I spent about half an hour trying to decide if this song was enough of a non-single to be featured for this month before finally realizing that it doesn’t matter. It’s a yet-unreleased powerhouse with a long and winding history, which, for my purposes, is way more than enough to let it have my attention for this feature.

For those who remember the 80s, the not-so-humble origins of this recently hyped No Doubt cover are somewhat common knowledge. ”Stand and Deliver” was originally by Adam and the Ants, and its release in 1981 made sure that the UK New Wave band didn’t disappear into the woodwork, at least right away. In addition to being well-received by the public as mere audio, the video for the song was extremely elaborate for its time and lauded by critics for its innovation.

Twenty-eight years later, when it was taken over by No Doubt, ”Stand and Deliver” became a symbol of the band’s rebirth – a shout out to some musical inspiration for the band as well as a new track for fans to get excited about. It has made several appearances in New Doubt’s recently reformed career, most notably as part of a band cameo on Gossip Girl. Fans who attended (or plan to attend) one of the shows on their summer tour had two shots at experiencing the song. Purchasers of pre-sale tickets in the top price tier were able to download it, but even those with lawn seats could catch it as the last song in No Doubt’s set.

No Doubt’s version of “Stand and Deliver” is an energetic one – not so different from other covers I’ve heard them do, but it’s certainly getting me excited for the release of their new album, and even the song itself. You can check out the footage of its first live performance at Bamboozle here or anywhere else on YouTube.