I don’t know about you but the first time that I ever heard the song “Green Door”, I thought of the 1972 porn movie “Behind the Green Door”, which is considered a classic in that genre.[1] Now, before you think one of my tangents will now go in to the world of 1970’s pornography, there is no real point for me to belabor the point for two reasons:
One, Paul Thomas Anderson dissected 70’s pornography with his classic film, Boogie Nights to the point where there is nothing that any of us can really add.
Two, it isn’t really known if that the song inspired the name of the film, and even if it might of done so subconsciously, there is nothing from the song to suggest that there was some serious x-rated action going on in there. Actually we don’t really know what Jim Rowe was implying exactly other than the secrets behind the green door seem to refer to partying, piano playing and fun. Maybe there really was a secret basement where all sorts of dirty sex took place in front of a tuxedo clad audience, or it could have been a lame poker game with them playing a record really loud.
Who knows what went on there, but we do know that based on the song’s lyrics’, Lowe wasn’t invited to the party and after this song he wasn’t invited to a whole more where charts were concerned, and for the most part Rowe was a bit of a party crasher anyway.
The song itself isn’t bad and Rowe’s lack of vocal range and monotonous delivery kind of works here, as he doesn’t need to express a lot of emotion, and why should he? Since he doesn’t know what is going on anyway, all he needs to be is inquisitive, nothing more. Actually, the mystery of what is behind the door makes the song more appealing.
Rowe can be excused for having limited vocal skill, as he wasn’t really a performer; rather, he was a successful disc jockey in New York City and when he did write a song (he didn’t write this one however), like so many other DJs it was of the novelty variety.
“Green Door” isn’t exactly a novelty song, but it is knocking on that door (sorry, I couldn’t help it). Rowe would not be the first full time Disc Jockey to hit the top of the charts and nor would we see this being the last time where a song that was silly cracked the top spot.
Jim Lowe would secure a few more minor hits in his career, so while he isn’t quite a one hit wonder, his lone number one has been reduced to a minor status and a number one song that does not hold up to the test of time.
It probably does not help that the man he replaced at the top was the very man who was knock him back out with another one of the most famous songs in Rock and Roll history.
Other Notable Songs that charted but did not go to number one in this time period: November 3, 1956 – November 23, 1956
11/10/56: I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash peaked at #17 and went to #1 on the Country and Western Chart.
11/17/56: Flying Saucer by Buchanan and Goodman went to #80 on the Top 100 and to #4 on the R&B Chart.
[1] It is far superior to “Debbie Does Dallas”, which is usually another 70’s film porn movie that is often thought of as the signature film of the decade. I know “Deep Throat” is the most know of that time frame but with the actress, Linda Lovelace famously claiming that she was forced to do the film and enter the industry in general has certainly tainted my view of the film.
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