BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986
“Don’t Leave Me This Way” is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act on Gamble & Huff’s Philadelphia International label in 1975, “Don’t Leave Me This Way” was later a disco hit for Motown artist Thelma Houston in 1977.
The song was covered by British group the Communards in a Hi-NRG version. This recording topped the UK charts for four weeks in September 1986, becoming the biggest selling record of the year in the process. The featured guest vocalist was the female jazz singer Sarah Jane Morris. The song became a Top 40 hit 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 favorite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV.
The album liner notes dedicate the song to the GLC (Greater London Council).
SIDE A:
Don’t Leave Me This Way (Mega Mix) 11:32
SIDE B:
Don’t Leave Me This Way (The Gotham City Mix) 13:34
Don’t Leave Me This Way (LP Version) 4:50
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Don’t Leave Me This Way | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #40 |
| 1986 | Don’t Leave Me This Way | U.S. Billboard Hot Gance Music/Club Play | #1 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records – MCA-23665
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop, Hi NRG
CREDITS:
Design – Accident (8)
Engineer – Carl Beatty
Engineer [Assistant Engineer] – Fernando Kral
Featuring [With] – Sarah Jane Morris
Keyboards – Richard Coles
Lead Vocals – Jimmy Somerville, Sarah Jane Morris
Photography By – Mike Prior (2)
Producer – Mike Thorne
Written-By – Cary Gilbert, Kenneth Gamble, Leon A. Huff*
NOTES:
Original version appears on the MCA LP, MCA-5794, “Communards”
Recorded in England
Find the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Schiit Mani
Soundcard: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
Username: btg
Password: burningtheground
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TY
Gracias DjPault por compartir esa hermosa cancion
Thanks Paul. I hope there’s a few more Communards 12″s in the pipeline. (So Cold The Night?) 🙂
Thanks for this gem Paul. Would like to put in a request for you to re-rip Tomorrow 12″ that you posted back in 2010-ish…as I lost it in a hard drive failure 🙁
Seconded. I love this track. Maybe Paul has the Canadian 2×12″? (Most tracks)
https://www.discogs.com/The-Communards-Tomorrow/release/261015
Now you are just being greedy Goodguy! lol
I know Paul has the Tomorrow 12″ I cited as he posted it before. It was a German pressing.
Ah, but this North American diet means I am never satisfied by just the “one” 12″!
Paul understands the hunger. 😉
Nice post, Paul! For those interested in a rare (original) remix of the original by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes you can find an 11+ minute mix on the Philadelphia International Classics The Tom Moulton Remixes collection…CD #3. I have the entire collection and it ROCKS! These are mixes from the original era…not mixes from nowadays. Many were not on 12″ Maxi singles but rather on Philadelphia compilations at the time. I hope that makes sense.
One of those songs that still sounds fresh today, very energetic beat with lead vocals by Jimmy Somerville and Sarah Jane Morris who harmonize well together, Richard Coles always cool on piano…..Thank You Paul.
You’re welcome John 🙂
I’m with Song And Dance about this song!! This is EXPLOSIVE Hi-NRG and it really blows me away every time I hear the thing. This is another tune that is the equivalent of rocket fuel. And the “Ooh, you got me” part brings the shivers of ecstasy down my spine and then out my groin!! Whoa, I feel like it’s New Year’s Eve again with this “firework” of a song. Thank you most highly Paul for your continued kindnesses!!
Hyper-ventilating,
Jeff
You’re welcome Jeff 🙂
ABSOLUTELY FANTABULOUS, Paul 🙂 I just love love love The Communards. I adore Jimmy´s voice, like the Bronski Beat stuff and his solo records but imho his time as and with The Communards was Jimmy at his absolute best. My no 1 song by them is Tomorrow (well, together with For A Friend) but Disenchanted and You Are My World almost make me faint too. All to be found here someday, I hope 🙂 Thanks for tzhis great gem, Paul. I have the German edition of The Gotham City Mixes I & II and I am so happy that I… Read more »
Happy New Year Song And Dance!! Your excitement is most contagious! I love this song too and Jimmy’s voice. My heart is really beating fast. Paul is amazing. He really takes care of us in every way musical. Love the fact that you downloaded almost everything on BTG. I’m going crazy doing that myself. Paul has created this MASSIVE AUDIO Archive of phenomenal music. He’s my hero!!
All the best for 2019!!!
Jeff
Happy New Year to you too, Jeff. 🙂
You’re very welcome Song And Dance. O am pretty sure I have all of the singles you mentioned plus some solo singles from Jimmy, hopefully I can get them posted someday 🙂