Don't Leave Me This Way

[sk 905]

Does anyone know if Diana actually recorded "Don't Leave Me This Way"? I read it somewhere.

[Bluebrock]

Does anyone know if Diana actually recorded "Don't Leave Me This Way"? I read it somewhere.

No she didn't. There was a lot of speculation about this, but despite being offered it she turned it down.
Ms Ross's loss was Ms Thelma's gain.

[florence]

No she didn't. There was a lot of speculation about this, but despite being offered it she turned it down.
Ms Ross's loss was Ms Thelma's gain.

Interesting.

I was aware Hal David had wanted Diana to record this as the follow-up to Love Hangover but never knew she had turned down the opportunity.

I somehow thought they hadn't had the studio time.

[Jaap]

Interesting.

I was aware Hal David had wanted Diana to record this as the follow-up to Love Hangover but never knew she had turned down the opportunity.

I somehow thought they hadn't had the studio time.

The liner notes of the Diana Ross 1976 expanded edition just mention: "Davis cuts the track for Ross -- the session tapes have her name across the tape box and the session sheet -- but it appears she never records vocals". Would have been amazing to hear what she would have done with the song. The Davis version is so linked to Love Hangover [[I love the way DLMTW at some points basically covers the LH baseline)... I would imagine Ross would do a much more smoother, laid back vocal than Thelma Houston [[whose version I love, particularly the 12 inch version).

[milven]

Thelma had a number one record one Billboard Hot 100 with this song and she also won a Grammy for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance. It is definitely an iconic song of the Disco era.

In a different world, this could have been another number one record for Diana and also could have also gotten her one and only Grammy as a soloist or Supreme. But Diana has plenty of other accolades. Nice that Thelma got this and she does a fantastic job. Also like the twelve inch version


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKFWw4QQieU

[Bluebrock]

Interesting.

I was aware Hal David had wanted Diana to record this as the follow-up to Love Hangover but never knew she had turned down the opportunity.

I somehow thought they hadn't had the studio time.

Not sure why she turned it down.
I asked her if she ever recorded it and she told me she did not. She did not specify any reasons for turning it down or indeed any regrets behind the decision.
Personally speaking i would have loved her to have recorded it, but i am not sure she, Thelma or anyone else could have topped the Teddy P, Harold Melvin original.

[sup_fan]

i love Thelma's version and the heavy gospel sound of it. I think Diana would have done an excellent job with it but it would have been totally different.

My guess is that she just didn't get around to recording vocals as opposed to "no i do not want to record that." maybe it was one of a group of songs she started working on with Hal. maybe rehearsing or listening to a few demos. but then when it was time to record they had time for 3 or so of the tunes prepared and we got What You Gave Me and For Once In My Life.

[Bluebrock]

i love Thelma's version and the heavy gospel sound of it. I think Diana would have done an excellent job with it but it would have been totally different.

My guess is that she just didn't get around to recording vocals as opposed to "no i do not want to record that." maybe it was one of a group of songs she started working on with Hal. maybe rehearsing or listening to a few demos. but then when it was time to record they had time for 3 or so of the tunes prepared and we got What You Gave Me and For Once In My Life.

Maybe you are right. My earlier post was based upon what i can recall as of now. I may well have written a little more about it in my journal. I would typically spend 3 or 4 hours burning the midnight oil writing down stuff that i might otherwise forget about. I am so glad i did. When i look at my journals i often see things i had totally forgotten about.

[sup_fan]

Maybe you are right. My earlier post was based upon what i can recall as of now. I may well have written a little more about it in my journal. I would typically spend 3 or 4 hours burning the midnight oil writing down stuff that i might otherwise forget about. I am so glad i did. When i look at my journals i often see things i had totally forgotten about.

lol i mean i can't imagine her actually saying "no" to Don't Leave Me and having said "yes" to Fire Don't Burn, Sweet Summertime Lovin, What You Gave Me and many many more lol

[Boogiedown]

lol i mean i can't imagine her actually saying "no" to Don't Leave Me and having said "yes" to Fire Don't Burn, Sweet Summertime Lovin, What You Gave Me and many many more lol


I can and here's why:

Hal had already resorted to boozing her up and coaxing her into agreeing to do LOVE HANGOVER, if he presented DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY as the follow up,I can imagine her empathically saying, "NO !, I don't want to get pigeon-holed as a disco artist and I don't want to get stuck doing the disco club circuit."


Leaving Hal wailing , "but Diana , don't leave me this way, I've got your favorite scotch! !"
At least he didn't offer up this little project from about the same time , or she'd really have stormed out:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt2YKK1_dHE

you put the spirit in me... the disco spirit in me
even when I'm in my bed... I've got earplugs in my head
....lol.

[after you]

I often wondered if she recorded this song it would of been up there wit the Boss what an Electrifying song such a shame

[sup_fan]

I can and here's why:

Hal had already resorted to boozing her up and coaxing her into agreeing to do LOVE HANGOVER, if he presented DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY as the follow up,I can imagine her empathically saying, "NO !, I don't want to get pigeon-holed as a disco artist and I don't want to get stuck doing the disco club circuit."


Leaving Hal wailing , "but Diana , don't leave me this way, I've got your favorite scotch! !"
At least he didn't offer up this little project from about the same time , or she'd really have stormed out:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt2YKK1_dHE

you put the spirit in me... the disco spirit in me
even when I'm in my bed... I've got earplugs in my head
....lol.

but she recorded other disco hits with Hal after LH - Lovin, What you gave me and for once in my life. all of those were recorded after Hangover

[Boogiedown]

but she recorded other disco hits with Hal after LH - Lovin, What you gave me and for once in my life. all of those were recorded after Hangover

You're being too generous calling those disco 'hits':p

I think a year plus later, after her Hangover, when she saw the writing on the wall, that disco was here to stay [or so we thought:p] and her attempts with other sounds weren't paying dividends, she acquisitioned . But DONT LEAVE ME would have come out hot on the heels of LOVE HANGOVER , months later, as her next release, that would've Donna Summered her.


disco-lite at best :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0gNykUT8wQ

[sup_fan]

hahaha - yes i was FAR too generous in labeling them as hits lolol

but she recorded One Love In My Lifetime around this time and some others too.

my theory is still that she just didn't get around to it rather than refusing it ;)

[Boogiedown]

all theories are valid. whatever the reason , Diana went on successfully to other things and Thelma delivered a vocal of a lifetime , a win-win.

So you consider OneLIMLifetime disco??

[Bluebrock]

hahaha - yes i was FAR too generous in labeling them as hits lolol

but she recorded One Love In My Lifetime around this time and some others too.

my theory is still that she just didn't get around to it rather than refusing it ;)
Your theory? It's hardly an X Files mystery Mr Sup!

[rovereab]

I think it was the right decision for Diana to pass on DLMTW as it’s feel is too much like the fast section of Love Hangover. To have released it would have been like Marvin releasing Keep Getting It On as a single after Let’s Get It On.

Thelma did an outstanding vocal for the song giving her much deserved success.

[Boogiedown]

I think it was the right decision for Diana to pass on DLMTW as it’s feel is too much like the fast section of Love Hangover. To have released it would have been like Marvin releasing Keep Getting It On as a single after Let’s Get It On.

Thelma did an outstanding vocal for the song giving her much deserved success.


I think you're right , hearing Diana again would've lessened the song. Thelma herself made that exact mistake you're talking about by releasing this too similar follow-up:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v2RKBwIm7E

[Not from Hal Davis]

even though its rather nice , it didn't fly.

[thommg]

I think you're right , hearing Diana again would've lessened the song. Thelma herself made that exact mistake you're talking about by releasing this too similar follow-up:
even though its rather nice , it didn't fly.

Vickie Sue Robinson did the same thing. Her follow-up to Turn The Beat Around had too many similarities to that song. It just didn't fly. Even though she did some good tracks after that, she never regained her footing.

[rovereab]

Following my previous post and looking at it from a slightly different angle......

I also feel that with Love Hangover being such a massive game changer for Diana it was sensible to leave that success as a specific career highlight which to this day STILL stands out as a major achievement.

[Boogiedown]

Vickie Sue Robinson did the same thing. Her follow-up to Turn The Beat Around had too many similarities to that song. It just didn't fly. Even though she did some good tracks after that, she never regained her footing.


It seems more often than not , artists develop a sound, and especially if its successful they run with the formula ... TURN THE BEAT AROUND was so iconic , so fresh , I am glad it got revisited , but you're right, no way was it going to top her signature tune . HOLD TIGHT did go to #2 disco and her version of Bobby Womack's DAYLIGHT was Top 10:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM7vNla6-r0

Warren Schatz did her good!

Thanks for bringing her up thommg :cool: , puts a smile on my face seeing her.