Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way (Tamla Records 1976)

"Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label. "Don't Leave Me This Way" was subsequently covered by American singer Thelma Houston in 1976 and British duo the Communards in 1986, with both versions achieving commercial success.

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.

"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 single "Love Hangover", but was reassigned and given to Houston instead.

Following the release of her fourth album Any Way You Like It, a Boston record pool unanimously reported positive audience response to "Don't Leave Me This Way" in discos, 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 one on the disco chart. Later in the year, it was featured on the soundtrack to the film Looking for Mr. Goodbar. In 1978, "Don't Leave Me This Way" won the award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards.

Houston's version was revived in 1995 in several remixes, which reached number 19 on the US Billboard dance chart and number 35 in the UK. This version got Houston ranked number 86 on VH1's "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders", as well as the number-two spot on their "100 Greatest Dance Songs" list.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Houston's version of the song became an unofficial theme song for the AIDS epidemic in gay male communities of the west. American artist Nayland Blake created a work for the American Foundation of Aids Research about the epidemic that referenced the song and its significance in the community. An art exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia entitled "Don't Leave Me This Way – Art in the age of AIDS" opened in 1994 containing various works about the epidemic. A 246-page publication of the exhibition also followed.

Thelma Houston is an American singer and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1977 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Don't leave me this way
I can't survive, I can't stay alive, without your love
Oh baby, don't leave me this way, no
I can't exist, I'll surely miss your tender kiss
Don't leave me this way

Ahh, baby! My heart is full of love and desire for you
Now com'on down and do what you gotta do
You started this fire down in my soul
Now can't you see it's burning outta control
Com'on, satisfy the need in me
'Cause only your good lovin' can set me free (set me free, set me free)

Don't, don't you leave me this way, no
Don't you understand I'm at your command
Oh baby please, please, don't leave me this way
No baby

Don't leave me this way, no
I can't survive, I can't stay alive without your love
Baby, don't leave me this way

Ahh, baby! My heart is full of love and desire for you
So com'on down and do what you got to do
You started this fire down in my soul
Now can't you see it's burning out of control
So com'on, satisfy the need in me
'Cause only your good lovin' can set me free (set me free, set me free)

Need you lovin', baby need it, need it

Satisfy the need in me baby
Satisfy the need in me

Well baby, come and satisfy the need in me
Whoa baby, come and satisfy the need in me
Oh I need it, need it, need your love right now
I need it, need it, need your love right now

Your love is so important to me
Your love is so important to me yea, yea yea baby
Got to have it, got got got to have it

Satisfy the need in me
Satisfy the need in me
Satisfy the need in me

Oh baby come and satisfy the need in me
Oh baby come and satisfy the need in me

Oh baby, oh baby, need you baby
Oh baby, come on satisfy the need in me
Come on satisfy this need in me

Oh baby don't leave me this way
Don't leave me this way
No, don't leave me this way
No, don't leave me this way, baby
Don't baby, don't leave me this way babe
Oh, baby
Oh, don't leave me this way, no
No, don't leave me this way
Hey hey baby, baby, baby, baby, baby
Satisfy

[julij.]

Studio 54 documentary brought me here. I'm already dancing! Love this!

[grenda]

that intro gets me every time, epic classic!

[ceralee]

She is STILL fantastic, we saw her about 7 years ago in San Antonio....and she was just fabulous.

[chrisranz]

One of many wonderful disco Queens during this era

[StephanieLeva]

I remember my mom blasted this in the car. I could ride upfront in her Cutlass Supreme in Philadelphia.

[radamik]

Not possible in this day and age to emphasize how striking and innovative this song was in early 1977. Her voice, the arrangement, all to complement the sound technology of the time, which was the reason for disco - to kind of surround you in this elevated state of mind. And it worked. It had a novelty value then, but still has value today.

[funkyfiss]

Finally I have been reunited with this song after so many years! Loving it!

[marvinrodriguez]

Awesome 🎉
1000 years from now Thelma still gonna Disco
1977

[violetlahr]

Disco give me so much energy I cant help but cry in happiness its fuckin weird but Thelma takes the cake

[HollandsFX_ET]

My dad use to love this song... It reminds me so much of my childhood 😭😭❤️

[californiadreaming]

I am old enough to remember this song when it was new. It blew me away then it blows me away now still Spirit Miss Houston has such a rich powerful voice

[geminilover]

The 1970s super Duper Disco " greatness never dies.😎

[javierdiazsantana]

What a voice this woman has... A great performer, amazing voice, as they used to be back in the day, before autotune...

[bobzwol]

Thank you for posting this! Thelma is a very dear friend of mine. She sounds just as great today as she did 40 years ago when Don't Leave Me This Way was released. Shine-on Thelma!

[nielcapasso]

great song and wow what a voice! Did I ever boogie to this song at the dsicos

[zipcode]

Great disco energy! Get up and dance!

[JamesSmith-xqus]

Woooow lord this is some spiritual music

[kalelc]

Just love the Fender Rhodes in this song. Sounds so beautiful

[TJO]

Highly overlooked classic dance tune!!

[SunnyIlha]

4:29. That's quite a vocal ride GAWD.