Girls Aloud will release a new edition of their hit charity single ‘I’ll Stand By You’ in honour of their late bandmate and former Buckinghamshire resident, Sarah Harding.
The song, which was initially recorded by the American rock band the Pretenders in 1994, was covered by the girl band a decade later for BBC Children in Need.
Their rendition of the tune charted in seven countries across Europe and reached number one in the UK.
Now two decades on in 2024, the song will be re-released called ‘Sarah’s Version’.
It will feature the late singer on lead vocals throughout using clips from the original recording sessions discovered when the group pulled archive material together for their reunion tour earlier this year.
The tour was dedicated to Harding, who died in September 2021 aged 39 after bravely battling with stage four breast cancer for several years.
Initially born in Ascot in Berkshire, she spent much of her adult life after finding fame in Princes Risborough and was regularly seen along the town’s High Street.
She was also a frequent visitor of Princes Fish and Chips in the area.
The track was first played on Zoe Ball’s breakfast show on BBC Radio 2 on Wednesday, November 6 with Girls Aloud member Nadine Coyle introducing it in a pre-recorded message.
The Derry-born singer said: “It really is a special celebration of Sarah and also Girls Aloud involvement with Children in Need over the years.”
Proceeds from the single will go towards Children in Need projects which fund family centres, community spaces, youth clubs, homeless shelters, hospices and helplines across the UK.
The singers won Popstars: The Rivals in 2002, going on to achieve four UK number one singles and a Brit award.
They reunited with new music for their 10th anniversary in 2012, while a second reunion was planned for their 20th anniversary when Harding was diagnosed with cancer.
Following Harding’s death, the band have raised more than £1 million for breast cancer charities through various initiatives.
Earlier this year, the girl group reunited to tour across the UK and Ireland, performing hit tracks from their back catalogue including Love Machine, Sound of The Underground and The Promise.
A one-hour special, titled The Girls Aloud Show: Live At The O2, will air later this autumn on ITV1 and the full extended arena show will be available to stream on ITVX.
I’ll Stand By You (Sarah’s Version) will be available to download from November 15 in support of Children in Need.
The release date will be on the 20th anniversary of when they initially released their first cover in 2004.
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