On This Day in 1973, Charlie Rich Was at No. 1 With a Steamy Love Song Inspired by a Political Scandal

On this day (May 7) in 1973, Charlie Rich was in his second consecutive week at the top of the Hot Country Songs chart with “Behind Closed Doors,” his first No. 1. It is a steamy love song about the things a couple does “behind closed doors.” However, songwriter Kenny O’Dell wasn’t inspired by his relationships or anyone else’s. Instead, the ongoing Watergate scandal planted the seeds for this landmark hit.

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“Behind Closed Doors” seems innocuous to modern listeners. However, that wasn’t the case in 1973. The combination of O’Dell’s lyrics and Rich’s delivery makes this an incredibly sexy song. In the chorus, Rich sings about how his lady makes him glad he’s a man behind closed doors. In a later verse, he mentions that she’s never too tired to say “I want you.” This was just too much for many DJs in the early 1970s. As a result, many stations refused to play it.

The prudish attitudes of DJs and radio programmers didn’t stop “Behind Closed Doors” from being a huge hit. It was a two-week No. 1 on the Billboard country chart. Moreover, it brought Rich the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. It also brought O’Dell Song of the Year awards from the CMA and ACM.

How a Political Scandal Inspired Charlie Rich’s First No. 1

In June 1972, individuals associated with Richard Nixon’s re-election campaign were caught planting listening devices in the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in the Watergate complex. The incident resulted in a Senate investigation and Nixon’s impeachment and subsequent resignation. As one would imagine, the scandal dominated headlines and national news coverage.

Part of the coverage of the scandal and the investigation surrounding it included repeated mentions of closed-door sessions held by the congressional committee assigned to handle the issue. These sessions, specifically, inspired “Behind Closed Doors.”

“They’re always talking about no one knows what goes on behind closed doors. Having the sessions, another session, behind closed doors,” Kenny O’Dell recalled. “And I’m thinking, I like the title ‘Behind Closed Doors.’”

Charlie Rich had just inked a deal with Epic Records and started working with all-star producer Billy Sherrill. That’s how the song got to him. “Well, Billy Sherrill was producing him, and they were trying to get a huge hit, and things weren’t working out very well,” O’Dell recalled. “I took [the song] to Billy, and I had his ear at the time.”

“Behind Closed Doors” turned out to be exactly what Rich and Sherrill were looking for. It was the first of nine chart-topping singles for Rich.

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