With No Doubt's Sphere residency looming in the near future (May 6!!!), fans have been speculating setlist possibilities. Bassist Tony Kanal has done much of the press so far and has said the set will be Tragic Kingdom heavy - which we could have surmised from the promo they've done so far, heavy on the oranges motif.

The questions coming up are - what are the odds they play ANYTHING pre-TK (aside from "Total Hate")? Will their last album, Push and Shove, get any love? Will it look a lot like their Coachella 2024 set? Will they throw in an obscure ska cover, mostly for their own delight? There won't be much room for improv, given the scale of the production.

I'd like to take this opportunity to appreciate songs that will not make the Sphere setlist. Let's face it - No Doubt is not a b-side, deep-cut band. They have the verified hits and singles and if that's what it takes to keep the majority of fans happy and dancing, they will oblige. The odds of getting a mini acoustic set are in our favor, but those tracks will likely be stripped-down versions of known elements. If they wanted it to be really special, they would play songs from Everything In Time.

Everything In Time is the gold-sleeved disc in the limited edition Boom Box set No Doubt released in 2003, the same year they played Superbowl XXXVVII. This disc in particular WAS gold to fans - this was post-Napster but pre-Spotify and I learned about the existence of most of these b-sides and rarities by frequenting actual record stores weekly and checking the "N" section for singles, imports, promo CDs. Did I spend $30 of my hard-earned money on a shifty looking bootleg called "Sushi Chick"? I did. I sure did.

There were some great fansites, Beacon Street Online and Greener Pastures, both named after pre-Tragic Kingdom material, that kept a catalog of every No Doubt song. Everything in Time as an official release and part of Boom Box came with a booklet of the actual lyrics and liner notes! After years and years of elusive crumbs, fans finally had something to sink their teeth into. It's worth noting that many of these are from the Return of Saturn era, which was Gwen's most lyrically prolific period.

According to setlist data only four of the songs have ever been performed live, and all but "I Throw My Toys Around" were one-and-dones.

Play this album while we go through, track by track.

Big Distraction

One of the songs heavy on lyrical references to "settling down" among the RoS era (see also: "Marry Me" and "Simple Kind of Life"), the liner notes say that Adrian was the most bummed when this song didn't make the cut, the “6/8 time signature with the verses 4/4 forbidden beat was a source of pride.”

Standout lyrics:

"Now we can chisel

Chisel off built up walls

Of pain deposited from past lovers

Memories they can sleep

And we can live comfortably

For the rest of our lives"

Leftovers

One of the few they performed live, according to setlist data.

The show was with Deftones and Reel Big Fish at the Hollywood Palladium. They played a 17-song setlist opening with "What's Cookin'" a song they retired that year. Sometimes one-offs are hard to believe, but on this night "Leftovers" was part of a trifecta of rarities in the set alongside "Total Hate '95" and their cover of Bad Brains "Sailin' On." Fun fact: Deftones also included a Bad Brains cover in their set that night.

Standout lyrics:

"Thinking what should I do now I don’t have you

Facing my demotion, I’m just a fish in your ocean

Has been, that’s what I am with no backstage wristband

I’m freaking, seconds of you, that’s not what I’m used to"

Under Construction

Penned quickly at the end of RoS recording sessions when the band were trying to create some more uptempo material. Per liner notes, Gwen felt this song never reached its full potential. I disagree.

Standout lyrics:

"Success serenades me

And pressures at the door

Broken promise debris

Lie around from my mind war

And my accomplishments interrogating me

Today's become tomorrow before I wanted it to be"

Beauty Contest

A darker song Gwen wrote after the success of Tragic Kingdom, one of the lyrics would reappear in the lead single for her debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. That line in "What You Waiting For "is "Born to blossom and bloom to perish"

Standout lyrics:

Effeminate human creature

Superficial seducing detour

I’m going to the mall for the cookie-cutter

The ugly duckling will always suffer

Contaminated standards, don’t try to fight it

I better get back on my diet

Full Circle

Not a favorite, for the mere fact that it feels like Gwen is stretching to make connections. Do I think it uncanny that both Tony and Gavin have British passports? No. Aside from name-checking Adrian, the lyrics are vague. Despite that, this was performed ONCE on the RoS tour - in Cleveland. Seems arbitrary. Fun fact: In searching for footage of this rare performance, I was reminded that The Black Eyed Peas were No Doubt's opening act.

Cellophane Boy

Written after the TK tour, very obviously about Gavin Rossdale. A not-so subtle complaint about his weed smoking, his “substitution method, crutch / Your whole protection from your pain,” Gwen asks to be his “habit” instead. The first but not last instance of G referring to herself as a “refugee” (see also both versions of “Everything in Time”). Despite her confessed insecurities, she refers to Gavin as the future of her unborn children, and it was at least two years before they got married (2002).

Standout lyrics:

And I can’t relate to the hypnotist

And I can’t get close, ‘cause the plastic wrap

And I want to have kids

But their fathers up inside the clouds

The distance between is on my mind

Everything In Time - Los Angeles

Ultimately succeeded by RoS track “Too Late” this one Gwen wrote with her brother Eric has one of my favorite questions: “Am I wasting all my cute days on regret?” The other question, “Is it healthy that we met?” also comes up in my favorite rarity of all time, “Panic.”

Standout lyrics:

Am I wasting all of your time

And all my cute days on regrets?

Is it healthy that we met?

You're So Foxy

Originally titled “Agony and Ecstasy” this Blondie-influenced track was one of the few they performed live. It was December 11, 2003 when the band went on Kimmel to promote Boom Box. During the aftershow Gwen dedicates it to the hardcore fans, says they never play it “except for soundcheck.” See it:

Standout lyrics:

Mental earthquakes, conversational mistakes

My army of words

I can’t believe you’re crawling back for more out of desire

Destiny or chemicals, emotions are susceptible

And you I can’t resist

I can’t seem to walk away from this

Panic

My favorite of all the rarities, and one I would have loved to see performed live. Written in '95, after "Just a Girl" was released, it SEEMS too early to be about separation anxiety from Gavin, who she started dating the same year. She talks about how “easy” the day will be away from him - she’ll eat a bunch of chocolate, she won’t have to smile, she won’t even put on makeup. In 2012 People published an article where Gwen claimed that Gavin “liked her more” with makeup. Although the lyrics are about going bonkers (or should I say BANANAS?) because of someone’s absence, the song itself is soothing.

Standout lyrics:

I concentrate on empty spaces

A passive pondering of blankness

Sit down shut up, controlled obsessions

Your absence it exhausts me

I can’t control my feelings

I sip on dreams and choke on real things

Detach myself for preservation

I struggle to not want you

New Friend

One of the few tracks from the Rock Steady era, easily identifiable because it was the first time the band had any collaborators or guest vocalists. In this case it was Dancehall artist Buccaneer. When No Doubt were recording this album in Jamaica, they shared a lot of behind-the-scenes moments. For this song in particular, I recall the early lyrics being “I’ve got a boyfriend, he’s in love with me. But he won’t give up London, so most nights I’m free.” There’s audio of the original lyrics on YouTube.

Rock Steady track “Start The Fire” beat this track out for a spot on the band’s 5th studio album. But at 3:03, a siren sounds and the band takes us into a harder rocking version - and this version also contains elements of what would be the second-to-last track on RS, “In My Head.” Although this is maybe the only song where Gwen toys with the idea of not being 100% loyal, the very last lyric is, “Serial monogamy, I got a new friend!”

Everything In Time - London

A reconstruction of the Los Angeles version, added 33 seconds and some piano by Madness' Mike Barson but it still didn't fit in with the material of RoS or RS.

Sailin' On

Arguably the worst No Doubt song of all time, but at least we can be grateful they (or she alone) never ventured into the screamo genre. Also, to be fair, this is a Bad Brains cover. Is it better or worse as a Bad Brains original? I don't know, because I never want to hear any version of it ever again.

Oi To The World

A Vandals cover that the band recorded when asked to contribute to a Special Olympics Christmas themed benefit album. They were on tour with The Vandals at the time.

I Throw My Toys Around - From "The Rugrats Movie" Soundtrack

Ft. Elvis Costello

This is No Doubt's only "kids" song and it was written by Elvis Costello specifically for the Rugrats movie soundtrack. They've performed it twice, and there's video of them debuting it at The Mint in Los Angeles.

That's it for Everything In Time! Maybe next week we'll dig into some guesstimates about what Return of Saturn tracks will make the Sphere setlist.

SEE YOU AT OPENING NIGHT BTW