LAST LISTENED TO no idea
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT low
RATING
Yes, yes, yes. I love it when that weird lump of grey stuff pulls a beauty from the past that i had forgotten.
Many people have had a go at this tune and many of them have made good versions (i grew up with Jimmy Somerville's, for which i have a particular soft spot). However, the original version is about as good as it gets. It was recorded for Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's Philidelphia International label in '75, when they had become the biggest names in soul music.
Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes had been around since the '50s. They found a place at Philly International early on, primarily because of the talents of their lead singer. By this point in their career, however, Melvin had taken a back seat and was no longer the lead singer. Instead it was their one-time drummer, Teddy Pendergrass.
Don't Leave Me This Way begins with some delicate electric piano and percussion, before slowly building into a smooth mid-tempo piece of '70s soul. The lush sounds of Gamble & Huff underpinning it are unmistakable and gorgeous. The crowning glory of the song is the chorus. Pendergrass' testifying over one of the greatest build-ups in soul pulls together the best of both gospel and secular music. Only those with no soul could fail to be moved by it.
Such a lovely way to celebrate 200 posts!
No comments:
Post a Comment