In the 25th edition of Head ๐ฃ๏ธ 2 Head ๐ฃ๏ธ (2022), Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes + Thelma Houston contend for the best rendition of โDonโt Leave Me This Way.โย
W
elcome to Head 2 Head! On Head ๐ฃ๏ธ 2 Head ๐ฃ๏ธ, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.ย Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.ย In the 25th edition of head ๐ฃ๏ธ2 head ๐ฃ๏ธ (2022), ๐ Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and ๐ Thelma Houston contend for the best rendition of ๐ต โDonโt Leave Me This Wayโ. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!1. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, โDonโt Leave Me This Wayโ
๐ฟ Wake Up Everybody โข ๐ท Sony Music Entertainment โข ๐ 1975
โDonโt leave me this way / I canโt survive, I canโt stay alive / Without your love, oh baby.โ Those iconic lyrics hail from the beloved classic record, ๐ต โDonโt Leave Me This Wayโ. โDonโt Leave Me This Wayโ was written by the power duo of ๐ผ โ Kenneth Gamble and ๐ผ โ Leon Huff, known for being proponents of the Philly soul sound.ย Additionally, Gamble and Huff wrote alongside ๐ผ โ Cary Gilbert. What may be surprising to some folks is who originally performed the record. It was not ๐ Thelma Houston โ more on her later โ but rather, ๐ Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, featuring ๐ Teddy Pendergrass.
โDonโt Leave Me This Wayโ appears as the fourth track on Harold Melvin & The Blue Notesโ 1975 album, ๐ฟ Wake Up Everybody.ย The title track from that LP is โkind of a big dealโ โ UNDERSTATEMENT! ย That said, so is โDonโt Leave Me This Way.โ Gander at Spotifyโs streaming numbers, and youโll see itโs actually the most-streamed record from that LP! Teddy Pendergrass sounds as commanding and soulful as ever as he brings this Gamble/Huff/Gilbert cut to life. ย He balances refined smoothness and more electrifying, grittier vocals.ย That man, and surefire sex symbol ๐, could just flat-out sing! Like the other songs from Wake Up Everybody, the duration is extended, clocking in at north of six minutes.ย The core of the song occurs early on, with the last couple of minutes being the extension โ vamping, ad-libs, and such. ย The backdrop that the collective has to work with is Philly soul to the core, with lushness, silky smooth cues, and an electrifying groove โ Gamble and Huff are true to selves.ย The original COULD BE the definitive versionโฆ could be…
2. Thelma Houston, โDonโt Leave Me This Wayโ
๐ฟ Any Way You Like It โข ๐ท Motown โข ๐ 1976
To recap, beloved soul classic, ๐ต โDonโt Leave Me This Wayโ, was written by Philly soul proponents ๐ผ โ Kenneth Gamble and ๐ผ โ Leon Huff. ย ๐ผ โ Cary Gilbert is also credited on this particular song. ย Originally performed by iconic soul collective ๐ Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, featuring ๐ Teddy Pendergrass, another R&B standout, ๐ Thelma Houston, would have more success.ย Arguably, Houston owns the definitive version.
Houston had the hit of a lifetime on her hands, period.ย Her sole ๐ Grammy win comes courtesy of โDonโt Leave Me This Way,โ winning for Best Female R&B Performance, deservingly. Beyond the Grammy win, Houston topped the Billboard Hot 100. This disco gem was everywhere by 1977, originally released in late 1976, and appearing on the album, ๐ฟ Any Way You Like It. ๐ Hal Davis serves as the producer, doing a fabulous job of giving Houston the perfect backdrop. Houston sings superbly, exhibiting ample personality on this love-filled number.ย Besides the famous first verse, the chorus is the centerpiece, lacking no shortage of energy. Houston certainly rises to the occasion:
โ(Ahh) Baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you
Now come on down and do what you got to do
You started this fire down in my soul
Now canโt you see it’s burning out of control?
Come on, satisfy the need in me
โCause only your good loving can set me free
(Set me free, set me free).โ
Simply glorious! Notably, โDonโt Leave Me This Wayโ became a gay anthem in 1980s and 90s with the AIDS epidemic. Itโs simply awesome โ Houstonโs stellar voice and Davisโ groovy disco production.
Appears in ๐ป:
- Thelma Houston, โDonโt Leave Me This Wayโ: Throwback Vibez ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ 47 (2022)
- 13 Donโt Songs You Do Wanna Listen To
- 15 Marvelous Songs That Lead the WAY
The Verdict ๐จ๐ฟโโ๏ธย
So, who is it? Is it ๐ Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes or is it ๐ Thelma Houston? Well, โDonโt Leave Me This Wayโ is timeless, so, you canโt go wrong with either version (thrown in ๐ The Communards 1986 rendition into the mix as well). I totally โค๏ธ both versions, but I give the edge to the more decorated version that Iโm most familiar with by Thelma Houston.ย ย I mean, sure, it predates my earthly existence too, but I love the aesthetic and vibe. #BIG MOOD!!!
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes vs. Thelma Houston: Head 2 Head ๐ฃ๏ธ No. 25 (2022) [๐ท: Brent Faulkner, Kool Shooters, Layers, Mario Aranda, Motown, The Musical Hype, Pexels, Pixabay, RODNAE Productions, Sony Music Entertainment, Valentin Tikhonov]