The Communards - Don't Leave Me This Way

What this video is

Released in August 1986, 'Don't Leave Me This Way' by The Communards arrived at a moment of acute political tension in the UK: the single was explicitly dedicated to the Greater London Council, the progressive municipal body abolished by Margaret Thatcher's government. The Communards — formed by ex-Bronski Beat frontman Jimmy Somerville and classically trained pianist Richard Coles — were openly gay artists whose…

Why it matters

A landmark of British Hi-NRG synth-pop and queer pop history, this video documents the commercial apex of a genre rooted in gay disco culture. As the UK's number-one single for four weeks in 1986 and a US Billboard Dance Chart topper, it represents the moment Hi-NRG crossed fully into mainstream…

The director

Duncan Gibbins (13 Oct 1952 – 3 Nov 1993) was a British film and music video director and screenwriter. He began his career in BBC radio and television before transitioning to music video direction, helming clips for Wham!, Eurythmics, George Michael…