Don’t Leave Me This Way – Thelma Houston | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop (#1), R&B (#1) & Dance (#1); 1977

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

In 1977 Thelma Houston won pop music’s trifecta: hitting #1 on Billboard magazine’s pop, R&B, and dance charts with a tune originally recorded by Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes in 1975. Unfortunately, the Blue Notes’ track remained hidden on their Wake Up Everybody album. Two years later, producer Hal Davis took Thelma into the studio with the same musicians he employed on Diana Ross’ Love Hangover and cranked out a blistering dance track. With Don’t Leave Me This Way on its way to becoming a monster hit, the Blue Notes’ UK label rush-released a single of the Philly group’s recording, where it beat out Thelma’s version #5 to #13. Eight years later, Thelma had the dance floor all to herself as a re-recorded rendition of Don’t Leave Me This Way made the club chart in the U.S. and the pop list overseas. In between, another recording – by the Communards with Sarah Jane Morris – became Britain’s biggest selling single of 1986.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2023 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

• Kenneth Gamble
• Leon Huff

Lyrics Written by:

• Kenneth Gamble
• Leon Huff
• Cary Gilbert