Eckstine was an American jazz singer and bandleader who also played trumpet, valve trombone, and guitar. He also performed briefly as Billy X. Stine. His nickname was Mr. B. Although best known as a singer, his openness to new music made him a strong influence on modern jazz, particularly bebop, as he gave employment to many of the musicians who founded the style.
After singing with the Earl Hines band from 1939 to 1943 he led his own band from 1944 to 1947. The band featured at various times a large number of rising jazz stars, including:
Saxophones: Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Lucky Thompson, Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray, Budd Johnson, Leo Parker
Trumpets: Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro
Drums: Art Blakey
Singers: Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan
Eckstine later formed an octet, then went solo, becoming a popular ballad singer while remaining an important figure in jazz. His huge, distinctive baritone made him one of the first African American singers to have mainstream success. He was the composer of the blues classic "Jelly, Jelly" and also recorded the R&B top hit "Stormy Monday Blues" in 1942 (not to be confused with T-Bone Walker's 1947 "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)"). Most of his success as a singer came with ballads, including "Everything I have is Yours", "Blue Moon", "Caravan," "Prisoner of Love," "You Go to My Head," and "That Old Black Magic". His last hit was "Passing Strangers", a duet with Sarah Vaughan released in 1957.
Eckstine was a style leader and noted sharp dresser. He designed and patented a high roll collar that formed a B over a Windsor-knotted tie, which became known as a Mr. B. Collar. In addition to looking cool, the collar expanded and contracted without popping open, which allowed his neck to swell while playing his horns. The collars were worn by many a hipster in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
In 1984, Eckstine recorded his final album, I Am A Singer, featuring beautiful ballads arranged and conducted by Angelo DiPippo.
You Call It Madness But I Call It Love
Billy Eckstine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's all I'm thinking of;
And now you call it madness,
But I call it love.
You made a promise to be faithful
By all the stars above;
And now you call it madness,
I still call it love.
For you constantly.
You're all I'm needing, And so I'm pleading,
"Please come back to me!"
You made a plaything out of romance!
What do you know of love?
That's why you call it madness,
But I call it love.
In this classic love song, Billy Eckstine sings about a love that consumes him completely. He starts off by reminiscing about the night he met the person he is singing to, and how that memory is all he can think about. The person in question has now labeled their love as 'madness', but he still calls it love. This highlights the fact that sometimes, love can be so intense that it borders on madness, but that doesn't take away from the emotions that it evokes.
The song then progresses to him speaking about the promise his love made to him, promising faithfulness. However, despite this, they have still labeled their love as madness. He then goes on to describe the way his heart beats constantly, and how he needs them in his life, pleading for them to come back to him. In this song, he emphasizes that he considers his love to be real and meaningful, while the person he is singing to simply calls it madness.
In the final verse, he accuses them of making a game out of romance and not knowing anything about love, highlighting how true love is different from the surface level that some people may experience. The lyrics of this song show how love can be intense and all-consuming, but just because it is intangible doesn't mean it isn't real.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't forget the night I met you,
I am unable to forget that particular evening when I came across you,
That's all I'm thinking of;
Currently, that is the only thing occupying my thoughts and imagination,
And now you call it madness,
You describe my feelings as if it were some kind of insanity,
But I call it love.
However, I prefer to refer to it as affection and fondness,
You made a promise to be faithful
You gave your word to remain loyal and devoted,
By all the stars above;
This assurance was done through a solemn vow to the celestial bodies above,
And now you call it madness,
Despite this, you now refer to it as an irrational and foolish act,
I still call it love.
But I still maintain that it was an expression of genuine and deep emotion,
My heart is beating, It keeps on repeating,
My heart continues to beat at a rapid pace, and it keeps repeating the same message over and over,
For you constantly.
And that message is that I desire your presence always,
You're all I'm needing, And so I'm pleading,
You are the only person I require in my life, and therefore I am pleading,
"Please come back to me!"
For you to return to my life and my heart once again,
You made a plaything out of romance!
You treated my affection as something to manipulate and toy with,
What do you know of love?
Do you even have a proper understanding of what love truly is?
That's why you call it madness,
Perhaps that is why you refer to my genuine emotions as if they are insane,
But I call it love.
But I will continue to call it love despite your misguided opinions,
Contributed by Jonathan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michael Tuz
One of the best by one of the best! Love Eckstine's rich vocals, and the jazzy, slightly dissonant arrangement.
Tyrone Epps
Excellent song
Dana McCartney
So beautiful 💜
Chris Jones
That could just as easily describe you, as well...❤
Bryan Rendleman
I've loved BE since first hearing him decades ago but it was later than the 40s or 50s.
Lol
Ann Pommer
😎Daddio
john molinari
…….of the Raddio @Ann Pommer
William Eason
Next to.Nat King Cole an Sammy bout as good as its gonna get oh an Sinatra Perry Como Tony Bennet Bing Wow so many great singers ! Today ? Barely a few Sad
Trombonology Erstwhile
Even as he left the Hine orchestra to lead what is now regarded as the first genuinely bebop big band, Billy revealed where his heart lay in terms of material -- the great standards of the previous decade. Here he combines tried and true material, his own distinctive interpretive approach and the instrumental touches of the then burgeoning bop style in a most effective manner.