I Can't Get Next to You
Encyclopedia
"I Can't Get Next to You" is a 1969 number-one single
recorded by The Temptations
and produced by Norman Whitfield
for the Gordy (Motown) label. The song was the number-one single on the Billboard Top Pop Singles
chart for two weeks in 1969, from October 11 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,. 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.
ABC
, a song released in the following year by fellow Motown act The Jackson Five, uses the same bridge section, featuring identifiable use of the stated "ya!" as well as the percussion.
" records from the Cloud Nine
album
, "I Can't Get Next to You" is a marked departure from with the Temptations' David Ruffin
-led hits. Although it is in essence a love song like those earlier Smokey Robinson
-crafted singles, "I Can't Get Next to You's" backing track features a high tempo, and a focus on piano
, electric guitar
, and drum
s that gives the song the feel of a Sly & the Family Stone
recording.
"I Can't Get Next to You" features all five Temptations trading verses about how having all the powers in the world means nothing if a man cannot impress the woman he loves—very similar to the lyrics of Ira Gershwin
's 1935 standard "I Can't Get Started With You". Each member of the group sings a separate line of the song's verses; for example, the first verse begins:
Each verse continues in this fashion, with Edwards or Kendricks delivering the pre-chorus and all five members singing the chorus of "I can't get next to you, babe/I can't get next to you." When performing the song live, the Temptations would perform the number with a stiff-legged dance routine that Kendricks devised from similar dance moves his children did around the house.
The single opens with the sound of applause, similar to a lively party. Dennis Edwards then interrupts the proceedings ("Hold on, everybody, hold it, hold on...listen!"), and the song proper begins. After a bluesy piano solo from Earl Van Dyke
, the rest of the Funk Brothers studio band joins in and the first verse begins. "I Can't Get Next to You's" intro was sampled
for the album version of the next major Temptations hit, "Psychedelic Shack
", one of the earliest uses of such a technique.
"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 slow 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
charts. 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. Green's cover, the title track of his 1971 LP Al Green Gets Next to You
, reached number sixty on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, and number eleven on the R&B chart.
In 1971 the British
group Savoy Brown
included a much slower and bluesier version in their album Street Corner Talking.
In 1993 the brazilian blues band Big Allanbik, covered this song on their first release "Blues Special Reserve", with a tinged Savoy Brown influence.
In 1995, Annie Lennox
covered the song on her Medusa
album, with a slight lyrical alteration to reflect her gender.
In 2000, Westlife
used the song for the medley part of their Where the Dreams Come True Tour
.
In 2002, Toto
covered the song on their album Through the Looking Glass
.
In 2006, San Francisco band Thee More Shallows
covered the song on their EP Monkey vs. Shark
.
In 2008, Lil' Wayne sampled parts of the song for his song "I Can't Get Next to You" for his mixtape "Da Drought is Over 5" altering the chorus of the song in similar fashion.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
recorded by The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
and produced by Norman Whitfield
Norman Whitfield
Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s...
for the Gordy (Motown) label. The song was the number-one single on the Billboard Top Pop Singles
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart for two weeks in 1969, from October 11 to October 25, replacing "Sugar, Sugar
Sugar, Sugar
"Sugar, Sugar" is a pop song written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim. It was a four-week 1969 number-one hit single by fictional characters The Archies. Produced by Jeff Barry, the song was originally released on the album Everything's Archie. The album is the product of a group of studio musicians...
" by The Archies
The Archies
The Archies are a garage band founded by Archie Andrews, Reggie Mantle, and Jughead Jones, a group of adolescent fictional characters of the Archie universe, in the context of the animated TV series, The Archie Show...
and replaced by "Suspicious Minds
Suspicious Minds
"Suspicious Minds" is a song written by American songwriter Mark James that, after the failure of his own recording, was handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chips Moman becoming one of his most notable hits and a number one in 1969, "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that returned...
" by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. The single was also a number-one hit on the Billboard Top R&B Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
for five weeks,. from October 4 to November 1, replacing "Oh, What a Night
Oh, What a Night (song)
"Oh, What a Night" is a song first recorded by the doo-wop group The Dells and released in 1956, originally under the title "Oh What a Nite". The Dells' recording peaked at number four on the R&B singles chart and was released on the Vee Jay Records label. Re-released in 1969, the song was...
" by The Dells
The Dells
The Dells are an R&B and crossover musical group. Their successful recordings spanned more than four decades. Formed in 1952 after attending high school together, the Dells' repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul, disco and contemporary rhythm and blues...
, and replaced by another Motown song, "Baby I'm For Real
Baby I'm For Real
"Baby, I'm for Real" is a soul ballad written by Marvin Gaye and Anna Gordy Gaye, produced by Marvin and recorded and released by American Motown vocal group The Originals for the Soul label issued in 1969.-The Originals version:...
" by The Originals
The Originals
The Originals were a successful Motown R&B and soul group during the late 1960s and the 1970s, most notable for the hits "Baby I'm For Real", "The Bells" and the disco classic, "Down to Love Town"...
.
The single was the second of the Temptations' four number-one hits on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop charts, and was also one of the best-selling singles the group released.
ABC
ABC (song)
"ABC" is a 1970 number-one hit song by The Jackson 5. "ABC" was written with the same design as "I Want You Back", and was first heard on American Bandstand in February 1970. "ABC" knocked The Beatles song "Let It Be" out of the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970...
, a song released in the following year by fellow Motown act The Jackson Five, uses the same bridge section, featuring identifiable use of the stated "ya!" as well as the percussion.
Overview
Building on the foundation set by their previous "psychedelic soulPsychedelic soul
Psychedelic soul, sometimes called black rock, is a sub-genre of soul music, which mixes the characteristics of soul with psychedelic rock...
" records from the Cloud Nine
Cloud Nine (Temptations album)
Cloud Nine is a 1969 album by American musical group The Temptations for the Gordy label.The album is a watershed for several reasons. It is the first regular Temptations studio LP to feature Dennis Edwards as the replacement for David Ruffin, who was fired in June 1968...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, "I Can't Get Next to You" is a marked departure from with the Temptations' David Ruffin
David Ruffin
Davis Eli "David" Ruffin was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968...
-led hits. Although it is in essence a love song like those earlier Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
-crafted singles, "I Can't Get Next to You's" backing track features a high tempo, and a focus on piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, and drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s that gives the song the feel of a Sly & the Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
recording.
"I Can't Get Next to You" features all five Temptations trading verses about how having all the powers in the world means nothing if a man cannot impress the woman he loves—very similar to the lyrics of Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
's 1935 standard "I Can't Get Started With You". Each member of the group sings a separate line of the song's verses; for example, the first verse begins:
- Dennis EdwardsDennis EdwardsDennis Edwards is a soul and R&B singer, most noted for being one of Motown act The Temptations' lead singers replacing David Ruffin. He is the father of Issa Pointer, whose mother is Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters.-Career:...
: "I can turn the grayest sky blue..." - Melvin FranklinMelvin FranklinDavid Melvin English better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin, was an American bass singer. Franklin is best known for his role as a member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1960 to 1994....
: "I can make it rain, whenever I want it to...". - Eddie KendricksEddie KendricksEddie Kendricks was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group The Temptations, and was one of their lead singers from 1960 until 1971. His was the lead voice on such famous songs as "The Way You Do The Things...
: "I can build a castle from a single grain of sand..." - Paul WilliamsPaul Williams (The Temptations)Paul Williams was an American baritone singer and choreographer. Williams is noted for being one of the founding members and original lead singer of the Motown group The Temptations...
: "I can make a ship sail on dry land...".
- Otis WilliamsOtis WilliamsOtis Williams is an American baritone singer. Nicknamed "Big Daddy", he has also acted as a sporadic songwriter and record producer. Williams co-founded the Motown vocal group The Temptations in early 1960 as The Elgins, a group in which he continues to perform...
: "I can make the seasons change just by waving my hand..." (later in the song).
Each verse continues in this fashion, with Edwards or Kendricks delivering the pre-chorus and all five members singing the chorus of "I can't get next to you, babe/I can't get next to you." When performing the song live, the Temptations would perform the number with a stiff-legged dance routine that Kendricks devised from similar dance moves his children did around the house.
The single opens with the sound of applause, similar to a lively party. Dennis Edwards then interrupts the proceedings ("Hold on, everybody, hold it, hold on...listen!"), and the song proper begins. After a bluesy piano solo from Earl Van Dyke
Earl Van Dyke
Earl Van Dyke was an African American musician, most notable as the main keyboardist for Motown Records' in-house Funk Brothers band during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Van Dyke was preceded as keyboardist and bandleader of the Funk Brothers by Joe Hunter...
, the rest of the Funk Brothers studio band joins in and the first verse begins. "I Can't Get Next to You's" intro was sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
for the album version of the next major Temptations hit, "Psychedelic Shack
Psychedelic Shack (song)
"Psychedelic Shack" is a 1969 single for the Motown label performed by The Temptations and produced by Norman Whitfield. It became a hit single in 1970....
", one of the earliest uses of such a technique.
"I Can't Get Next to You" was the second single from the 1969 Temptations LP Puzzle People
Puzzle People
Puzzle People is a 1969 album recorded by The Temptations for the Gordy label. Entirely produced by Norman Whitfield, Puzzle People takes the next step along the path that Cloud Nine started, and takes the Temptations further away from a classic soul sound, and more towards the realm of...
, with "Running Away (Ain't Gonna Help You)", a slow ballad led by Paul Williams, as the b-side. The single was a number-one hit on both the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and the Billboard Top R&B Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
charts. The song has been frequently covered, with the most notable cover being a 1970 version by Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
, which strips the composition of its fast pace and multi-lead vocals, and instead renders it as a slow-burning plea for love. Green's cover, the title track of his 1971 LP Al Green Gets Next to You
Al Green Gets Next to You
Al Green Gets Next to You is a studio album by American soul singer Al Green, released August 14, 1971.-Track listing:# "I Can't Get Next to You" – 3:52# "Are You Lonely for Me, Baby?" – 4:02...
, reached number sixty on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, and number eleven on the R&B chart.
Personnel
- Lead and background vocals by Dennis EdwardsDennis EdwardsDennis Edwards is a soul and R&B singer, most noted for being one of Motown act The Temptations' lead singers replacing David Ruffin. He is the father of Issa Pointer, whose mother is Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters.-Career:...
(verses; choruses; outro), Eddie KendricksEddie KendricksEddie Kendricks was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group The Temptations, and was one of their lead singers from 1960 until 1971. His was the lead voice on such famous songs as "The Way You Do The Things...
(verses; choruses), Paul WilliamsPaul Williams (The Temptations)Paul Williams was an American baritone singer and choreographer. Williams is noted for being one of the founding members and original lead singer of the Motown group The Temptations...
(verses), Melvin FranklinMelvin FranklinDavid Melvin English better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin, was an American bass singer. Franklin is best known for his role as a member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1960 to 1994....
(verses), and Otis WilliamsOtis WilliamsOtis Williams is an American baritone singer. Nicknamed "Big Daddy", he has also acted as a sporadic songwriter and record producer. Williams co-founded the Motown vocal group The Temptations in early 1960 as The Elgins, a group in which he continues to perform...
(last verse) - Written by Norman WhitfieldNorman WhitfieldNorman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s...
and Barrett StrongBarrett StrongBarrett Strong is an American singer and songwriter. Strong was the first artist to record a hit for Motown, although he is best remembered for his work as a songwriter, particularly in association with producer Norman Whitfield.-His career:Strong was among the first artists signed to Berry... - Produced by Norman Whitfield
- Instrumentation by The Funk BrothersThe Funk BrothersThe Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit, Michigan, session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown Records recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972...
.
Covers
In 1970, The Osmonds (with newly added youngest brother Donny) covered the song on their eponymous MGM debut album as the finale of a medley of Motown hits.In 1971 the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
group Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown, originally known as the Savoy Brown Blues Band, are a British blues rock band, formed in 1965, in Battersea, South West London...
included a much slower and bluesier version in their album Street Corner Talking.
In 1993 the brazilian blues band Big Allanbik, covered this song on their first release "Blues Special Reserve", with a tinged Savoy Brown influence.
In 1995, Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
covered the song on her Medusa
Medusa (Annie Lennox album)
Medusa is the second solo album by the Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released in March 1995. It consists solely of cover songs, all originally recorded by male artists. It entered the UK album chart at No. 1 and peaked in the US at number 11, spending 60 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. It has...
album, with a slight lyrical alteration to reflect her gender.
In 2000, Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
used the song for the medley part of their Where the Dreams Come True Tour
Where The Dreams Come True Tour
A live concert DVD of the tour was released later that same year.The DVD contained several bonus materials such as an "Access All Areas" documentary, a "World Of Our Own" featurette, a link to an exclusive website and a music video of When You're Looking Like That in Dolby Digital 2.0 & 5.1...
.
In 2002, Toto
Toto (band)
Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...
covered the song on their album Through the Looking Glass
Through the Looking Glass (Toto album)
Through the Looking Glass is the 11th studio album by the American band Toto. It was released in 2002, three years after their last studio release, "Mindfields." The album consists of covers of songs that have inspired the band.-Reception:...
.
In 2006, San Francisco band Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows are a three-piece San Francisco based experimental indie rock band formed in 2001, consisting of song-writer Dee Kesler, Chavo Fraser and Jason Gonzales...
covered the song on their EP Monkey vs. Shark
Monkey vs. Shark
Monkey vs. Shark is an EP released by Thee More Shallows in 2006. It features two original unreleased tracks, followed by a cover of The Temptations hit song "I Can't Get Next to You" and a remix of "Freshman Thesis" from the bands 2004 album More Deep Cuts. The remix was mastered by Odd Nosdam...
.
In 2008, Lil' Wayne sampled parts of the song for his song "I Can't Get Next to You" for his mixtape "Da Drought is Over 5" altering the chorus of the song in similar fashion.
See also
- Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1969 (USA)
- R&B number-one hits of 1969 (USA)R&B number-one hits of 1969 (USA)These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1969:See also: 1969 in music, List of number-one R&B hits...