Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes ft Teddy Pendergrass - Don't Leave Me This Way (Phil Intern Rec 1979)

"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.

Don't leave me this way
I can't survive, I can't stay alive
Without you love

Don't leave me this way, no
I can't exist, I'd surely miss
Your tender kiss
Don't leave me this way, no

Don't leave me this way, yea
I'm broken man with empty hands, oh baby please, please
Don't leave me this way

Oh baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you
Now come on down and do what you've got to do
You started this fire down in my soul
Now can't you see it's burning, out of control
Now come down and satisfy the need in me
'Cause only your good loving can set me free

Don't leave me this way
'Cause it would be wrong to string along with love so true
Don't leave me this way
Don't you understand I'm at your command
Oh baby please, please don"t leave me this way

Don't leave me this way, way
I can't survive, I can't stay alive
Without you love
Don't leave me this way, no

Oh baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you
Now come on down and do what you've gotta to do
You started this fire down in my soul
Now can't you see it's burning, out of control
Now come on girl and satisfy the need in me
'Cause only your good loving can set me free, free free

Don't leave me this way, no
'Cause it would be wrong
To string along a love so true
Don't leave me this way

Oh baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you
Now come on down and do what you've gotta to do
You started this fire down in my soul
Now can't you see it's burning, out of control
Now come on girl and satisfy the need in me
'Cause only your good loving can set me free

I need it right now, I said I need
I need your love baby
Please, your love , please, please your love
Please, please don't go (repeat chorus)

I don't you you to go
See I love you you can't go
Would you stay with me, stay stay with me , baby please
Baby please (repeat)

Oh baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you
Now come on down and do what you've gotta to do
You started this fire down in my soul
Now can't you see it's burning, out of control
Now come on girl and satisfy the need in me
'Cause only your good loving can set me free

Видео Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes ft Teddy Pendergrass - Don't Leave Me This Way (Phil Intern Rec 1979) канала DiscoSaturdayNightTV