“Don’t Leave Me This Way” is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leo Huff and Cary Gilbert. 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”.
“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 reassigned to Houston instead. Houston’s version topped the US soul singles chart and, nine weeks later, the Billboard 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. 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 1986, the song was covered by British duo the Communards (Jimmy Somerville and Richard Coles) 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 favourite 1980’s number ones in a poll for ITV.
