Don't Leave Me This Way

The Blue Notes' original version of the song, featuring Teddy Pendergrass's lead vocals, was included on the group's 1975 album Wake Up Everybody. Though not issued as a single in the United States at the time, the Blue Notes' recording reached number three on the US Billboard Hot Disco Singles chart in the wake of Thelma Houston's version. The song proved to be the group's highest-peaking entry in the United Kingdom, reaching number five on the UK Singles Chart, when released there as a single in 1977. It became the title track of a budget LP issued on the CBS Embassy label in the UK in 1978. The track was finally issued as a 12-inch single in the US in 1979, coupled with "Bad Luck".

Charts

"Don't Leave Me This Way" was covered by American singer Thelma Houston in 1976. Originally assigned to Diana Ross, it was intended to be the follow-up to her 1976 single "Love Hangover", but was given to Houston instead.

Following the release of Houston's fourth album, Any Way You Like It (1976), a Boston DJ record pool unanimously reported positive audience response to "Don't Leave Me This Way" in discothèques, and the song was selected for release as a single. Houston's version topped the US soul singles chart and, nine weeks later, the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in April 1977. The song peaked at number 13 in the UK. The song peaked at number 1 on the disco chart. Later in the year, it was featured on the soundtrack to the film Looking for Mr. Goodbar. In 1978, Houston won the award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards for her rendition of the song.

Recording

Thelma Houston recorded her vocals at Motown's West Hollywood studio under producer Hal Davis; he aggressively compressed her voice and allowed a slight amount of distortion at the loudest peaks. The instrumental hook in the chorus and outro was supplied by bass guitarist Henry E. Davis, who performed with many passing notes and occasional disco-style octave jumps. Motown house drummer James Gadson provided a four-on-the-floor disco beat locking his kick with Davis's bass. Congas are present in the mix, and a booming floor tom is overdubbed into the chorus. A disco string section included violins, violas, cellos and harp. Arthur G. Wright arranged the strings, and played an out-of-tune electric guitar, while John Barnes played electric Rhodes piano—the Suitcase model with its stereo panning effect. Layered backing vocals were sung by the Waters Sisters, Maxine and Julia. A lengthy outro section introduced an active Clavinet funk line and tambourine.

Legacy

Houston's version was revived in 1995 in several remixes, which reached No. 19 on the US Billboard dance chart and No. 35 in the UK. This version got Houston ranked No. 86 on VH1's "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders", as well as the number-two spot on their "100 Greatest Dance Songs" list in 2000. In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 8 in their list of "The Best Disco Songs of All Time". In 2020, Slant Magazine ranked it No. 8 in their "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time". In 2021, Rolling Stone included "Don't Leave Me This Way" in their list of "500 Best Songs of All Time" at No. 355, while in 2022, the magazine ranked it No. 121 in their "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time". In 2025, Billboard ranked it No. 55 and No. 19 in their lists of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time" and "The 100 Greatest LGBTQ+ Anthems of All Time".

Charts

Certifications

In 1986, the song was covered by British synth-pop duo the Communards in a hi-NRG version. This recording topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in September 1986, becoming the best-selling single of the year in the United Kingdom. The featured guest vocalist was jazz singer Sarah Jane Morris. The song reached number 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard dance chart. In 2015, the song was voted by the British public as the nation's 16th favorite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV.

The song also had a music video, which showed the band performing in an underground setting with many fans. This included a blond stoic young man as part of the crowd simply watching. In the video, it turns out that he was chased down and caught and forced to be an informant to secret police. Near the end of the video, he finally radios in to them, and at the end they turn spotlights on the band and the crowd, forcing them to scatter.

Several remixes were issued, notably the "Gotham City Mix" which was split across two sides of a 12-inch single and ran for a total of 22 minutes 55 seconds. The album liner notes dedicate the song to the Greater London Council (GLC), which had recently been abolished.

Critical reception

Much critical of the Communards' version, Simon Mills of Smash Hits stated that it "crucified" the original one "with stupid, blundering unsympathetic Hi-NRG synthesiser noises and that bloody ridiculous voice", adding that he did not like the song, the band or the single cover.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications