When I was a schoolkid I loved Cream. Everybody loved Cream. And this was their signature song. They were the original “power trio” of guitar, bass and drums – Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.

It was a template that would go on to be copied from The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Rory Gallagher through heavy rock bands like Rush and Budgie to ZZ Top and Nirvana.

I Feel Free was the first song Cream recorded, with music by Jack Bruce and lyrics by Pete Brown, who was never in the band himself but performed as a performance poet and also with his own band, The Battered Ornaments (and later Piblokto!).

It’s the perfect fusion of blues rock and psychedelic pop. Released in 1966, it was catchy enough to graze the Top Ten and raw enough to satisfy the generation who would soon become greatcoat-wearing heavy rock fans.

It’s been covered a few times down the years by a diverse selection of musicians, ranging from Mark King of Level 42 on a solo album (1984), Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go’s (1987) and, oddest – and worst – of all, by David Bowie on his album Black Tie, White Noise (1993).

It’s fair to say none were as good as this.