Billboard #1 Hits: #421: “Don’t Leave Me This Way”- Thelma Houston. April 23, 1977. #1 for 1 week in Billboard Hot 100.
- Single: ” Don’t Leave Me This Way”- Thelma Houston
- Record Company- Motown
- Genre: Soul, Disco
- Written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert
- Time: 3:29
- B-side:”Today Will Soon Be Tomorrow”
- Album- Any Way You Like It
- Grade: A
- Peaked at #1 1 week in Billboard Hot 100. #5 in UK Singles Chart, #1 in Belgium.
“Don’t Leave Me This Way” was first released in 1975 by Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes with Teddy Pendergrass on lead vocals. Their version reached #3 on the disco charts. It wasn’t until a couple years later when Thelma Houston covered it -that it became a big crossover hit- #1 in both the pop and R&B singles charts. Originally Motown had assigned the song to go to Diana Ross, to be her follow up to “Love Hangover” but was re-assigned to Houston. It would be a career highlight for Houston who would only have one other Top 40 hit. She won the Grammy for Best Female R&B vocal. Thelma Houston no relation to Whitney.
This is some good disco. When the chorus kicks in…it’s great.
It’s a great song, but I prefer the original version by Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes. Teddy Pendergrass’ raw, soulful vocals really express the anguish in the lyrics.
One of the great disco songs. Great singing singing, great groove. Unfortunately, disco also saw a lot of crap. I believe that’s in part why it ended up getting a backlash.
I have this in my Samsung play list.