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
The Temptations singles chronology
"Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down" (1969) "I Can't Get Next to You" (1969) "The Weight" (1969)

"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	R&B[1]
Length	3:48
Label	Hi 2182
Songwriter(s)	Norman Whitfield Barrett Strong
Producer(s)	Willie Mitchell
Al Green singles chronology
"Right Now, Right Now" (1970) "I Can't Get Next to You" (1970) "Driving Wheel" (1971)

"I Can't Get Next to You" is a 1969 No. 1 single recorded by the Temptations and written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Gordy (Motown) label. The song was a No. 1 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 No. 1 hit on the Billboard Top R&B Singles for five weeks,^[2] 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 No. 1 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 No. 1 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Billboard Top R&B Singles chart. The song has been frequently covered, most notably a 1970 version by Al Green, a slower-paced version without multi-lead vocals. Green's cover, the title track of his 1971 LP Al Green Gets Next to You, reached No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 11 on the R&B chart. Annie Lennox also covered the song on her 1995 album Medusa.

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[3] 11 UK[4] 13 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[5] 1 U.S. Billboard R&B 1 U.S. Cash Box Top 100[6] 3

Year-end charts Chart (1969) Rank Canada [7] 44 US Billboard Hot 100[8] 3 US Cash Box [9] 7 All-time charts Chart (1958-2018) Position US Billboard Hot 100[10] 409

Al Green

Chart (1970–71)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[11]	60
U.S. Billboard R&B	11
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[12]	70

See also

• Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1969 (USA)
• R&B number-one hits of 1969 (USA)

References

1. Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 522. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 571.
3. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1969-10-25. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
4. "Official Charts Company". Retrieved 2019-10-09.
5. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
6. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 25, 1969
7. "RPM Top Singles of 1969". Library and Archives Canada. RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
8. Musicoutfitters.com
9. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1969". Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
10. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
11. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
12. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 19, 1970