THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

725-Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes-Don’t Leave Me This Way.

1977-Number 5 single.

Best Bit-At 3.13. Because of the groups billing, you could be forgiven for thinking that Harold Melvin was the lead singer, but he wasn’t.

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, in 1954, prior to forming as the ‘Blue Notes,’ they were originally known as ‘The Charlemagnes.’ The first line up consisted of five members, including Harold Melvin, (1940-1977) and lead singer Franklin Peaker (1935-2006.) The group officially disbanded in 1996, but some members have sporadically played live as the ‘Blue Notes’ on occasions since. In total there have been 18 different members come and go, with no new music released since 1984. Prior to finding success, the group had issued four unsuccessful singles in America between 1965-1970 on various record labels, although their first release ‘Get Out (And Let Me Cry’) did reach Number 35 in the UK in 1965. In 1970 the group recruited Teddy Pendergrass (1950-2010) as the drummer for their backing band, but after hearing him sing, he took over lead vocals from the then lead singer John Atkins (1944?-1998.) Success finally arrived when they landed a recording deal with ‘Philadelphia International Records’ in 1971.

The discography of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes includes nine studio Albums released between 1972-1984, of which the first four were all recorded on ‘Philadelphia International’ records, the other five Albums were issued on labels including ‘ABC,’ and ‘MCA,’ there are also nine official compilation Albums available. Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes released 29 singles between 1965-1994, with all the hits coming from their time on ‘Philadelphia International’ records. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, four of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘If You Don’t Know Me by Now,’ charting the highest at Number 3 in 1972. In the UK, six of their singles have made the top 40, with ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ peaking the highest at Number 3 in 1977.

Teddy Pendergrass was born Theodore DeReese Pendergrass, on March 26th, 1950, in Kingstree, South Carolina, United States. In 2009 he underwent successful surgery for colon cancer, but a few weeks later he returned to the hospital with respiratory issues. After seven months, he died of respiratory failure, on January 13, 2010, at the age of 59. Pendergrass left ‘Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes’ in 1976 over financial disagreements, and launched a very successful solo career, releasing 14 solo studio Albums between 1977-1998, and 39 singles between 1977-1997. It was on the Billboard ‘Hot R&B’ chart where he found his greatest charting success, with 27 of his tracks reaching that charts top 40, including three Number 1 hits. In March 1982 a car crash left Pendergrass paralysed from the chest down, but in time he was able to continue his successful solo career, until announcing his retirement in 2007. Just prior to the car crash, especially in America, Teddy Pendergrass had become so popular, that by the early 1980’s, the media were calling him ‘the black Elvis,’ not only in terms of his crossover popularity, but also due to him buying a mansion akin to ‘Elvis’s Graceland,’ located just outside his hometown of Philadelphia.

‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ was the third and final single released from ‘Wake Up Everybody,’ which was the fourth studio Album by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, from November 1975. ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ was co-written by the legendary song writing duo of Kenny Gamble, and Leon Huff, with the lyrics written by Cary Gilbert, (1942-1993) (see also best songs 896) Gamble and Huff (see also best songs 1001-896-648-604-571-338-322 and 258) who had formed ‘Philadelphia International Records,’ in 1971, also produced the track. ‘Philadelphia Records’ chose not to issue ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ as a single, so that labels main competitors in the ‘Soul’ market at that time who were ‘Motown’ records, took advantage and released a version by Thelma Houston which went to Number 1 on Billboard in 1977, and Number 13 in the UK. The version by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes was finally issued as a single in America in 1979, but only as a 12 inch single, and it failed to chart. The other significant recording of ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way,’ is the version by the British synth-pop duo ‘The Communards,’ (see also best songs 318) who spent four weeks at Number 1 in the UK with the song in 1986, their version also reached Number 40 in America, but in the UK it was the best selling single of that year.

‘Oh, baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you, so 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. So come on down and satisfy the need in me, ’cause only your good loving can set me free.’