Unimportant are all these things I can do, cause...

"I Can't Get Next to You"... has an interesting history, I've just realized.

I know the song because it's on Annie Lennox's Medusa album (pictured at right). Actually, I've known all the songs on the album for awhile, as I like Medusa quite a bit. The album, itself, is a album of covers, which I've known for a few years, as well. The tricky thing is that I don't actually know most of the original versions of the songs. The original artists of the tracks include the Clash ("Train in Vain"), Bob Marley ("Waiting in Vain"), and Procol Harum ("Whiter Shade of Pale"--Lennox released this as a single); among others.

Now, when the album came out in 1995, I'd not heard any of the songs before, to the point where I initially thought it was all new material by Annie. I've since learned--and tend to remember some of the time--that they're all covers, and have now begun to hear/recognize the originals on the off-chances when I hear them. ("Train in Vain" was a big surprise, given that the Clash's version is downright bouncy compared to the somberness of Lennox's take.)

So I was propelled to address this today, as earlier this week I heard what may be the original version of "I Can't Get Next to You", by the Temptations (from 1969). I say "may" because in my looking-up of the song, a ton of artists have apparently covered it, and while I'm pretty sure that 98 Degrees nor Westlife originally record it, I'm having difficultly determining whether the Rolling Stones didn't (their high number of albums make them pesky like that). Al Green also released it at some point, as well.

Anyways, I always find it interesting when I'm flipping around the radio dial (or rather "buttons"), and I fall on a song that I've never heard before, but yet know all the words to. Just wanted to share that.

And now I say goodnight.


K-C I hope you did well at District.