The Singles Jukebox

Reunited by the power of Gossip Girl…

[Website] [Fanmade video]
[2.29] 

Joseph McCombs: If there has to be a cover, “Stand and Deliver” is kind of an impressively audacious choice (though in the Ant catalog, “Vive Le Rock” would have been even better). Sadly, just as they did with “It’s My Life”, they take the path of least resistance, carbon-copying every note and vocal inflection. But Gwen innately gives a more interesting delivery, so while the slavish cover may be pointless, it’s not bad at all.
[5]

Ian Mathers: Now, I like Talk Talk a lot more than Adam and the Ants, so I don’t know why I should find “Stand and Deliver” so much more risible than No Doubt’s “It’s My Life” cover. Maybe that doing a second cover after a long break feels lazy, or Gwen Stefani’s mannered performance seems like a put-on, or maybe just that “It’s My Life” seemed like a tiny little fuck-you to everyone, and “Stand and Deliver” feels more… focus grouped. Maybe just that it’s not as good of a song.
[2]

Alex Wisgard: It sounds less like a No Doubt comeback than the return of Aqua, and chances are they’d have done a better job of the song than this.
[0]

Edward Okulicz: Adam Ant was ebullient, mischievous and threw out hooks everywhere. No Doubt sound old, silly and embarrassing (though not, it must be said, embarrassed). This is a bad idea, executed badly by people who, in executing it with such abandon, almost make the fact that it’s complete cack not matter a bit. But it does matter — this is revolting, and, from one of the most consistent singles artists of their generation, doubly so.
[0]

Martin Skidmore: Does she not realise that the title line needs to be delivered like a command, not like a song? This loses its last mark because I am guessing it will be a hit, and will therefore keep annoying me.
[0]

Hillary Brown: My, I’ve missed Gwen Stefani’s diamond-edged nail file of a voice, which is shown off very nicely in this thumpy, cute cover.
[7]

Tom Ewing: I really wanted to like this because an Ant obsessive on Twitter posted so many updates complaining that I had to unfollow him. But he was right! Here are three bad things to do to “Stand And Deliver”: 1. Slow it down. 2. Turn the galloping rhythms into the nursery gallop of a child’s hobby horse. 3. ONLY HAVE ONE DRUM. Come on Gwen, this is basic! The bit where the drummers should beat a roguishly homoerotic tattoo of stick on stick now sounds like Mrs Patel playing the spoons in “Star Turn On 45 Pints”. The weird thing is that Gwen Stefani doing Adam Ant really OUGHT to have worked. Could the devil not perhaps have taken HER record collection?
[1]

Alex Macpherson: LOL. I’ve literally only just heard the original, and while I won’t deny that No Doubt’s cover is terrible, it may well improve the song. The worst — though by no means the only reprehensible – aspect of both versions is the stupid, mannered vocal delivery; but while Adam and the Ants come across like the hammiest, most annoying provincial am-dram luvvies to exist ever, at least Gwen just sounds drunk. I’m baffled as to why this exists, anyway — last I looked, I thought Gwen’s solo career was going pretty well?
[2]

Martin Kavka: I understand that, perhaps, one of the conditions of No Doubt’s reforming would be that they record a song in which Gwen Stefani doesn’t overpower the song with her own persona and leave her bandmates in the dust. But to record a song in which she channels Mark McGrath channeling Adam Ant — as if she were some American Idol hopeful who doesn’t even make it to Hollywood — is to deprive the song of any personality whatsoever.
[2]

Jonathan Bradley: Why are they doing this? Is it for Ten Things I Hate About You II: The One Where Letters to Cleo Gets Its Own Movie?
[2]

Additional Scores

Andrew Brennan: [5]
Briony Edwards: [1]
Iain Mew: [2]
David Raposa: [3]