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Girls Aloud will release a new version of their hit single “I’ll Stand By You” with all lead vocals by late bandmate Sarah Harding.
The ballad was originally released 2004 for Children In Need and topped the UK charts for two weeks. The 20th-anniversary re-release will again raise money for charity.
“This is an extraordinary celebration for Sarah and for all that Girls Aloud has done for Children In Need over the years,” singer Nadine Coyle said.
Harding died in September 2021 at the age of 39 from complications of breast cancer.
The isolated vocal part of their song “I’ll Stand By You” was rediscovered while editing archive footage from the band’s sold-out arena tour earlier this year.
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The song became an emotional highlight of the tour. A screen showed Harding singing while her bandmates led the audience in a soulful sing-along.
Initially spread across the stage, Nadine, Cheryl, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh slowly drew closer to each other as they sang the final chorus a capella, then held hands and sang in unison with their late friend.
“It was an emotional moment for all of us,” the band said about the new single’s release.
“I’ll Stand By You – Sarah’s Version” premiered on BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on Wednesday.
During the broadcast, Nadine called the song “really something special” and paid tribute to “our amazing Sarah”.
The new mix shows his strength as a singer, with a clear cry that captures the song’s message of friendship and solidarity.
A new version of the music video, featuring never-before-seen archive footage, will also be screened during a Children in Need fundraising program on BBC One on 15 November. The single will also be released on the same day.
Pretenders star Chrissie Hynde, who wrote and released the original song in 1994, supported the new recording.
“It’s so wonderful to hear Sarah Harding’s stunning rendition of I’ll Stand By You, paving the way for BBC Children in Need,” she said in a press release.
Children in Need is the BBC’s charity for disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.
Meanwhile, ITV will be showing highlights from the recent Girls Aloud tour on November 17, which would have been Harding’s 43rd birthday.
The entire concert will also be available to stream on ITVX.
