Cover version of the month #100
The Communards cover Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes
Hidden away in the back end of blogger, I have a whopping 181 draft blogs in various forms! Some are merely titles, to ensure I go back and write about a specific song or album, some have notes, some are half-finished and some will probably never be completed as the moment has gone!
I have been meaning to write a blog about Don't Leave Me This Way for quite some time as it is an all-time favourite.
I played it on 6Music back in 2014 when I was interviewed by Craig Charles for his Spinage A Trois section. Craig, very generously, played the full 11-minute version and the song sounded even better on the radio. Craig commented that he had sprinkled the magic BBC dust on it.
Don't Leave Me This Way has featured in numerous playlist blogs I have written and also in my Confidently Top 10 blog that I wrote in 2019, where I selected my all-time top 10 songs ... I've just reviewed it and I don't think it has changed.
What .... A .... Song!
What .... A .... Tune!
It really doesn't get any better than this. The 11-minute version is absolute perfection; the lengthy intro, the way Teddy Pendergrass hums along, the strings coming in, then the heartfelt lyrics delivered with raw passion and soul. Then ... the build to the HUGE UPLIFTING CHORUS
Baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you
So come on darling do what you gotta do
You started this fire down in my soul
Now can't you see it's burning, out of control
So come on darling satisfy the need in me
'cause only your good loving can set me free
I adore this song. I still find so much in it, the groove, the way it develops, the way it builds to the euphoric chorus, the way it picks up pace, the way that even as it fades out I want it to keep going. Does an even longer version exist? The jamming at the end of the full 11-minute version is ridiculous, so loose, soulful and funky.
This is a song I always played whenever I DJ'd in pubs or at parties. Even if you haven't heard it you're going to be hooked in and singing along by the second chorus. The vocals are exceptional, the band are incredible, the drums and percussion are just sublime.
My friend Gerry and I have put on a couple of DJ nights in our native Uddingston this year. It's been great fun to book out the Bowling & Tennis Club, set up and play some of our favourite songs. Our first night was very indie focused, but we're loosening up and starting to play whatever we fancy.
Gerry closed our August night by playing The Communards cover version of Don't Leave Me This Way and it went down an absolute storm.
Released in 1986, The Communards version fused high-energy dance beats and synthpop, topped deliciously by Jimmy Somerville's powerful, raw and soulful voice.
Somerville soars, expressing vulnerability, hurt and desperation, yet also capturing the fact that he is still head over heels in love. It's a fantastic cover version, The Communards stamp their own mark on it and unlike many other songs from the era, it has stood the test of time. The production and arrangement is strong and Somerville's voice is just timeless.
I always thought this was The Communards song (after all I was 10 in 1986) and only discovered the Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes version when I picked up a second hand Wigan Casino Northern Soul compilation on vinyl. I recognised the title and wondered if it was the same song. It was!
I've added the 6-minutes version, the 11-minute Tom Moulton mix of the Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes version and The Communards cover to my Everything Flows Cool Cover Versions playlist on Spotify which also features all of the songs listed below. Search for the title or CLICK HERE
Previous covers of the month blogs
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash
44. Witchi Tai To
45. Our Lips Are Sealed
46. Sunshine Of Your Love
47. Here Comes The Sun
48. I Think We're Alone Now
49. Don't Let Me Down
50. It's Oh So Quiet
51. Alcoholiday
52. Summer Holiday
53. Who Do You Think You Are?
54. Head On
55. Nothing Compares 2 U
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