Jose Feliciano--Light My Fire (1968)

     If my memory serves me correct, this was the first version of "Light My Fire" to catch my ears, having come out in the summer of 1968, and the Doors' original coming out more than a year before that. Although the songwriting credits were given to the entire group it was mainly Robbie Krieger's song with Ray Manzarek's providing the iconic organ open. It not only became their first hit, but a number one which set the tone for the band's short but influential career.
     At the same time, Jose Feliciano's light was beginning to shine as well. The blind from birth guitarist had recorded a group of critically acclaimed albums for RCA: "The Voice and Guitar of Jose Feliciano" and "A Bag Full of Soul", and a series of Spanish albums. He had begun to make waves in Europe and Latin America, when he went into the studio to record the album, "Feliciano!". The album broke through in the US in a big way, with the single, "Light My Fire" reaching #3 in the states ad #1 in several countries around the world. The album and single both received a Grammy in 1969.