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"Close Every Door" is ashow tune from the musicalJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat byTim Rice andAndrew Lloyd Webber. It is the penultimate song of the first act of the musical, sung byJoseph while imprisoned for his supposed relationship withMrs. Potiphar. Along with "Any Dream Will Do", it is one of the most popular songs from the musical.
In addition to voicing Joseph's despair at being jailed for acrime he did not commit, the song also touches on the history ofJewish persecution; for instance, the lyrics "Just give me a number instead of my name... Destroy me completely, then throw me away" reflect the well-documentedNazi practices during theHolocaust. The lyrics have even been incorporated into aSeder service for educators inNew South Wales.[1]
Australian singerJon English released a version a single in Australia in 1973.
The song was released as a single by formerBBC children's TV anchorPhillip Schofield in 1992, when he played the role of Joseph in theLondon Palladium production, with "Any Dream Will Do" as a B-side. The single peaked 27 in theUK charts.[2] He later sang "Close Every Door" at theRoyal Variety Performance.
A special cello version of the song was recorded byJulian Lloyd Webber for the 1989 albumLloyd Webber Plays Lloyd Webber, reissued and expanded in 2001.
The song was used as the exit song on Andrew Lloyd Webber'sBBC Onereality showAny Dream Will Do, sung by the "Joseph" leaving each show as he hands his dreamcoat back to the remaining contestants. On 9 June 2007The Phantom of the Opera ensemble member and Raoul understudyLee Mead won the role of Joseph.
On 10 June 2007, Mead recordedAny Dream Will Do and was joined by third-placed Lewis Bradley and second-placedKeith Jack on "Close Every Door". The single was released to raise funds for the BBC'sChildren in Need charity.[3] On 17 June 2007 Mead's solo track entered the UK singles chart at No.18 on downloads only. A double A-sided CD single of both Mead's solo track and the ensemble recording was released on 18 June 2007. The single, credited to Mead, rose to No.2 on 24 June 2007.
