Jim Lowe (May 7, 1923 – December 12, 2016) was an American singer-songwrite… Read Full Bio ↴Jim Lowe (May 7, 1923 – December 12, 2016) was an American singer-songwriter, best known for his 1956 number-one hit song, "Green Door".
He also served as a disc jockey and radio host and personality, and has been considered an expert on the popular music of the 1940s and 1950s.
Born in Springfield, Missouri, Lowe graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia.
His most notable run as a disc jockey was with WNEW AM in New York. Lowe also worked at WNBC AM in New York where he was heard both locally and on the coast-to-coast NBC Radio weekend program Monitor.
A million-seller and gold record recipient, Lowe's 1956 hit "Green Door" was written by Marvin Moore and Bob Davie. The song reached No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1956. Lowe earlier wrote "Gambler's Guitar", a million-selling hit for Rusty Draper in 1953.
He retired in 2004 at the age of 81, and lived in Southampton, New York.
Lowe died on December 12, 2016 at his home in East Hampton, Long Island, after a long illness.
For contributions to the music industry, Lowe was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6341 Hollywood Boulevard.
Discography
Singles
Year Single (A-side, B-side)
Both sides from same album except where indicated US R&B US Country Album
1953 "Gambler's Guitar"
b/w "The Martins and The Coys" - - - The Door Of Fame
"Look In Both Directions"
b/w "Santa Claus Rides A Strawberry Roan" (Non-album track) - - -
1954 "Pretty Fickle Darlin'"
b/w "Go and Leave Me" - - -
"River Boat"
b/w "Goodbye Little Sweetheart" - - -
1955 "Close The Door"
b/w "Nuevo Laredo" (Non-album track) 27 - - Songs They Sing Behind The Green Door
"Maybellene"
b/w "Rene LaRue" (from Wicked Women) - 13 - Non-album tracks
"John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith"
b/w "St. James Avenue" - - -
1956 "Blue Suede Shoes"
b/w "(Love Is) The $64,000 Question" - - -
"The Green Door"
b/w "(The Story Of) The Little Man In Chinatown" (Non-album track) 1 5 - Songs They Sing Behind The Green Door
"Prince Of Peace"
b/w "Santa Claus Rides A Strawberry Roan" (Non-album track) - - - The Door Of Fame
"The Martins and The Coys"
b/w "The Golden Goose Is Dead" - - -
1957 "By You, By You, By You" / 43 - - Non-album tracks
"I Feel The Beat" 84 - -
"Four Walls" / 15 - -
"Talkin' To The Blues" 15 - 8
"From A Jack To A King"
b/w "Slow Train" - - -
"The Bright Light"
b/w "Rock-A-Chicka" - - -
1958 "The Lady From Johannesburg"
b/w "Kewpie Doll" - - -
"Take Us To Your President"
b/w "Later On Tonight" - - -
"Ja Ja Ja"
b/w "Chapel Bells On Chapel Hill" - - -
"Play Number Theven"
b/w "Come Away From His Arms" - - -
1959 "Without You"
b/w "I'm Movin' On" - - -
1960 "He'll Have To Go"
b/w "(This Life Is Just A) Dress Rehearsal" - - -
"The Midnight Ride Of Paul Revere"
b/w "The Tomorrow That Never Came" - - -
"Man Of The Cloth"
b/w "Someone Else's Arms" - - -
1961 "That Do Make It Nice"
b/w "Two Sides To Every Story" - - -
1963 "Hootenanny Granny"
b/w "These Bones Gonna Rise Again" 103 - -
1964 "Addis Ababa"
b/w "Have You Ever Been Lonely" - - -
1965 "Mr. Moses"
b/w "Make Your Back Strong" - - -
1967 "Blotsen Botten"
b/w "Gambler's Guitar" - - -
1968 "Micahel J. Pollard For President"
b/w "The Ol' Race Track" - - -
1973 "Green Door" (Re-recorded version)
b/w "San Francisco Bay"
Featuting Teresa Brewer on background vocals - - -
He also served as a disc jockey and radio host and personality, and has been considered an expert on the popular music of the 1940s and 1950s.
Born in Springfield, Missouri, Lowe graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia.
His most notable run as a disc jockey was with WNEW AM in New York. Lowe also worked at WNBC AM in New York where he was heard both locally and on the coast-to-coast NBC Radio weekend program Monitor.
A million-seller and gold record recipient, Lowe's 1956 hit "Green Door" was written by Marvin Moore and Bob Davie. The song reached No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1956. Lowe earlier wrote "Gambler's Guitar", a million-selling hit for Rusty Draper in 1953.
He retired in 2004 at the age of 81, and lived in Southampton, New York.
Lowe died on December 12, 2016 at his home in East Hampton, Long Island, after a long illness.
For contributions to the music industry, Lowe was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6341 Hollywood Boulevard.
Discography
Singles
Year Single (A-side, B-side)
Both sides from same album except where indicated US R&B US Country Album
1953 "Gambler's Guitar"
b/w "The Martins and The Coys" - - - The Door Of Fame
"Look In Both Directions"
b/w "Santa Claus Rides A Strawberry Roan" (Non-album track) - - -
1954 "Pretty Fickle Darlin'"
b/w "Go and Leave Me" - - -
"River Boat"
b/w "Goodbye Little Sweetheart" - - -
1955 "Close The Door"
b/w "Nuevo Laredo" (Non-album track) 27 - - Songs They Sing Behind The Green Door
"Maybellene"
b/w "Rene LaRue" (from Wicked Women) - 13 - Non-album tracks
"John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith"
b/w "St. James Avenue" - - -
1956 "Blue Suede Shoes"
b/w "(Love Is) The $64,000 Question" - - -
"The Green Door"
b/w "(The Story Of) The Little Man In Chinatown" (Non-album track) 1 5 - Songs They Sing Behind The Green Door
"Prince Of Peace"
b/w "Santa Claus Rides A Strawberry Roan" (Non-album track) - - - The Door Of Fame
"The Martins and The Coys"
b/w "The Golden Goose Is Dead" - - -
1957 "By You, By You, By You" / 43 - - Non-album tracks
"I Feel The Beat" 84 - -
"Four Walls" / 15 - -
"Talkin' To The Blues" 15 - 8
"From A Jack To A King"
b/w "Slow Train" - - -
"The Bright Light"
b/w "Rock-A-Chicka" - - -
1958 "The Lady From Johannesburg"
b/w "Kewpie Doll" - - -
"Take Us To Your President"
b/w "Later On Tonight" - - -
"Ja Ja Ja"
b/w "Chapel Bells On Chapel Hill" - - -
"Play Number Theven"
b/w "Come Away From His Arms" - - -
1959 "Without You"
b/w "I'm Movin' On" - - -
1960 "He'll Have To Go"
b/w "(This Life Is Just A) Dress Rehearsal" - - -
"The Midnight Ride Of Paul Revere"
b/w "The Tomorrow That Never Came" - - -
"Man Of The Cloth"
b/w "Someone Else's Arms" - - -
1961 "That Do Make It Nice"
b/w "Two Sides To Every Story" - - -
1963 "Hootenanny Granny"
b/w "These Bones Gonna Rise Again" 103 - -
1964 "Addis Ababa"
b/w "Have You Ever Been Lonely" - - -
1965 "Mr. Moses"
b/w "Make Your Back Strong" - - -
1967 "Blotsen Botten"
b/w "Gambler's Guitar" - - -
1968 "Micahel J. Pollard For President"
b/w "The Ol' Race Track" - - -
1973 "Green Door" (Re-recorded version)
b/w "San Francisco Bay"
Featuting Teresa Brewer on background vocals - - -
Talkin the Blues
Jim Lowe Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Jim Lowe:
(The Story of) The Little Man in Chinatown There once was a little man in chinatown He was a…
By You By You By You See that birdie on the fence If that bird had any…
Four Walls Out where the bright lights are glowing You're drawn like a…
Gambler's Guitar My guitar, my guitar Tell of the hearts that this vagabond…
Gambler´s Guitar My guitar, my guitar Tell of the hearts that this vagabond…
Green Door Midnight, one more night without sleeping Watching till the …
I Feel The Beat [Verse:] Every time we meet I feel the beat There's a thousa…
Talkin' To The Blues Talking to the blues Talking to the blues Since my baby le…
The Green Door Midnight, one more night without sleeping Watching till the …
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Gregg Matson
I remember this one from about '57. Hadn't heard it in a lonnnnnnng time. Great song.
Jim Hilliker
I missed this Jim Lowe record the last time you posted it. I have a recording of the song but it seems to be a different cut or a lighter recording or a remake or something cuz the arrangements slightly different but I like it actually thank you very much
Jim Hilliker
I meant later recording, a remake or possibly a different take. I'll have to listen to my CD of this song and see if it is different.
John Sientz
New Yorkers will fondly remember him as one of the great WNEW personalities (and WCBS, before “all news”) … “Mr. Broadway”
Paul Joseph
Cool boogie. Film noir, no rock noir or maybe blue. Hip daddio
Richard Smith
How could this terible song be a #15 Billboard hit? Terrible.