Black Cat (song)

“Black Cat”
German and Australian CD single cover
Single by Janet Jackson from the album Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814
B-side	"The 1814 Megamix"
Released	September 4, 1990
Format	7" single, 12" maxi single, CD single, cassette single
Genre	Pop/Rock
Length	4:30 (Edit Version) 4:50 (Album Version)
Label	A&M
Writer(s)	Janet Jackson
Producer	Janet Jackson, Jellybean Johnson
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Janet Jackson singles chronology
"Come Back to Me" (1990) "Black Cat" (1990) "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" (1990)
Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 track listing
"Interlude: No Acid" (15) "Black Cat" (16) "Lonely" (17)
Design of a Decade 1986/1996 track listing
"The Pleasure Principle" (10) "Black Cat" (11) "Rhythm Nation" (12)
Alternate covers
Canadian cassette single cover
US promo CD single cover
UK 7" single cover
UK limited edition 12" single cover
Japanese CD single cover
Japanese 3" CD single cover
Audio sample
file info · help

"Black Cat" is a song by American R&B/pop singer Janet Jackson.

[edit] Song information

Released on September 4, 1990,^[1] "Black Cat" was the sixth single from Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). Unlike the R&B- and pop-infused songs that Jackson had been releasing before, this song was strictly a rock and roll production solely written by Jackson and co-produced with one of the song's guitarist Jellybean Johnson. The song became Jackson's fourth number one hit single on the Billboard Hot 100. The song sounds as just as like "Black Sheep" of Bulgarian group Ahat released in 1989.

[edit] Guitarists

For the album version of "Black Cat," most of the guitar lines were played by Dave Barry, including the intro, main riff, and a memorable thematic solo. Barry consequently became Janet's longtime touring guitarist. John McClain, A&R executive for A&M Records, provided the slide-guitar part, while Jellybean Johnson played the funky guitar part at the very end of the song. Although credited on the album, Jesse Johnson provided a guitar solo that was not used for the album version, but is featured in each of the remixes.

Several "Black Cat" remixes include Nuno Bettencourt on rhythm guitar.

[edit] Releases

The B-side on some of the releases features "The 1814 Megamix". Remixed by Alan Coulthard, it includes snippets of Jackson's previous hit singles "Alright", "Escapade", "Rhythm Nation", and "Miss You Much". The megamix does not appear on any other release from Jackson.

[edit] Music video

Directed by Wayne Isham, the video for "Black Cat" was a concert video from her Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour. The video appears on the video releases The Rhythm Nation Compilation and Design of a Decade 1986/1996. On April 27, 2007, the video was released on iTunes Store.

[edit] Track listings and formats

Canadian Cassette single (75021 1477 4)^[2]

1. Video Mix / Short Solo - 4:31
2. Album Version - 4:50

Australian 7" Vinyl (390548-7)^[3]

1. Edit Version - 4:30
2. "Lonely" - 4:59

UK 7" Vinyl (AM 587)

1. Edit Version - 4:30
2. "The 1814 Megamix" (Edit) - 4:36

UK. 12" Promo Vinyl (AMYDJ 587)^[4]

1. "The 1814 Megamix" (Full Version) - 7:24
2. 3 Snaps Up 12" - 7:31
3. Edit Version - 4:30

UK 12" Vinyl (AMY587)^[5]

U.K. 12" Vinyl (AMX587)(limited edition w/ badge & 4 live colour postcards)^[6]

1. 3 Snaps Up 12" - 7:31
2. Album Version - 4:50
3. "The 1814 Megamix" (Full Version) - 7:24

German CD single (390 572-2)^[7]

1. Edit Version - 4:30
2. "The 1814 Megamix" (Full Version) - 7:24
3. 3 Snaps Up 12" - 7:31

German Maxi-CD (397 098-2)^[8]

1. Edit Version - 4:30
2. Video Mix / Short Solo - 4:31
3. Video Mix / Long Solo - 4:48
4. Featuring Vernon Reid - 4:48
5. 3 Snaps Up 7" - 4:24
6. Funky 7" - 4:41
7. 3 Snaps Up 12" - 7:31
8. Funky 12" - 5:45
9. 3 Snaps Up Dub - 6:12
10. "The 1814 Megamix" (Full Version) - 7:24

US 12" Vinyl (SP-12348)^[9]

Australian 12" Vinyl (390 548-1, 390 548-1)^[10]

1. Funky 12" - 5:45
2. Funky 7" - 4:41
3. Video Mix / Short Solo - 4:31
4. 3 Snaps Up 12" - 7:31
5. 3 Snaps Up 7" - 4:24
6. 3 Snaps Up Dub - 6:12

US Promo CD single (75021 7972 2)^[11]

Japanese CD single (PCCY-10144)^[12]

1. Video Mix / Short Solo - 4:31
2. Video Mix / Long Solo - 4:48
3. Edit Version - 4:30
4. Featuring Vernon Reid - 4:48
5. 3 Snaps Up 7" - 4:24
6. Funky 7" - 4:41
7. 3 Snaps Up 12" - 7:31
8. Funky 12" - 5:45
9. 3 Snaps Up Dub - 6:12

Japanese 3" CD single (PCDY-10017)^[13]

1. Video Mix / Short Solo - 4:31
2. Featuring Vernon Reid - 4:48

[edit] Charts

[edit] Official remixes

• Album Version – 4:50
• Edit Version – 4:30
• Video Mix Long Solo (Additional Rhythm Guitars by Nuno Bettencourt) – 4:48
• Video Mix Short Solo (Additional Rhythm Guitars by Nuno Bettencourt) – 4:31
• 3 Snaps Up 7" – 4:24
• 3 Snaps Up 12" – 7:31
• 3 Snaps Up Dub – 6:12
• Funky 7" – 4:41
• Funky 12" – 5:44
• Guitar Mix featuring Vernon Reid – 4:46

[edit] References