerable, slightly tragic, and incredibly smooth.

The record is haunting anyway, but Russ’s untimely death due to a freak shooting accident just a few years later gives it an even more tragic tone when we listen to it today.

The Jazzman’s Answer: The King Cole Trio (1946)

As the 40s rolled in, the song got a jazzy facelift courtesy of Nat King Cole. Here, the madness is a bit more polished. With his impeccable piano styling and that intimate, "near-the-mic" vocal, Nat turns the song into a sophisticated conversation. It’s less of a plea and more of a confession.

I really like the sound of the King Cole Trio—there’s a precision there that never gets old.

The "Mr. B" Powerhouse: Billy Eckstine (1945)

Finally, we have Billy Eckstine. If Columbo was the matinee idol and Nat was the jazzman, "Mr. B" was the powerhouse. His rich, vibrating baritone brings a level of romantic authority to the song that few could match. By the time Eckstine gets through with it, you aren't just calling it love—you’re convinced.

Here's Billy with his orchestra on the small National Records label:

Billy (with his forward-leaning band) and Nat (with his trio) were both very jazz-oriented at the time, but these records show that their vocals were simply too good for them not to emerge as solo stars!

The Closing Thought

Whether it’s a wordless vocal from Adelaide Hall, a swinging tenor-sax vocal from Tony Pastor, or the smooth baritone of Russ Columbo, the line between a "Love Call" and "Madness" has always been thin.

In the Warehouse, we’re happy to be guilty of both!