The 'my inspiration' album is out this week and will be sold exclusively at HMV through its 280 stores in the UK & Ireland and online at hmv.com. It will also be available as a download through HMV Digital.

The album features covers of twelve songs selected and performed by a range of Universal Music label artists, including James Morrison, who performs Michael Jackson’s "Man in the Mirror"; Stereophonics, who pay tribute to The Jam’s The Eton Rifles; Girls Aloud, who find inspiration in James Morrison and Nelly Furtado’s Broken Strings; Noisettes, who cover Ella Fitzgerald’s classic "Ill Wind"; and VV Brown, who gives a great rendition of "Padlock", first-performed by Gwen Guthrie.

This is the first time that many of the covers will have been heard by fans or have been available to buy. The album will retail for just €5 in Ireland or £5 in the UK.

The album was launched to HMV store managers during their annual business and Xmas conference held at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo on Monday 12th October – with an acoustic performance by James Morrison of his selected inspirational song "Man In The Mirror".

HMV Commercial Director, Gary Warren, comments: “We’ve had such a great response to my inspiration over the past three years – from customers and staff but also from labels and artists themselves, that we saw an album of inspired covers as a natural next step for us.

“Universal Music labels have been tremendous supporters from the outset and were the first to come on board with the campaign. Given their fantastic breadth of artists, we felt they would be the ideal partner for this inaugural album. We’re grateful to everyone at Universal Music and, of course, to the artist themselves for believing in the potential of this project, and for delivering such a fantastic album.”

Brian Rose, Managing Director of Universal Music’s Commercial Division, adds: “My inspiration has struck a real chord with music fans and everyone at Universal Music. It’s an emotionally engaging campaign, and our artists and labels have been really happy to help HMV create this unique album.”

The tracklisting is as follows:

1. James Morrison / Man In The Mirror (Michael Jackson)

2. The Saturdays / Beggin’ (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons)

3. Sugababes / For Once In My Life (Stevie Wonder)

4. Gary Go / Black and Gold (Sam Sparro)

5. Frankmusik / Rehab (Amy Winehouse)

6. V V Brown / Padlock (Gwen Guthrie)

7. Amy Macdonald / Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen)

8. Stereophonics / The Eton Rifles (The Jam)

9. The Maccabees / I Drove All Night (Roy Orbison)

10. Noisettes / Ill Wind (Ella Fitzgerald)

11. Girls Aloud / Broken Strings (James Morrison & Nelly Furtado)

12. Florence and the Machine / You Got The Love (The Source ft. Candi Staton)

The Hot Press Newsdesk