Possibly it’s because there’s no comparison with the ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ of Thelma Houston, Communards and no doubt countless other versions that we know and, quite frankly, wouldn’t care if we never heard again. Not sure whether Black Grass (aka Mex) was feelin’ this way when he come up with this one as the origins are a little unusual. Apparently, whilst he was waiting for a session player to turn up, the words to the (some would say) classic disco hit, came into his head.

Fate maybe but of equal inspiration was getting Dominique Noiret on vocals but what are the chances of Black Grass going to see her Alt. Country band Noir? Like your Hectic hack, Mex has gone all cross genre here but without losing the commercial appeal that made these ‘sing-along’ versions the hits they were.

Whilst the original is version is as dark as the cover, it’s the J Star remix that’s the one. J Star (who gave One Self’s ‘Paranoid’ the once over last year) has pulled out a big ‘modern’ roots reggae interpretation complete with scratches.

The good news is that there’s a forthcoming album, A Hundred Days In One and as a tempter, we get a vocal version of ‘Down And Dirty’ (featuring Micall Parknsun) and an instrumental. Micall Parknsun is one of the UK Hip Hop crew names that often mentions along with the likes of Sway, Kano, Letthal Bizzle, Verb T, Rodney P, Braintax and Foreign Beggars

The best we’ve heard from Brighton’s Catskill Records since Hardcandy’s Hard To Leave.

Reviewed: Black Grass feat. Dominique Noiret - Don’t Leave Me This Way (Catskills) Cat. No. RID048CDS Release Date: 7th August 2006
Tracklisting:
1. Don’t Leave Me This Way (3:33)
2. Don’t Leave Me This Way (J Star Remix) (4:51)
3. Don’t Leave Me This Way (J Star Dub Version) (4:51)
4. Down And Dirty (4:27) featuring Micall Parknsun
5. Down And Dirty (Instrumental) (4:27)
6. Don’t Leave Me This Way (Instrumental) (5:45)

Links:
www.black-grass.com
www.catskillrecords.com
She Said feat. Dominique Noiret XFM Session of ‘Black Leather’ , ‘Honesty’, ‘Texas Chain Store Manicure’ and ‘The Devil In The Man’
And We Danced - Classics ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ [Short History of the key recordings]
Thelma Houston - Don’t Leave Me This Way @ Lyrics On Demand