Friday Fun: More Columbo and a bit of "Stump"

As the week comes to a close, and since I like to keep a good thing going, I feel that we need to sneak in one more Russ Columbo song!

Let’s listen to perhaps Russ’s most popular number, Prisoner of Love from 1931 on Victor Records:

Like You Call it Madness, this song paints Russ as a tragic character - and a crazy level of romantic. Interestingly, Russ is credited as a co-writer on both songs. It’s hard to say what his exact contributions were, but I like to think he was the one who brought the angst!

The Mid-40s Revival

There was actually a mini-revival of Russ Columbo songs in the mid-1940s. As we saw yesterday, You Call It Madness had a few popular recordings, but the biggest hit of a Columbo tune came in 1946 when Perry Como waxed his version of Prisoner of Love for Victor.

Let's give it a spin:

This was a massive early hit for Perry, and it helped cement "Mr. C" as a major force for decades to come. 

Not to be outdone, Billy Eckstine wrapped his great pipes around the song for National Records in 1945.

Whom do you prefer: Mr. B or Mr. C?

I’m thinking the timeline suggests that someone realized these two Columbo songs were perfect for the "Modern Baritone" sound of Billy Eckstine. Mr. B’s 1945 recordings likely caught the ear of the biz, leading us right to Perry and Nat "King" Cole in '46. Whatever the case, we are all the beneficiaries!

The Wacky "Stump" Finale

Because I can’t resist such things, we need to listen to a wacky novelty version of Prisoner of Love that was “inspired” (or perhaps "inflicted") by Perry Como’s record!

Here is the incomparable Jo Stafford in her guise of “Cinderella G. Stump,” along with Red Ingle and his Natural Seven in 1947 on Capitol Records:

This was the follow-up to their massive hit Tim-Tayshun (itself a parody of a Perry Como remake of an early 1930s Bing Crosby tune). It’s as wild as you’d expect - and note that Jo actually gets credit on the label this time! "Cinderella's Back And Ingle's Got Her" - love, love, love it!

Red actually name-drops "Mr. Como" on the record, but it’s really more of a parody of the song’s high-drama lyrics than of Perry himself. Perry was likely a great sport about it - not only was he co-hosting the "Chesterfield Supper Club" radio show with Jo Stafford at the time, but he and Red Ingle were old buddies from their days together in the Ted Weems band!

From the tragic Russ Columbo to the hilarious Cinderella G. Stump... that’s just how we roll in the Warehouse.

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!