I Wanna Get Next to You explained

I Wanna Get Next To You
Cover:I_Wanna_Get_Next_to_You_-_Rose_Royce.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Rose Royce
Released:December 1976
Recorded:1976
Genre:Soul
Length:3:56
Label:MCA/Whitfield
Producer:Norman Whitfield
Prev Title:Car Wash
Prev Year:1976
Next Title:I'm Going Down
Next Year:1977

"I Wanna Get Next to You" is a 1976 soul single written, composed and produced by American songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield, and most famously sung by American R&B band Rose Royce. It is the third official single from the Car Wash soundtrack. The song has also become a staple on oldies radio and on adult contemporary stations.

Background

The song talks about how a narrator pleads love for a beautiful woman, except that the young woman is unkind, and does not understand his affection for her, as he wastes his own money calling her, but she does not respond, regardless, he still wants to "get next to" her.

Unlike most Rose Royce songs, "I Wanna Get Next to You" does not feature typical lead vocalist Gwen Dickey; rather, it showcases male lead vocals from one of the band's trumpeters, Kenny Copeland.[1] [2]

Chart performance

The song became the group's second top 10 single on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 10, and peaking at number 3 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. The song was also successful worldwide, becoming their second top 40 hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.

Weekly charts

Charts (1976–1977)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] 53
Canadian RPM Singles Chart14
New Zealand Singles Chart6
UK Singles Chart[4] 14
US Easy Listening[5] 9
US Billboard Hot 10010
US Hot Soul Singles[6] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)Rank
Australia [7] 169
Canada [8] 129
New Zealand [9] 44
UK[10] 148
US Billboard Hot 100 [11] 87

Notes and References

  1. https://soultraincruise.com/news/come-on-yall-and-sing-it-for-me "Come on Y'all and Sing it for Me" Soul Train Cruise, 19 February 2020.
  2. https://www.allmusic.com/song/i-wanna-get-next-to-you-mt0004909379 "I Wanna Get Next to You" - Rose Royce (song review)
  3. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 258.
  4. Web site: The Official Charts Company – Artist – Rose Royce . . 2010-09-21 .
  5. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn . 1993 . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 . Record Research . 206.
  6. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

    . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 501.

  7. Web site: australian-charts.com - Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts). https://web.archive.org/web/20141006134948/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=40275. dead. 6 October 2014. Australian-charts.com. 23 April 2021.
  8. Web site: Top 200 Singles of '77 – Volume 28, No. 11, December 31 1977 . . 17 July 2013 . . December 1, 2016.
  9. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 1977 | the Official New Zealand Music Chart . 2016-12-01 . 2016-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101157/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/?chart=3866 . dead .
  10. Web site: Old-Charts . Old-Charts.com . 2016-12-01 . 2017-11-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171110105342/http://www.old-charts.com/charts70/yearend70/1977yearend_uk.htm . dead .
  11. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977. Musicoutfitters.com. 23 April 2021.