Welcome to Cover Songs.

This is a collection of songs I love ~ reimagined in my own way, from stripped-down acoustic versions to more electric, live-driven interpretations.

Some of these started as simple explorations, others became part of live sets or creative experiments along the way. Each one is a chance to step into a different artist’s world while still bringing my own sound and feel to it.

You’ll find everything from intimate acoustic takes to more expanded arrangements, all in one place.

Dive in and explore.

Acoustic Covers

Acoustic Covers (A–H)

Amazing Grace

I wanted to learn the classic standard Amazing Grace and make it my own.

I performed it for a family friend’s memorial service back in 2021. 🕊 

 

Angel

I’ve always loved this song, and it’s one of the songs I included in my book Guitar For Girls (Hal Leonard, 2012).

Here, I’ve adapted the song to guitar in the key of C#, using a capo on the 2nd fret (I included my chart & lyric sheet below in case you’d like to play it too) 😊

Beautiful

This is an incredible song, written by Linda Perry and made famous by the inimitable Christina Aguilera. If you like the way I perform this song, I highly recommend you seek out Linda Perry performing it ~ there are lots of videos on YouTube. I got to see her play it solo at a music conference and it blew my mind…so heartfelt and simple. 💜

Big Shot

I grew up listening to the Billy Joel album “Glass Houses,” and “Big Shot” was always one of my favorite songs (I’m also partial to “She’s Always a Woman To Me) ❤️

I put a little swing to the groove and had a LOT of fun making this song my own. Enjoy! 😊

Criminal

This Fiona Apple song is SO great — I’ve been singing it since it was a hit in the 1990s, and I worked out a groovy solo acoustic version for guitar. Enjoy! 💜

 

Edge Of Seventeen

This one features the AMAZING Susie Major, the Steven Tyler to my Joe Perry 😎💕

At the time, we were rehearsing for our upcoming Fleetwood Mac gig, which took place in Ohio (the footage was recorded during our June Backstage Zoom) 🌺

Gallows Pole

Requested by member Randy S. ~ here’s my take on the Led Zeppelin version of Gallows Pole, a centuries-old folk song first recorded in 1939 by folk singer Huddie “Led Belly” Ledbetter (an amazing version ~ I encourage you to check it out!). I took some liberties with the song (as I usually do with covers) ~ especially because this song is quite different depending on who sings it. 🍀

Hallelujah

For my cover song this month, I’ve included the Leonard Cohen-penned “Hallelujah” (made popular by the late Jeff Buckley). I learned the song to play at a family friend’s memorial service last month (which is why I cut out some of the more salacious lyrics). It’s such a beautiful song by a legendary writer.

I enjoy playing this song either on acoustic guitar OR on electric guitar (as Jeff Buckley recorded it). I find that different guitars evoke different emotions and performances… and which guitar I pick up depends on the mood I’m in at the time.

Hard to Handle

Originally, I fell in love with this song in 1990, after hearing the Black Crowes’ cover of it. At the time, I didn’t know it was an Otis Redding tune, and I had never heard of King Floyd (who does a really groovy version of it!). This is definitely a song I’d love to release on a future album of groovy acoustic cover songs 😍

 

Acoustic Covers (I–P)

I Won’t Back Down

This is my very favorite Tom Petty song (with a little bit of another classic rock song stuck to the end, cuz that’s how I roll 😜). See if you can guess whose song it is before I tell you! 🎸

Kiss

This is an iPhone recording of a performance I gave last weekend at my friend Jamie Green’s engagement party. It was a Prince-themed party, so we all played Prince songs and had a grand time! We also sang “Purple Rain” in 3-part harmony ~ which is something I’d like to record, as it’s a beautiful song to play on acoustic guitar with female vocals.

Man in the Mirror

Here’s my version of Michael Jackson’s hit song “Man In The Mirror.” Many years ago, I heard Michael’s co-writer Siedah Garrett sing this song with just a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment, and I loved the simplicity of it. I was able to hear and take in the lyric in a more meaningful way than when the song was fully produced, with all of Michael’s signature vocal inflections. I hope you enjoy this mellower version of the song.

One of Us

Fan John W. requested I cover the song “One of Us,” written by Eric Bazilian and made famous by Joan Osbourne in 1995. I took some “artistic liberties” with the lyric, as you’ll hear 😉, and I really enjoyed learning this song.

Oh! Darling

I just love this song! Paul McCartney wrote and sang it (it’s credited to Lennon/McCartney), and he came into the studio every day for a week to sing it once, until he felt he’d nailed it (it’s a bit rough on the throat so maybe he didn’t wanna go hoarse singing it over and over in one day ~ I wouldn’t!)

I love playing it acoustically and would also like to play around with a more Hendrix-y style version… If I come up with something good, you’ll hear it here first! 🤩

 

Acoustic Covers (Q–Z)

Strawberry Wine

Chuck Coates requested I cover this song, and I’m so glad he did!

This phenomenal song was written by Matraca Berg and Gary Harrison, and was the debut single from Deana Carter’s first album in 1996.

I wanted to use my vocal harmonizing pedal on this and did several takes with it, but it kept generating these horribly out-of-tune harmonies, so I ended up firing her and singing it myself. 😉

Too Much Time on My Hands

This is a laid-back, bluesy take on an old favorite of mine ~ written and made popular by Styx 🤘

 

Electric Covers

Desperado

Amazing songwriting here from Glenn Frey & Don Henley… I transposed the song from its original key up to B, so I could utilize the open B & E strings on my guitar and use some gorgeous chord voicings. I love turning “piano songs” into “guitar songs” ~ I often end up with cool variations in the chords that can lend a different feel to the song, while remaining (basically) true to the original. 😊 

Have a Cigar

Here’s my take on the iconic Pink Floyd song “Have a Cigar.” As you can see, I had fun with playing the character of a female record executive! I also enjoyed a screwdriver with my new Ocean vodka in a martini glass (thanks for the vodka recommendation, Ali-Cats!) 😜

Do you see Frankie just sleeping away in almost every frame of the video??? He hung out with me, slightly changing his position every so often while I recorded all afternoon 😻 

This is a song I’d LOVE to properly record in the studio, with my amazing rhythm section, and maybe a lap steel. The groove is SO deep, and the lyrics are absolutely brilliant ⭐️

I Can’t Go for That / You Give Love a Bad Name

I’m so glad somebody suggested I cover Hall & Oates! I hadn’t yet covered any of their songs, as at the time of the song’s release way back when, I was more into metal music  🤘🏻 But the more I listened to this song, the more I loved the infectious melody and the groove ~ their use of interesting chord progressions intrigued me and I thoroughly enjoyed learning this song. 

And then… while I was learning the bass line for the verse, it sounded an awful lot like an 80s song I listened to INCESSANTLY as a teen… Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name” 🤪 So I started playing with mashing the two songs together and came up with the video you see.

PLUS… 💡 Did You Know??? 💡 Reportedly, during the creation of the “We Are The World” recording in the 1980s, Michael Jackson approached Darryl Hall and told him, “I hope you don’t mind. I stole the groove for “I Can’t Go For That” for my song “Billie Jean!” 🤯

And if you listen carefully, you can hear that the bass line in the verses (on the original Hall & Oates version), is very close to Billie Jean. I made it even closer to Billie Jean’s bass line in my version. I toyed with including a bit of Billy Jean’s vocal in this mashup, but it didn’t transition well, so I focused on:
Hall & Oates + Bon Jovi = MAGIC! 🦄💗 

Enjoy!

Immigrant Song

I usually perform this slowed-down arrangement of Immigrant Song (by Led Zeppelin) on ACOUSTIC guitar — but while staying at my dad’s house in Connecticut, I only had my Les Paul… so I was FORCED to make do!😜

I’m wearing one of my favorite t-shirts ever in this video ~ I always know if I’m around “my people” by how they respond to this t-shirt! 😉 

Torn

This is one of my favorite pop songs…made famous by Natalie Imbruglia but was written and originally recorded by an LA band called Edna Swap ⭐️

Below you’ll also find Johann Lippowitz (David Armand) performing this song, as well as Edna Swap’s original recording, and a funny video with Natalie Imbruglia 🤪

 

Way Over Yonder

“Way Over Yonder” is a song I’ve known most of my life, but it wasn’t a favorite of mine until recently. I love how Carole approaches it as a singer-songwriter, but it’s written almost as a gospel tune.

Approaching it with the electric guitar in a Hendrix-y sort of way was really fun for me, and inspires me to dive deeper into Hendrix’s unique approach to ballads.

I think I’ll be playing with this arrangement of the song for some time ~ it would be a fun one to perform with a band (and a gospel choir!!) 😍

 

Whole Lotta Love

People have been asking me to record this song for years. Maybe I will soon!

Till then, here’s the audio from this live performance of me & my band performing Whole Lotta Love with very special guest Laurence Juber.

Musician Credits:
Guitar & Vocal: Ali Handal
Guitar: Laurence Juber
Drums: Matt Hankle 
Bass: David Brown

You’ll also find below a snippet of me & my 2009 band messing around with Whole Lotta Love. We gave the chorus a half-time feel, which I really like…I may need to work this up for future performances!