# Leave My Kitten Alone > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Leave_My_Kitten_Alone > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Leave_My_Kitten_Alone.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leave_My_Kitten_Alone > Source revision: 1287368358 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1959 single by Little Willie John "Leave My Kitten Alone" Single by Little Willie John B-side "Let Nobody Love You" Released June 1959 (1959-06) Genre R&B Length 2:32 Label King Songwriters Little Willie John, Titus Turner, James McDougal Little Willie John singles chronology "Made for Me" (1959) "Leave My Kitten Alone" (1959) "Let Them Talk" (1959) "**Leave My Kitten Alone**" is a song written by [Little Willie John](/source/Little_Willie_John), [Titus Turner](/source/Titus_Turner), and James McDougal, first recorded by Little Willie John and released in 1959 as a [single](/source/Single_(music)) through [King Records](/source/King_Records_(USA)). It is an [R&B](/source/Rhythm_and_blues) song that follows a [24-bar blues](/source/Twelve-bar_blues) format. ## Little Willie John The original version of the song, by Little Willie John, on [King Records](/source/King_Records_(USA)), reached No. 13 on the *Billboard* [R&B chart](/source/R%26B_chart) and No. 60 on the [pop chart](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) on its first release in 1959.[1][2] A second release again reached No. 60, after cover version by [Johnny Preston](/source/Johnny_Preston) reached No. 73 on the singles chart in early 1961.[1] Over the intervening decades, numerous covers have been recorded, in different musical genres, sometimes with altered lyrics. ## The Beatles An early version by [the Beatles](/source/The_Beatles) was released in 1995 on *[Anthology 1](/source/Anthology_1)*.[3] On August 14, 1964, during the recording sessions for *[Beatles for Sale](/source/Beatles_for_Sale)*, [the Beatles](/source/The_Beatles) recorded five takes of "Leave My Kitten Alone", adding overdubs to the last take.[3] The song was never mixed and was not included on *Beatles for Sale*.[4] The song was remixed in 1982 by John Barrett in preparation for *The Beatles at Abbey Road*, a video presentation shown as part of a public tour of the [Abbey Road Studios](/source/Abbey_Road_Studios) the following year. It was again remixed in 1984 by [Geoff Emerick](/source/Geoff_Emerick) in preparation for inclusion on the unreleased *[Sessions](/source/Sessions_(The_Beatles_album))* project. In 1994, Emerick remixed the song yet again, this time for the *[Anthology](/source/The_Beatles_Anthology)* project; it finally saw official release on the project's [first volume](/source/Anthology_1) the following year. ## Other covers [Elvis Costello](/source/Elvis_Costello) and [the Attractions](/source/The_Attractions) recorded a cover of "Leave My Kitten Alone" in 1986 during the sessions for *[Blood & Chocolate](/source/Blood_%26_Chocolate)*.[5] It was left off the album; Costello latter included a quieter version of the song on his 1995 solo album *[Kojak Variety](/source/Kojak_Variety)*. This version was released half a year before the Beatles released their version and seven years before Costello's version with the Attractions was released on the 2002 [Rhino Records](/source/Rhino_Records) reissue of *Blood and Chocolate*. In a review for the reissue, Kent Benjamin of *[Goldmine](/source/Goldmine_(magazine))* referred to Costello's rendition as one of his best covers and "finest rockers".[6] It was also praised by [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)'s [Stephen Thomas Erlewine](/source/Stephen_Thomas_Erlewine).[7] Costello himself admitted in the 2002 reissue's liner notes that it should have been included in the original album.[8] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-whitburn_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-whitburn_1-1) Joel Whitburn, *Top Pop Singles 1955-2002*, Billboard, 2003, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-89820-155-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-89820-155-1), p. 362 1. **[^](#cite_ref-whitburnr&b_2-0)** [Whitburn, Joel](/source/Joel_Whitburn) (2004). *Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004*. Record Research. p. 228. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-anthology1p43_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-anthology1p43_3-1) [*Anthology 2*](/source/Anthology_2) (booklet). [The Beatles](/source/The_Beatles). London: [Apple Records](/source/Apple_Records). 1994. p. 43. 34445.{{[cite AV media notes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_AV_media_notes)}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_others_in_cite_AV_media_(notes))) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-lewisohn1p48_4-0)** [Lewisohn, Mark](/source/Mark_Lewisohn) (1988). *The Beatles Recording Sessions*. New York City: Harmony Books. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-517-57066-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-517-57066-1). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Thomson, Graeme (2004). *Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello*. Edinburgh: [Canongate Books](/source/Canongate_Books). pp. 233–236. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-84195-796-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84195-796-8). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Benjamin, Kent (May 31, 2002). "Elvis Costello: "This Year's Model"; "Blood and Chocolate"; "Brutal Youth"". *[Goldmine](/source/Goldmine_(magazine))*. **28** (11): 76. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1055-2685](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1055-2685). [ProQuest](/source/ProQuest) [1495601](https://www.proquest.com/docview/1495601). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Erlewine, Stephen Thomas](/source/Stephen_Thomas_Erlewine). ["*Blood & Chocolate* \[Rhino Bonus Disc\] – Elvis Costello & the Attractions / Elvis Costello"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/blood-chocolate-rhino-bonus-disc--mr0000279672). [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221225083040/https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/blood-chocolate-rhino-bonus-disc--mr0000279672) from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Costello, Elvis (2002). *Blood & Chocolate (reissue)* (CD liner notes). Elvis Costello and the Attractions. US: Rhino Records. R2 78355. v t e Beatles for Sale Songs Side one "No Reply" "I'm a Loser" "Baby's in Black" "Rock and Roll Music" "I'll Follow the Sun" "Mr. Moonlight" "Kansas City / Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" Side two "Eight Days a Week" "Words of Love" "Honey Don't" "Every Little Thing" "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" "What You're Doing" "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby" Non-album single "I Feel Fine" "She's a Woman" Outtakes "Leave My Kitten Alone" Extended plays Beatles for Sale Beatles for Sale No. 2 4 by the Beatles Corresponding North American albums Beatles '65 Beatles VI Related articles The Beatles albums discography The Beatles albums: Please Please Me With the Beatles A Hard Day's Night Beatles for Sale Help! Rubber Soul Revolver Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Magical Mystery Tour The Beatles Yellow Submarine Abbey Road Let It Be Authority control databases MusicBrainz work --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Leave My Kitten Alone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leave_My_Kitten_Alone) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leave_My_Kitten_Alone?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.