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. © 2024 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
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).