"I Wanna Get Next to You" is a 1976 soul single written, composed and produced by the 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. It was the group's second and final top ten hit on the pop chart.
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. This theme is expressed clearly and concisely in the lyrics of the song's first verse:Sitting here in this chair, waiting on you / oh, baby to see things my way.
But not a word do you say. / You won't even look my way, yeah
Girl I'm spending my dimes, / wasting my time
Talking 'til I'm black and blue. / Oh, can't you see I wanna get next to you? 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."Come on Y'all and Sing it for Me" Soul Train Cruise, 19 February 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2024."I Wanna Get Next to You" - Rose Royce (song review) @AllMusic. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
Chart performance "I Wanna Get Next to You" became Rose Royce's second top 10 single on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 10; it peaked at No. 3 on Billboards Hot Soul Singles chart and at No. 9 on Billboards Easy Listening chart. The song peaked at No. 10 on the Cashbox Top 100 Singles chart, spending two weeks in the top 10. The song's strongest showing was on Record World magazine's Top Singles Chart which had it peaking at No. 8 on May 7, 1977, and spending four weeks in the top 10.
The song was also successful worldwide, becoming their second top 40 hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart. Billboards Hits of the World international listings showed "I Wanna Get Next to You" reaching No. 8 in New Zealand on July 3, 1977 while Rose Royce's first hit single "Car Wash" was still in the top 10.
Weekly charts Charts (1976–1977) PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)53 Canadian RPM Singles Chart14 New Zealand Singles Chart6 UK Singles Chart14 US Easy Listening9 US Billboard Hot 10010 US Hot Soul Singles3
Year-end charts Chart (1977)RankAustralia 169Canada 129New Zealand 44UK148US Billboard Hot 100 87
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