The most popular version of “Ring of Fire” was released by Johnny Cash in 1963.

Among the cover versions are these by Dwight Yoakam (1986) and Social Distortion (1990).

The original version of “Bertha” was a live recording from 1971 on the album Grateful Dead.  They never made a studio version. Here’s another live version from their Europe 1972 tour.

Los Lobos covered it on the 1991Grateful Dead tribute album Deadicated.  They have played it live too.  Here’s an example from 1992.

“Poor Jenny”  was originally released by the Everly Brothers in 1959.

Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds covered it in 1980 on an EP of four Everly Brothers songs that were later included as bonus tracks on the CD of Rockpile’s Seconds of Pleasure.

Cannon’s Jug Stompers from Memphis recorded the original version on January 30, 1928.

The Grateful Dead, which had jug band roots, released a live version in 1971. It’s electric, louder and somewhat faster but respects the original recording.  They also played it on their 1972 tour of Europe.  Here is one example from 1972 (Copenhagen, April 17, 1972).  I prefer the 1972 version because of the addition of the piano.  There are other Grateful Dead versions on YouTube.

“When I Paint My Masterpiece” is a rare instance where the cover version was released before the original recording.  The Band’s version is on their 1971 album Cahoots.  Bob Dylan, who wrote the song, also recorded it in 1971 and released it on 1972’s Greatest Hits. Vol. II. (Not available on YouTube).

A live version by Dylan and the Band recorded at the 1971 concerts that became the Band’s Rock of Ages (1972) was issued on the 2001 remaster.

Dylan has changed lyrics over the years.  The Band’s version and the live version have “Got a date with a pretty little girl from Greece.”  Dylan has changed it to “Got a date with Botticelli’s niece”.  The first recording, released on Another Self-Portrait has a girl from Greece.

The official lyrics have Botticelli’s niece.

“Hot Rod Lincoln”  was popular in 1971 in a version by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen.  The original rockabilly recording was the 1955 version by Charley Ryan and the Livingston Bros.

Nick Lowe wrote the “I Knew the Bride” but the first and most popular version was by Dave Edmunds in 1977.  Lowe and Edmunds played together in Rockpile which performed a really fast live version in 1980.

Lowe recorded solo versions in 1985 and 2009.  The 2009 one has a good video illustrating the story of the song.

Dave Edmunds (1977)

Rockpile live at Montreaux (1980)

Nick Lowe (with Huey Lewis and the News) (1985)

Nick Lowe (2009)

The original version of the country song “She’s Got You” was by Patsy Cline and was recorded in 1961.

The version recorded by Rhiannon Giddens was released in 2015.  The tempo is much slower than the original.  I think it’s more appropriate for the sad message of the song.    Her excellent recording was followed by live versions available on YouTube.

Patsy Cline (1961)

Rhiannon Giddens (2015)

Rhiannon Giddens at the Grand Ole Opry

Rhiannon Giddens (last.fm sessions)  Giddens explains why she recorded the song in a brief introduction.

The original version is by Charlie Poole with the North Carolina Ramblers and was recorded in 1925.  Loudon Wainwright III recorded a two-CD tribute to Poole in 2009 called High Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project which included covers and new songs.

While looking for YouTube links, I ran across a terrific instrumental version by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys from 1940.

Different versions of the song have slight variations on the name of it

Charlie Poole with the North Carolina Ramblers (1925)

Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys (1940)

Loudon Wainwright III (2009)

W-P-L-J stands for White Port and Lemon Juice.  The original version was by the Four Deuces.  The cover version by the Mothers of Invention (as “WPLJ”) is on their album Burnt Weeny Sandwich.

The Four Deuces (1956)

The Mothers of Invention (1969)