Their version of “don’t leave me this way” is also stellar

British bands from the 80s were my absolute favourite! “Don’t leave me this way” Is another great disco cover. The lead singer’s previous band Bronski Beat, also has a great song “Small town Boy”

Jimmy Sommerville (formerly of Bronski Beat) has an incredible falsetto, and he sounds great in his lower register as well, but he's famous for his falsetto. This is a remake of a classic song by the Jackson 5, and then as a disco version (which this one covers) by Gloria Gaynor, who had a huge hit with it also as a disco song.

Written by actor Clifton Davis for The Supremes, but instead recorded by The Jackson 5, and was a big hit!!

the lead singer, Jimmy Somerville was an icon, but you ain't heard nothing until the Communards cover of Don't Leave Me This Way...amazing! For a bit of soul try Small Town Boy from Jimmy's Bronski Beat days.

The keyboard player became a church of england priest, a celebrity, and now an excellent crime fiction writer!

Originally written for The Supremes (although sadly not recorded by them), the honour of actually first performing and recording this song went to the Jackson 5 (1971). In 1974, Gloria Gaynor recorded a version which is arguably the best known and most popular, and then in 1987, the Communards came along and covered it, putting their own stamp on it, the result being a staple of late 80s school discos here in the UK

5:43 I just love seeing Richard sliding onto the floor for his smooth dance moves, not quite pushing Jimmy out of the way, but just slipping into the gap as Jimmy steps back. 👍

I genuinely love Jimmy's lil queenie dance moves, definitely brings me joy along with music 🎶 ❤ I wish I Knew of him back then and other openly gay artists, it definitely would have added MORE color to my life and I would have recognized something in him I would have been able to relate to ❤

Cant believe this was suggested, above their version of Dont leave me this way,, you really, really have to listen to that, will get you out of your seats!!

Great reaction!!! Turned 21 in 1982; the best decade to be young and alive. Came home drunk after a night of partying and dancing and saw this video in a haze on MTV and LOVED IT! But, the only thing i could remember was that this was a great song to dance to and the singer had a funny shaped head. (I was in a haze after all) I could never find it anywhere.... BUT I FOUND IT HERE 40 YEARS LATER!!!!!!! I knew it instantly. My life has been made complete.

"I feel like all of your wildest dreams could truly be lived in a club in the 80s" 🤣🤣🤣🕺💃🪩🎶 TRUTH!!!! Oh Amber, I wish I could grab you and J and jump in a Delorean, travel back to the 80s and set the dance floor on 🔥🔥🔥 Also, I am 100% with everyone suggesting Don't Leave Me This Way-- PHENOMENAL!!!

Jimmy Somerville one of my favourite singers first in Bronski Beat then the Comunards and later solo. Small-town boy from Bronski Beat was an epic song

Another great song by them is Don’t Leave Me This Way, Richard Cole’s the keyboard player is an English writer, Radio presenter, and was a vicar from 2011 - 2022, and yes they are still friends. Another great song to check out which is very poignant is Belfast Child, Simple Minds. 🤘😎🎸💀✊

I’m loving watching you both listen to songs. Love your smiles and joy. I’m 57 so was there when Jimmy Sommerville of the Communards was doing his thing. This might be one of the weaker of his songs, he’s done so many great ones - check out his earlier work in ‘Bronski Beat’. He was so important in challenging 1980’s homophobia in the UK. Keep the smiles and tunes coming - such a great antidote to a busy day. Thank you ❤

I'm so glad you liked this track because Jimmy Somerville coming back to the club charts with The Communards was a major thing! And Amber, your estimation of what life in the clubs in the 80s was like is SPOT ON...I know, I was there in my 20s & experienced all this stuff you're loving as it happened. You always remind me how much fun I had & how glad I am I wasted so much time doing it LOL!!!

"Don't leave me this way" was probably there biggest hit

I am so happy you guys discovered this song and that you like it. It was one of my faves back in the day - and you’re right - clubland in the 80s was a special place. If singer’s voice intrigued you (Jimmy Somerville) give his other 80s classics a try. I’d suggest “Why?” and “Smalltown Boy,” both with Bronski Beat. Either is a good choice for Pride month, also.

Thanks for covering this! "Don't Leave Me This Way" is my favorite Communards recording.

You are right about being on a dance floor in the 80s. Best time ever!

The coolest thing about The Communards is that one half of the duo is now not only an openly gay Anglican priest (Reverend Richard Coles), but is also really quite well known on UK TV and radio as a host/contributor. Probably the most famous TV priest in the UK today and an extremely clever and funny guy.

They will never be any greater decade of music and movies than the 80's.

The keyboard player is now the Reverend Richard Coles. He's on loads of TV and radio comedy panel shows over here in the UK. He's such a lovely bloke.

Y'all know that's a remake of the Jackson Five song

Finally you listened to the wonderful Jimmy Somerville, the lead singer. Keep checking his performances with The Communards and his former group, Bronski Beat, please. Some suggestions: "It ain't necessarily so", "Smalltown boy", "Why?" by Bronski Beat, "Don't leave me this way", "Disenchanted", "Tomorrow", "So cold the night", "For a friend" by The Communards.

You really should do Don’t Leave Me This Way. The soaring vocals and combination of Jimmy Somerville and Sarah Jane Morris, the horns, piano band video make this a must see

Jimmy Somerville is still going strong, performing new music and the Hits. We're so lucky to have him still around, He's Fantastic !!! Gloria Gaynor had the Disco Hit then the Comm's took it up, it's a Great Song all around mission accomplished, Made Me Smile. !

You guys promote “making someone smile”. I typically try to follow your lead. Today, my husband and I went to Home Depot. Inside we saw a family with their very young son and his golden doodle puppy. The puppy was so excited to experience Home Depot with the family. We smiled. Outside, we passed a man loading wood to a cart. His toddler daughter yelled “I love you Daddy!”. Then she yelled to his partner, “I love you Daddy”! Made my husband and I smile big time!

For one of the most amazing songs regarding a son facing rejection from his family for being gay or possibly even suspected of being gay as it isn't fully clarified and to hear him with his amazing voice you guys have got to check out when he was with Bronski Beat and the song Small-town Boy is legendary. And as Pride month this would be a good reaction video to bring darkness into the light and celebrate what we have with Pride in 2023 as opposed to how it was in the 80s.

My 1st time hearing this! Love this version! Make me happy and you guys always make me happy!

As Synth pop is my era growing up i must suggest a few here. Ultravox - Vienna, Visage - Fade to grey, Kraftwerk - The Model, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Maid of Orleans & Enola Gay, Tubeway Army - Are Friends Electric, Gary Numan - I Die You Die & We are Glass, Blancmange - Living on the Ceiling & Blind Vision all of which were massive hits when i was younger.

Takes me back to my precious youth spent dancing in gay clubs! This was a "confetti song"....played at the height of the night with a packed dance floor and a celebratory pop of confetti raining down at just the right climactic moment! Good times!

Wow!! Took me way back to my dance club days!! Awesome song ❤️

Absolute banger.So catchy. And what a falsetto voice. Seen Jimmy Somerville live recently and he can still hit those high notes. I want to be on the dance floor with them busting out moves. Love it.

Hey Amber, you were bang on the money, when you said that it must have been amazing dancing to this at a club in the 80's ....I did and can say that all troubles just melted away...we need this back so bad, as there are so many more troubles now unfortunately. I'm positive the world and its people would be in a better, happier place right now if we could again experience the incredible tunes like this from the 80's...back to making love not war...if only! Thank you for bringing us your incredible music and great entertainment.....the sound quality of your videos are the best! with love from the wet & dreary UK.... 🥰

J/A, The Jackson 5's version is the best version of this song, followed by the songwriter (Clifton Davis) ! The Jackson 5's original was recorded June1970, released March 1971. Michael was 11 at the time of the recording and his vocals were AMAZING!!!

The keyboard guy had a second career as the vicar of Finedon Church in Northamptonshire. Happy retirement to The Reverend Richard Coles, now an author!

Amber, you are so right about the dance clubs in the 80's!! That is my era and it was fun!! The higher the hair, the closer to God, caked on makeup and dancing until the sun came up. What a time to be in University!!

The guy on the keyboard/pianoin a suit and glasses is now a vicar.

The pianist- guy with the glasses - became an Anglican priest. He’s called Reverend Richard Coles. He’s a Uk broadcaster and author. He’s absolutely lovely. I can’t convey how joyous and wonderful it was to hear Jimmy Somerville’s voice as a teenager in the 80s

Love this song. Thank you for a good request.

The guy with the glasses in the band is now a vicar/priest

The Harold Ramis lookalike on the keyboards is Richard Coles, now a Church of England Reverand. The backing singers were The Banderas who had a hit with 'This is Your Life'.

I would say 80's synth DISCO. That is it's heritage. Disco. Instantly recognisable vocals by Jimmy who as I gather still sounds fantastic today !

Wow! This is a Great Upbeat version of an old Jackson 5 Hit! Never heard of this Group, but Love the complexity of the Song! :) Thx Guys!

'Don't Leave me This Way' was their other big release- a cover of Thelma Houston's disco classic.

Oh Amber you’re right, I lived my dreams on the the dance floor in the 80’s, met the one I love and still with him now. You should try communards “You are my world” if you want to hear Jimmy Summerville hits those high notes. FYI the guy dancing in the suit is the Reverend Richard Cole, the other half of the communards, he’s one of the funniest and most intelligent people with a warm heart you could ever meet! ❤️ to you both for making an old man feel young again. 🕺

I totally agree Don't Leave Me This Way the extended version if possible is an absolute must 😍🔥🔥

The singer, Jimmy Somerville, also did some solo stuff in the late 80s early 90s, "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" from 1989 is amazing, and "To Love Somebody" is another one worth listening to.

Love this song! So many memories 😊 Hey, looking for a new group?? "THE BARE NAKED LADIES "!!! Huge catalog of hits, every one a lyrical masterpiece

I STRONGLY recommend "Small Town Boy," Bronski Beat. I think it was Jimmy Sommerville's first hit and stamped his voice on the 80s. It is also a pivotal song because it is about a boy growing up gay in a small town who is bullied and has to leave for the city--it was a big deal at the time to sing about this topic openly and not via inuendo and code. A big song and group for the gay liberation movement.

At this point in your journey, how can anything from the 80's surprise you? There is not only one 80's sound....there is everything 80's sound.

I have been waiting for some Communards for a while now from you lovely people. Lead singer is Jimmy Sommervile. Next up should be "Don't leave me this way" A real club banger back in the day. Jimmy's previoud band Bronski Beat also had a great hit with "Smalk Town Boy" Slower but great song.

Communards, and Bronski Beat earlier, were absolute pioneers here in the uk of being out and proud gay rights activists

"Don't Leave Me This Way" - another smash hit by the communards! High energy dance track! 💃 🕺🔥🔥

Jimmy Sommerville is a vocal icon from two of the top gay bands of the 80s (Communards and Bronski Beat). He was also an icon for the gay community, as he was very open about his homosexuality and refused to hide any aspect of that. You'll note, he says, "I never can say goodbye, boy." This was HUGE back then. So many gay performers, like Elton John and George Michael hid their homosexuality for fear of backlash. (Of course, things were much different for Elton than George Michael, being that he started performing in the early 70s. Obviously, they both eventually came out.) Sommerville kind of paved the way for other gay artists to come out and was a trailblazer in the LGBTQ community in that and many other ways. I have great respect for him. And yeah ... when any Jimmy Sommerville song came on in the club, the dance floor was instantly packed. LOL. Great tune. Listen to more. Just pick anything. They're all great.

Never heard of this group, but I'll give them respect for doing this Jackson 5 hit.

Jimmy Somerville's voice is so recognizable. First in Bronski Beat, later in The Communards. Their cover of "Don't Leave Me This Way", originally by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, was an 80s classic! He also had a solo career and sang backing vocals on an Elvis cover by the Fine Young Cannibals of "Suspicious Minds".

Amber is so right-I lived my best life dancing to Jimmy Sommerville’s voice, whether it was him in Bronski Beat or w/The Communards, lots of late nights, sweating up a storm on the dancefloor! This is a remake of a disco song, many disco songs were remade w/new synth versions on them, like the KC & The Sunshine Band’s 70’s version of “That’s The Way I Like It” to the 80’s cover of the same song by Dead or Alive. Those of us who were clubbing in the 80’s, had grown up w/the originals, so it usually was a guaranteed hit when there were new remakes released.

I had a couple of their cds, I probably still do have them somewhere. A friend came back from a semester in London in 1985 and brought back a cassette of what was on the radio over there, so I was introduced to the Communards. Love their energy and that falsetto! I sang Don't Leave Me This Way at a very early karaoke night, expecting the Thelma Houston version and ended up singing way up with Jimmy Sommerville. It was a challenge! Even that attempt pulled people onto their little dance floor. It's so much fun.

man it was life, the gay clubs of the mid/late 80's and the dancing...an escape from some truly bad things going on for our community back then. it didn't solve any problems, but gave us the ability to recharge to face the next day's problems

One of my favourite bangers from the Eighties. This was HUGE on its release and it filled the dancefloors all over the UK in its heyday. Great video too, a real feel good dance track. Try Don't Leave Me This Way and Jimmy (the lead singer) previous group Bronski Beat. 👍

It’s true, Amber. In the ‘80s I went to a punk/new wave/early rap club (Friday through Sunday) The concerts I saw, the people I dated, the vibes: every dream was accessible in ‘80s clubs💜🌈👨‍🎤

This was first recorded by the Jackson Five and MJ sang it in his boy-falsetto.

Really recommend Don’t Leave Me This Way, am sure Jay will love the horns as well as Jimmy and Sarah Jane’s vocals, but also Jimmy and Richard in their previous band, Bronski Beat, which have some awesome lyrics.

You can't go wrong with the communards for a great dance tune. Jimmy still sounds this fantastic today. Cheers, Paul 📀😁👍❤️

Dance floors would fill anytime Jimmy Sommerville would sing /Communards or Bronski Beat! "Don't leave me this way" or Small-town Boy, Why, "You Make Me Feel by "Sylvester" dance icon! 💃 👠 🎶 🍾 🎉

I'm usually a synth-pop kinda guy, but in this case I'll take the Gloria Gaynor 70's disco version - or the Jackson 5 original. Also, I'd love if you did ABC's "Be Near Me" or "When Smokey Sings"!

A high vibration band I’m so happy the 80 s was during my 20 s ❤

Love it! Is sort of a combo of Michael Jackson singing it in his high voice when he was young, with Gloria Gaynor’s disco-like version. Is one of those songs that forces you to get up and move!

I think the next Communards song should be Don't Leave Me This Way

OMG! the Communards!!! I thought I was the only one that listened to them!

NEVER HEARD THIS VERSION,,IT WAS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111

He also covered I Feel Love, with Marc Almond, which was a bit of a showcase for both their talents. 😊

A J5 classic written by Clifton Davis from the 70's sitcom "That's My Mama"

1) The 1971 Jackson 5 version: Billboard Hot 100: #2 (3 weeks) / R&B chart #1 (3 weeks) 2) The 1971 Isaac Hayes version: Billboard Hot 100: #22 / R&B chart: #5 ( his next release: "Theme from "Shaft") 3) The 1974 - 1975 Gloria Gaynor version: Billboard Hot 100: #9 / R&B chart: #34 / Disco Chart: #1 (on the 1st published Billboard Disco Action chart; #1 for multiple weeks beforehand) 4) The Communards 1987 - 1988 version: Billboard Hot 100: #51 / R&B chart: did not chart / Disco/Dance chart: #2 (2 weeks)

Small Town Boy

Gloria Gaynor's version is my go to for this song.

Tremendous voice of the singer!!!! The voices of now cannot surpass those of the singers of the '80s!!!! Greetings from the south of Argentina!!!!!

Thank you for choosing this. Jimmy Sommerville was and is an amazing musician who was a huge part of the soundtrack of the 80s and 90s. He has so many great songs from his work with Bronski Beat, The Communards, and his solo work. Watch the movie "Pride" about the British miners' strikes in the 80s. There is a huge connection with Jimmy and his heartbreaking song "For A Friend".

You gotta hear the original by the Jackson 5

It is Pride. Small-town Boy and Why.

'Don't leave me this way.' is a must!

Fact.... Richard Coles (the guy with the metal round rimmed glasses) started life as a chorister. He then moved to London to work as a session musician in theatre. In 1983, Richard joined pop group Bronski Beat as a sax player where he met Jimmy Somerville. The following year, Jimmy and Richard left to form The Communards. They split in 1988; Jimmy embarking on a solo career, whilst Richard started writing for the Times Literary Supplement and Catholic Herald. After studying and gaining his theology degree he eventually became a Church of England priest in the quintessentially English village of Finedon, Northamptonshire After much TV and radio work he took retirement from clerical duties in 2022. Since 2017 he has been Chancellor of the University of Northampton and is an Honorary Chaplain to the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers.

This was a club BANGER!

Great version of Gloria Gaynor's song. And Jimmy Sommerville, the lead singer is approaching a falsetto, which Jay will like.Also did a good version of Don't leave me this way.

No, no, NO! This was during a time when many old hits were given "club mixes". This is a remake of the Jackson 5. I personally would've loved to hear that version. Remakes of classic songs are hit and miss.

Jimmy Sommerville! Good musician, great hits and he never hide himself!

This originated with the Jackson 5, but Gloria Gaynor had a big hit version as well. Both of those versions are great!

You're right about this song having a disco sound. It was originally released in '71 by the Jackson 5. So while The Communards give it their own '80s vibe, it was also a disco hit - especially for Gloria Gaynor, who was one of the absolute queens of disco.

Oh yes Amber, the 80’s was fun. I was 16 in 1980 & started working in a city renowned for it’s nightlife. I may be old now, but I could tell you some tales 😉😄 Getting ready at work once we’d finished then hitting the town! Arriving home same time as the milkman (4/5 am) Communards made fantastic songs to dance to! Another 80’s favourite is Alison Moyet, wonderful voice and great songwriter. I keep begging for you to react to her. Female Friday? Try All Cried Out Loved your channel for a long time

Jimmy Sommerville was with Bronski Beat before doing the Communards. He was one of only a handful of artists from the 80's who had the Falcetto voice.

My favourite communists track is you are my world, they did a version of don’t leave me this way was previously performed by Harold Melvin and the blue notes with Teddy Pendergrass on lead vocals I think. Jimmy Sommerville was also the lead vocalist of bronski beat who are also a great band

I think 4 versions of this song went gold, for the Jackson 5 (More a ballad), Gloria Gaynor (disco), Isaac Hayes (also disco but more R&B) and this!!

All dreams DID come true in clubs in the 80's....we just can't remember them! LOL

I only know the Jackson Five version

Try Bronski Beat - small town boy. Jimmy Sommerville again. Absolutely crackin tune. Powerful video.

A MUST HEAR classic feel good smooth groove,, The Blackbyrds "Walking In Rhythm"...TRUST ME!!

Jimmy Somerville - gay hero and icon! Such an inspiration to me when "Smalltown Boy" (with his then band Bronski Beat) came out.

Jimmy has an incredible voice, listen to Small Town Boy about a gay boy being thrown out of home and moving to the big city. Biographical for him maybe?