Garage Sale Vinyl: Charlie Rich

Behind Closed Doors / Epic / 1973

by Christopher Long

Mmm! Smell that? That’s my mom’s afternoon roast. It’s been simmering in the crockpot since before church this morning. The cohabitating carrots and potatoes are pretty spectacular, too. It’s any given Sunday, winter ‘73-‘74. The wholesome scene at the family dinner table mirrors any Beaver or Brady episode. While the authentic polyester is pretty groovy, the equally authentic bowl cuts are completely criminal. I just turned 11, but my parents are super old. Heck, even my mom is now 30. They’re also totally uncool. And they listen to country music. GROSS!

CAH-CLANK! Hear that? That’s the shiny new 8-track deck in the living room, pumping out the standard Sunday afternoon soundtrack. Midwest winters are brutal. As a result, many days find us stuck indoors. And with the Internet, Netflix, and the NFL Sunday Ticket still decades down the road, home entertainment options are limited. Recently, my dad brought home an in-the-box scratch-and-dent AM-FM hi-fi set with TWO stereo speakers, AND the 8-track deck. Posthaste, my parents made a pilgrimage to Record Town and acquired a massive stack of 8-track tapes, from such country crooners as Eddy Arnold, Glen Campbell, and The Statler Brothers. Yet, despite my parents’ uncoolness, they did occasionally bring home a cool tape or two from such heavy hitters as Bread, John Denver, and The Carpenters. But the most faithful family go-to Sunday super jam is Behind Closed Doors, the 1973 breakout release from “the Silver Fox,” Charlie Rich.

Fast forward a couple of lifetimes. Over the years, the family 8-track copy of that Charlie Rich classic vanished to who knows where. However, I never forgot about it. As a young adult, I’d scored it on vinyl in the ’80s. Where that copy vanished to, I also have no clue. As a “seasoned” adult in the ’90s, I’d bought it on CD. Don’t judge me. Recently, I also purchased it from iTunes, ‘cuz Spotify is for slackers.

Not too long ago, I walked into the office of a local live-music production company where I’d established a long professional relationship. I also enjoyed a long personal friendship with the company’s co-founder and co-head honcho, Thomas Tritt. While I didn’t “get” the beauty of classic country music as a kid, I absolutely DID “get” it as an adult. So, when I spotted a vinyl copy of Behind Closed Doors propped up on Tritt’s desk that day, I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm. Come to find out, the album also was one of Tritt’s lifelong favorites. But, tragically, I’d overestimated the depth of our friendship. ‘Cuz when I asked him to “gift” me his copy out of “friendship,” he laughed in my face. While I can’t remember Tritt’s exact words, he may have encouraged me to do something to myself that (to me) seemed physically impossible. Hey — no asks, no gets.

A short time later, while on a vinyl expedition with the GF, I spotted a very well-cared-for LP copy of Behind Closed Doors at the flea market in Mount Dora, Florida — for just three bucks. SOLD — take THAT, Tritt! The record played beautifully. The slight warm cozy crackle only added to the authenticity of the experience, and I was reminded instantly of what I’d been missing all these years by consuming the album in other formats.

But why Charlie Rich? I was raised on a healthy musical diet of amazing records created by near-countless incredible classic country artists. What made Behind Closed Doors so special? Well, that’s a question that requires A LOT of unpacking.

During the early and mid-‘70s, Rich was at the forefront of defining the new “Nashville Sound” — back when that implied something cool. Also, possessing a noticeable amount of leather-clad rock-and-roll swagger, Rich resembled a shaggier, silver-haired version of Memphis Mafia-era Elvis. Which, according to my 30-something mother was pretty darn, “sexy.” And musically, Rich had roots that ran deep through Gospel, jazz, pop, and R&B — influences that he had revealed at various times on his various, moderately successful, pre-‘70s singles. But with Behind Closed Doors, all of those components came together, soaked with Floyd Cramer flavor that was as smooth as the half-diluted glass of Kentucky bourbon perched atop Rich’s grand piano.

Behind Closed Doors owned two monster crossover chart-busters — the title track and the follow-up single, “The Most Beautiful Girl” — hits that would help propel Rich’s career for the next several years and ensure his icon legacy. The album has since sold more than four million units and remains one of the all-time best and most beloved from that magical bygone “Very Brady” era.

(5/5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Behind Closed Doors Track List

SIDE ONE

1. Behind Closed Doors (O’Dell) – 2:54

1. If You Wouldn’t Be My Lady (Holiday, Reeves) – 2:51

1. You Never Really Wanted Me (A. Rich) – 2:25

1. A Sunday Kind of Woman (M. Rich) – 3:05

1. Peace On You (C. Rich) – 3:53

SIDE TWO

1. The Most Beautiful Girl (Sherrill, Wilson, Bourke) – 2:42

1. I Take It On Home (O’Dell) – 2:50

1. ‘Til I Can’t Take It Anymore (Otis, Burton) – 2:28

1. We Love Each Other (Killen) – 3:05

1. I’m Not Going Hungry Anymore (Hart) – 2:10

1. Nothing In the World (To Do With Me) (M. Rich) – 2:36

https://www.charlierich.com