Hurt: Johnny Cash

Get your hanky out for this. It was written and first performed by the Nine Inch Nails and given a new twist and an unbelievable level of depth by Johnny Cash, not long before his wife June Carter (who appears in the clip) died. Johnny joined her less than four months later. I'm welling up already .....

Ain't no sunshine

One of my favourite ballads of all time, whoever is singing it. Bill Withers wrote and first recorded it - his voice is eerily similar to Jose Feliciano who also covered it in a slightly jazzier style.

All Along the Watchtower

OK one more cover for the road. Hendrix's seminal meisterwerk - a ripoff of Dylan's All Along the Watchtower. In which Mr Hendrix takes Mr Dylan's wailing dirge, pulls it to pieces, stamps on it, sets fire to it, and reconstitutes the ashes into a thing of beauty.

Even if you don't like the song, you have to admit Hendrix was Sex on Legs.

Light my Fire

I have been a fan of Jose Feliciano since his 1968 release of The Doors' "Light my Fire" (I was 13 and already considered a bit weird by my classmates for my musical tastes). The virtuoso latino-jazz section in the middle is stunning. Notwithstanding my respect for the Doors' original version, this also goes in my collection of cover versions that are as good as, if not better than, the original.

House of the Rising Sun

House of the Rising Sun is an old traditional song. The Animals' 1964 version was a classic, but I reckon this one is even better. The Be Good Tanyas are a Canadian country music trio of gals with a whimsical, ethereal sound. Their version of House of the Rising Sun goes into my pantheon of best cover versions of all time. No live footage of them singing it, so just listen and enjoy the paintings.