I Can't Get Next to You

"I Can't Get Next to You"
"I Can't Get Next to You"
Single by Al Green
from the album Al Green Gets Next to You
Released	November 1970
Recorded	Memphis, Tennessee; 1970
Genre	Soul
Length	3:48
Label	Hi; 2182
Songwriter(s)	Norman Whitfield ; Barrett Strong
Producer(s)	Willie Mitchell
Al Green singles chronology

"I Can't Get Next to You"
"I Can't Get Next to You"
Single by The Temptations
from the album Puzzle People
B-side	"Running Away (Ain't Gonna Help You)"
Released	July 30, 1969
Recorded	Hitsville USA (Studio A); June 23, June 24, June 27, June 30, July 2, and July 3, 1969
Genre	Funk, psychedelic soul
Length	2:51
Label	Gordy; G 7093
Songwriter(s)	Norman Whitfield; Barrett Strong;
Producer(s)	Norman Whitfield Platinum (RIAA)
The Temptations singles chronology

"I Can't Get Next to You" is a 1969 number-one single recorded by The Temptations and written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Gordy (Motown) label. The song was a number-one single on the Billboard Top Pop Singles chart for two weeks in 1969, from October 18 to October 25, replacing "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies and replaced by "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley. The single was also a number-one hit on the Billboard Top R&B Singles for five weeks,^[1] from October 4 to November 1, replacing "Oh, What a Night" by The Dells, and replaced by another Motown song, "Baby I'm For Real" by The Originals.

The single was the second of the Temptations' four number-one hits on the United States pop charts, and was also one of the best-selling singles the group released. Billboard ranked it as the No. 3 song for 1969.

The applause that starts the song, which is cut short by Dennis Edwards' spoken "Hold it, hold it, listen" line, was sampled in another Temptations song "Psychedelic Shack."

Overview[]

"I Can't Get Next to You" was the second single from the 1969 Temptations LP Puzzle People, with "Running Away (Ain't Gonna Help You)", a ballad led by Paul Williams, as the b-side. The single was a number-one hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Billboard Top R&B Singles chart. The song has been frequently covered, with the most notable cover being a 1970 version by Al Green, which strips the composition of its fast pace and multi-lead vocals, and instead renders it as a slow-burning plea for love.^{[citation needed]} Green's cover, the title track of his 1971 LP Al Green Gets Next to You, reached number sixty on the Billboard Hot 100, and number eleven on the R&B chart.

Personnel[]

Lead and background vocals by Dennis Edwards (verses; choruses; outro), Eddie Kendricks (verses; choruses), Paul Williams (verses), Melvin Franklin (verses), and Otis Williams (last verse)
Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
Produced by Norman Whitfield
Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers.

Chart history[]

The Temptations[]

Chart (1969)	Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles^[2]	11
UK^[3]	13
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[4]	1
U.S. Billboard R&B	1
U.S. Cash Box Top 100^[5]	3

Year-end charts[]

Chart (1969)	Rank
Canada ^[6]	44
US Billboard Hot 100^[7]	3
US Cash Box ^[8]	7

All-time charts[]

Chart (1958-2018)	Position
US Billboard Hot 100^[9]	409

Al Green[]

Chart (1970–71)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[10]	60
U.S. Billboard R&B	11
U.S. Cash Box Top 100^[11]	70

References[]

^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 571.
^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1969-10-25. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
^ "Official Charts Company". Retrieved 2019-10-09.
^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 25, 1969
^ "RPM Top Singles of 1969". Library and Archives Canada. RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
^ Musicoutfitters.com
^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1969". Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 19, 1970

External links[]

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

[1] Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 571.

[2] "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1969-10-25. Retrieved 2019-12-03.

[3] "Official Charts Company". Retrieved 2019-10-09.

[4] Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X

[5] Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 25, 1969

[6] "RPM Top Singles of 1969". Library and Archives Canada. RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2017.

[7] Musicoutfitters.com

[8] "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1969". Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.

[9] "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.

[10] Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X

[11] Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 19, 1970

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

show v t The Temptations
Otis Williams Ron Tyson Terry Weeks Willie Green Mario Corbino Melvin Franklin Eddie Kendricks Paul Williams Elbridge Bryant David Ruffin Dennis Edwards Ricky Owens Richard Street Damon Harris Glenn Leonard Louis Price Ali-Ollie Woodson Theo Peoples Harry McGilberry Barrington "Bo" Henderson Ray Davis G. C. Cameron Joe Herndon Bruce Williamson Larry Braggs
Studio albums	Meet the Temptations The Temptations Sing Smokey The Temptin' Temptations Gettin' Ready The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul The Temptations Wish It Would Rain Cloud Nine Puzzle People Psychedelic Shack Sky's the Limit Solid Rock All Directions Masterpiece 1990 A Song for You House Party Wings of Love The Temptations Do the Temptations Bare Back Hear to Tempt You Power The Temptations Reunion Surface Thrills Back to Basics Truly for You Touch Me To Be Continued... Together Again Special Milestone Phoenix Rising Ear-Resistible Awesome Legacy Still Here
Cover albums	The Temptations in a Mellow Mood For Lovers Only Reflections Back to Front
Live albums	Temptations Live! Live at the Copa Live at London's Talk of the Town The Temptations in Japan
Other albums	Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations TCB The Temptations Show Together On Broadway The Temptations Christmas Card Give Love at Christmas Lost and Found: You've Got to Earn It (1962–1968)
Compilations	Greatest Hits Greatest Hits II Anthology Emperors of Soul The Ultimate Collection My Girl: The Very Best of the Temptations Psychedelic Soul
Singles (US/UK Top 10)	"My Girl" "Get Ready" "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" "(I Know) I'm Losing You" "All I Need" "You're My Everything" "I Wish It Would Rain" "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)" "Cloud Nine" "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" "Run Away Child, Running Wild" "I Can't Get Next to You" "Psychedelic Shack" "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" "Masterpiece" "Let Your Hair Down" "Happy People" "Shakey Ground" "Treat Her Like a Lady" "The Motown Song" "My Girl" (reissue)
Related	Band members The Temptations (miniseries) Discography The Supremes The Undisputed Truth Smokey Robinson Norman Whitfield Barrett Strong Sly Stone George Clinton
Category

show v t The Temptations singles discography
1960s	"Oh Mother of Mine" (1961) "Check Yourself" (1961) "(You're My) Dream Come True" (1962) "Mind Over Matter (I'm Gonna Make You Mine)" (1962) "Paradise" (1962) "I Want a Love I Can See" (1963) "Farewell My Love" (1963) "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (1964) "I'll Be in Trouble" (1964) / "The Girl's Alright with Me" (1964) "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" (1964) "My Girl" (1964) "It's Growing" (1965) "Since I Lost My Baby" (1965) / "You've Got to Earn It" (1965) "My Baby" (1965) / "Don't Look Back" (1965) "Get Ready" (1966) "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1966) "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" (1966) "(I Know) I'm Losing You" (1966) "All I Need" (1967) "You're My Everything" (1967) / "I've Been Good To You" (1967) "(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need" (1967) "I Wish It Would Rain" (1968) / "I Truly, Truly Believe" (1968) "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)" (1968) "Please Return Your Love to Me" (1968) "Cloud Nine" (1968) "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1968) / "Silent Night" (1968) "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (1969) "Runaway Child, Running Wild" (1969) "I'll Try Something New" (1969) "Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down" (1969) "I Second That Emotion" (1969) "I Can't Get Next to You" (1969) "The Weight" (1969)
1970s	"Psychedelic Shack" (1970) "Why (Must We Fall in Love)" (1970) "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" (1970) "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World)" (1970) / "Hum Along and Dance" (1970) "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" (1971) "It's Summer" (1971) "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)" (1971) "Take a Look Around" (1972) "Mother Nature" (1972) / "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On" (1972) "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972) "Masterpiece" (1973) "Plastic Man" (1973) "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)" (1973) "Law of the Land" (1973) "Let Your Hair Down" (1973) "Heavenly" (1974) "You've Got My Soul on Fire" (1974) "Happy People" (1974) "Shakey Ground" (1975) "Glasshouse" (1975) "Keep Holdin' On" (1976) "Up the Creek (Without a Paddle)" (1976) "Who are You (and What are You Doing the Rest of Your Life)" (1976) "In a Lifetime" (1977) "Think for Yourself" (1977) "Bare Back" (1978) "Ever Ready Love" (1978)
1980s	"Power" (1980) "Struck By Lightning Twice" (1980) "Aiming At Your Heart" (1981) "Oh What A Night" (1981) "Standing On The Top - Pt. 1" (1982) "More On The Inside" (1982) "Money's Hard To Get" (1982) "Love On My Mind Tonight" (1983) "Surface Thrills" (1983) "Miss Busy Body (Get Your Body Busy)" (1983) "Sail Away" (1984) "Treat Her Like a Lady" (1984) "My Love Is True (Truly For You)" (1985) "How Can You Say That It's Over" (1985) "Do You Really Love Your Baby" (1985) "Deeper Than Love" (1985) "Touch Me" (1986) "I'm Fascinated" (1986) "A Fine Mess" (1986) "My Girl" (re-issue) (1986) "Lady Soul" (1986) "To Be Continued..." (1986) "Someone" (1987) "I Wonder Who She's Seeing Now" (1987) "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (re-issue) (1987) "Look What You Started" (1987) "Do You Wanna Go With Me" (1988) "All I Want From You" (1989) "Special" (1989) "Loveline" (1989)
1990s	"Soul to Soul" (1990) "One Step At A Time (Remix)" (1990) "The Motown Song" (1991) "The Jones" (1991) "My Girl" (re-issue) (1992) "Hoops of Fire" (1992) "Error of Our Ways" (1994) "Silent Night" (1995) "Stay" (1998) "This is My Promise" (1998) "How Could He Hurt You" (1999)
2000s	"I'm Here" (2000)