Women Aloud have introduced a brand new model of ‘I’ll Stand By You’ with the late Sarah Harding that includes completely on lead vocals, in help of this yr’s BBC Kids In Want.
The woman band first launched their cowl of The Pretenders‘ 1994 ballad 20 years in the past because the official Kids In Want single. It reached Quantity One within the UK, and featured on the setlist for the group’s UK and Eire reunion tour earlier this yr.
Harding’s lead vocals on the track had been found within the Women Aloud vault once they had been pulling collectively archive materials for his or her sell-out 2024 area tour.
Now, it has been confirmed that ‘I’ll Stand By You (Sarah’s Model)’ will arrive subsequent Friday (November 15) after premiering on BBC Radio Two right this moment (November 6). Pre-order/pre-save it right here.
“The observe performed a key half in our ‘The Women Aloud Present’ area tour this summer season and was an emotional second for us all,” the group wrote in a joint assertion.
‘I’ll Stand By You (Sarah’s Model)’ options Sarah on lead vocal all through utilizing vocals we found within the vault from the unique recording periods. The observe performed a key half in our ‘The Women Aloud Present’ area tour this summer season & was an emotional second for us all 🎙
— Women Aloud (@GirlsAloud) November 6, 2024
Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde – who wrote ‘I’ll Stand By You’ with Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly – stated: “How great to listen to I’ll Stand By You with the beautiful vocals of Sarah Harding main the best way for BBC Kids in Want. Joyful Christmas all!”
Proceeds from the only will profit BBC Kids In Want initiatives working with kids in communities throughout the UK going through a wide range of challenges, together with these supporting kids with most cancers.
BBC Kids In Want 2024 will air on BBC One and iPlayer at 7pm GMT subsequent Friday. Discover extra data right here.
Harding died from breast most cancers in September 2021 after saying her prognosis to the general public in August 2020. She was 39 years previous.
Women Aloud revealed in late 2022 that they’d raised greater than £1million in funds for breast most cancers charities over the previous yr.
The group paid tribute to their late bandmate at numerous factors of their 2024 reunion present. Talking about Harding singing lead vocals on ‘I’ll Stand By You’ on the dates, Nadine Coyle defined: “After we had been placing the present collectively, there was this piece of Sarah singing this track all by herself, singing it amazingly.
“And once we all heard it we had been like, ‘Wow, she ought to have completed this entire one by herself the entire time’. So she’s going to tonight; we’re going to do a duet with Sarah tonight. It’s going to be us, Sarah, you. Let’s do that collectively.”
Earlier this yr, Women Aloud shared some beforehand unheard music that includes vocals from Harding.
In late 2023, Cheryl revealed that Harding had advised when she was unwell that the group ought to reunite.
“She turned to me as soon as and stated, ‘You already know after I’m not right here, you women ought to do one thing’,” the singer recalled.
“However once you’re nose to nose with somebody that’s dying… We simply thought some miracle was going to happen. All of us thought we would be capable to do one thing collectively.”