Don't Leave Me This Way
Encyclopedia
"Don't Leave Me This Way" is an R&B/soul
/disco
song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
, an act on Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1975, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was later a hit single for both Thelma Houston
and The Communards
.
' lead vocal, was included as an album track on the group's successful Wake Up Everybody
LP. Though not issued as a single in the United States, the Blue Notes' recording reached #3 on the US Billboard Disco charts and later reached #5 on the UK singles chart
.
in 1976. Her version, with its more overt disco arrangement, was a massive international hit, topping the soul singles chart. and US Billboard Hot 100
chart for one week in April 1977. The song peaked at #13 in the UK. The song went to number one on the disco chart, and is considered by many to be not just one of the greatest songs of the disco era but the entire 70's as well. Later in the year, it was featured on the soundtrack of the movie, "Looking for Mr. Goodbar
."
Houston's version was revived in 1995 in a remix, which reached #19 on the US Billboard Dance Chart and #35 in the UK. This version got Houston ranked #86 on VH1
's "100 Greatest One-hit Wonders", as well as the #2 spot on their "100 Greatest Dance Songs" list.
in an avowedly Hi-NRG
version. This recording topped the UK charts for four weeks in September 1986, becoming the biggest selling record of the year in the process. The featured guest vocalist was jazz singer Sarah Jane Morris
. The song only reached #40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but did top the Billboard Dance chart.
Several remixes were issued, notably the "Son of Gotham City Mix" which was split across two sides of a 12" single and ran for a total of 22 minutes 55 seconds.
, Gerard Joling
, José Galisteo
, Andy Abraham
, and The Temptations
, amongst others. In 1984 the first covers before The Communards were by Carol Jiani
and another one by a group named Slip; both were Hi-NRG styled covers. The song was also covered by pop diva Sheena Easton
in 2001 on her "Fabulous
" disco album. It has been covered three times on American Idol
, by LaToya London
(Season 3), Vonzell Solomon
(Season 4), and Ramiele Malubay
(Season 7). Malubay's version had a limited release as a live performance single on the iTunes Music Store in 2008. A French version was sung by Sylvie Vartan
under the title "Ne pars pas comme ça".
Cher
performed the song at her Las Vegas
show Cher at the Colosseum
as a prelude to "Take Me Home".
A version of the song is featured in the stage musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical during a funeral scene.
The Eurodisco song "Yes Sir I Can Boogie" by Baccara (1977) borrows heavily from this song sharing the intro and the bass line but with a different chorus line.
In 2010, Australian actor/singer Jason Donovan
recorded a cover version of "Don't Leave Me This Way" for his 80s covers album "Soundtrack of the 80s". He took inspiration from the 1986 Communards version.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
/disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American singing group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. The group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco...
, an act on Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1975, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was later a hit single for both Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1976 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.-Early life & career:Houston is the daughter of a cotton picking mother...
and The Communards
The Communards
The Communards were a British pop duo active from 1985 to 1988. They are most famous for their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' song, "Don't Leave Me This Way" as well as "Never Can Say Goodbye".-History:...
.
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes version
The Blue Notes' original version of the song, featuring Teddy PendergrassTeddy Pendergrass
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
' lead vocal, was included as an album track on the group's successful Wake Up Everybody
Wake Up Everybody
-Personnel:*Harold Melvin, Teddy Pendergrass, Bernard Wilson, Lawrence Brown, Jerry Cummings – vocals*Sharon Paige – female vocalist on "You Know How to Make Me Feel So Good" and "I'm Searching for a Love"*MFSB – music-Charts:Album...
LP. Though not issued as a single in the United States, the Blue Notes' recording reached #3 on the US Billboard Disco charts and later reached #5 on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Chart performance
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Disco Chart Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
3 |
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 13 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
5 |
Thelma Houston version
"Don't Leave Me This Way" was covered by Motown artist Thelma HoustonThelma Houston
Thelma Houston is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1976 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.-Early life & career:Houston is the daughter of a cotton picking mother...
in 1976. Her version, with its more overt disco arrangement, was a massive international hit, topping the soul singles chart. and US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart for one week in April 1977. The song peaked at #13 in the UK. The song went to number one on the disco chart, and is considered by many to be not just one of the greatest songs of the disco era but the entire 70's as well. Later in the year, it was featured on the soundtrack of the movie, "Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Looking for Mr. Goodbar (film)
Looking for Mr. Goodbar is a 1977 film written for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks and starring Diane Keaton, Tuesday Weld, Richard Gere, and also features Tom Berenger...
."
Houston's version was revived in 1995 in a remix, which reached #19 on the US Billboard Dance Chart and #35 in the UK. This version got Houston ranked #86 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's "100 Greatest One-hit Wonders", as well as the #2 spot on their "100 Greatest Dance Songs" list.
Chart performance
| Chart (1976) (original version) |
Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| INTERNATIONAL CHART PEAKS (1977) (original version) |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUSTRALIA Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
AUSTRIA Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
CANADA Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
FRANCE France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
GERMANY Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
ITALY Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
HOLLAND Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
NEW ZEALAND New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
SOUTH AFRICA South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
SPAIN Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
SWEDEN Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
UK United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
| #6 | #18 | #4 | #13 | #9 | #15 | #4 | #17 | #1 | #11 | #4 | #13 |
| Chart (1995) (remix version) |
Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
19 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
35 |
The Communards version
Nine years later, the song was revived by The CommunardsThe Communards
The Communards were a British pop duo active from 1985 to 1988. They are most famous for their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' song, "Don't Leave Me This Way" as well as "Never Can Say Goodbye".-History:...
in an avowedly Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
version. This recording topped the UK charts for four weeks in September 1986, becoming the biggest selling record of the year in the process. The featured guest vocalist was jazz singer Sarah Jane Morris
Sarah Jane Morris (singer)
Sarah Jane Morris , is a pop music, jazz, rock and R&B singer and songwriter.In 1982, Morris joined The Republic as lead singer. A London-based Afro-Caribbean-Latin band with leftish tendencies, they received enormous publicity from the music press including cover stories with NME and City Limits...
. The song only reached #40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but did top the Billboard Dance chart.
Several remixes were issued, notably the "Son of Gotham City Mix" which was split across two sides of a 12" single and ran for a total of 22 minutes 55 seconds.
Chart performance
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 19 |
| French Singles Chart | 6 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 2 |
| US Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
40 |
Other cover versions
"Don't Leave Me This Way" has been recorded by several other artists including Isaac HayesIsaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
, Gerard Joling
Gerard Joling
Gerard Jan Joling is a Dutch singer and television presenter. Known for his high tenor voice, he rose to fame in the late 80's and released a string of singles including "Ticket to the Tropics", "Love is in your Eyes", and his biggest hit, "No more boleros", a song that reached the top 10 in...
, José Galisteo
José Galisteo
José Antonio Galisteo García was a contestant in the fifth season of the Spanish reality television series Operación Triunfo, where he placed sixth in a field of 18...
, Andy Abraham
Andy Abraham
Andrew Abraham is an English singer. He was the runner-up in the second UK series of TV talent show The X Factor in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.Before applying for The X Factor, Abraham was a refuse collector...
, and The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, amongst others. In 1984 the first covers before The Communards were by Carol Jiani
Carol Jiani
-Singles:* 1981: "Hit N' Run Lover"* 1981: "The Woman In Me" / "Mercy"* 1982: "Ask Me"* 1982 "You're Gonna Lose My Love"* 1982: "X-Rated"* 1984: "Dancing In The Rain"* 1984: "Touch and Go Lover"* 1984: "Love Now Pay Later"...
and another one by a group named Slip; both were Hi-NRG styled covers. The song was also covered by pop diva Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
in 2001 on her "Fabulous
Fabulous (Sheena Easton album)
Fabulous is an album by the Scottish singer Sheena Easton. Released in 2000, it was Easton's 16th studio album. The album was only released throughout Europe, Japan, Australia, and Argentina....
" disco album. It has been covered three times on American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, by LaToya London
LaToya London
LaToya Renee London is an American R&B and soul singer and actress who was the fourth-place finalist on the third season of the reality/talent-search television series American Idol...
(Season 3), Vonzell Solomon
Vonzell Solomon
Vonzell Monique Solomon , nicknamed Baby V, is an American singer and aspiring actress who finished in third place in the fourth season of the televised singing competition American Idol. She also appeared in the independent movie Still Green.-Biography:Born in Baxley, Georgia, Solomon's family...
(Season 4), and Ramiele Malubay
Ramiele Malubay
Ramiele Macrohon Malubay , also known as Ramiele, is a Filipino-American singer and the ninth place finalist on the seventh season of the television series American Idol.-Biography:...
(Season 7). Malubay's version had a limited release as a live performance single on the iTunes Music Store in 2008. A French version was sung by Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan is a French singer. She was one of the first rock girls in France. Vartan was the most productive and active of the yé-yé style artists, considered as the toughest-sounding of those. Her performance often featured elaborate show-dance choreography. She made many appearances on French...
under the title "Ne pars pas comme ça".
Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
performed the song at her Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
show Cher at the Colosseum
Cher at the Colosseum
'Cher at the Colosseum was a series of concerts by Cher at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the three years engagement, Cher received $180 million. Performing at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the first show occurred on May 6, 2008 and the last show was on February 5, 2011...
as a prelude to "Take Me Home".
A version of the song is featured in the stage musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical during a funeral scene.
The Eurodisco song "Yes Sir I Can Boogie" by Baccara (1977) borrows heavily from this song sharing the intro and the bass line but with a different chorus line.
In 2010, Australian actor/singer Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989...
recorded a cover version of "Don't Leave Me This Way" for his 80s covers album "Soundtrack of the 80s". He took inspiration from the 1986 Communards version.