Billboard #1 Hits: #220 : “I Can’t Get Next To You”- The Temptations. October 18, 1969. #1 for 2 weeks.
- Single: “I Can’t Get Next To You”- The Temptations
- Record Company- Gordy
- Genre: Soul
- Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
- Time: 2:51
- B-side: “Running Away [Ain’t Gonna Help You}
- Album- Puzzle People
- Grade: A+
- Peaked at #1 2 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100. #13 on UK Singles Chart.
The Temptations second out of four #1 hits their first had been “My Girl.” back in 1965. A couple notes on “I Can’t Get Next To You”- the odd opening with the applause and Dennis Edwards saying “hold it, hold it, listen” was sampled in another Temptations hit “Psychedelic Shack.” In 1971 the great Al Green would take this song and make it into his own as a slow burning love song. Doesn’t sound like the same song. The Al Green version only made it to #60 on the chart.
slicethelife 
They are incomparable.
Great song, and I always loved that opening.
Glad you gave this an A+. I need to check out Al Green’s version.
Nice dose of groovy psychedelic soul. And The Temptations’ vocals were just crazy good!
Have you ever heard their rendition of “Silent Night?” It’s so incredibly beautiful it makes you cry!
Thanks I will look it up… they really hit did get into a great groove in the late 60’s early 70’s- peak stuff.
Somehow I never heard this song until the movie Hope Floats. So that’s what it makes me think of. It makes me happy every time I hear it.
I haven’t seen that movie- must be good will have to check it out.