I Wanna Get Next to You

1976 single by Rose Royce

"I Wanna Get Next To You"

Single by Rose Royce

from the album Car Wash: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

B-side

"Sunrise" (US)
"Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" (International)

Released

December 1976

Recorded

1976

Genre

Soul

Length

3:56

Label

MCA/Whitfield

Songwriter(s)

Norman Whitfield

Producer(s)

Norman Whitfield

Rose Royce singles chronology

"Car Wash"
(1976)

"I Wanna Get Next To You"
(1976)

"I'm Going Down"
(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.

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 (1976–77)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[1]	53
Canadian RPM Singles Chart	14
New Zealand Singles Chart	6
UK Singles Chart^[2]	14
US Easy Listening^[3]	9
US Billboard Hot 100	10
US Hot Soul Singles^[4]	3

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)	Rank
Australia ^[5]	169
Canada ^[6]	129
New Zealand ^[7]	44
UK^[8]	148
US Billboard Hot 100 ^[9]	87

References

^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 258. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "The Official Charts Company – Artist – Rose Royce". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 206.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 501.
^ "australian-charts.com - Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
^ "Top 200 Singles of '77 – Volume 28, No. 11, December 31 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
^ "Top Selling Singles of 1977 | the Official New Zealand Music Chart". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
^ "Old-Charts". Old-Charts.com. Archived from the original on 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
^ "Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 23 April 2021.