Pop royalty Girls Aloud are set to release a special edition of their 2004 song ‘I’ll Stand By You’, simply dubbed ‘Sarah’s Version’, for this year’s Children In Need broadcast.
The iconic British girl group returned earlier this year with a huge comeback nationwide tour which obviously sold out and they also won over crowds with their touching on-stage tributes to late singer Sarah Harding during their live performances.
Harding, 39, sadly passed away back in 2021 following a battle with breast cancer and was mourned across the country, especially here in the North, with a commemorative plaque and large mural of the Stockport-born songstress thrown up in her hometown back in May.
And now, as a way to help raise money for the annual BBC telethon and honour her once again, Girls Aloud will be re-releasing the well-known ballad.
‘I’ll Stand By You (Sarah’s Version)’ features Sarah on lead vocal throughout using vocals we discovered in the vault from the original recording sessions. The track played a key part in our ‘The Girls Aloud Show’ arena tour this summer & was an emotional moment for us all 🎙
Originally a cover of the 1997 track by The Pretenders and given that they were still so early into their career, the Noughties hitmakers naturally did multiple takes before landing on their final edit.
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That being said, a version that has been rediscovered in digging through the archived recording sessions features Sarah Harding on lead vocals and now the band are set to let her voice shine through.
Airing for the first time on Zoe Ball’s BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Wednesday, 6 November, ‘Sarah’s Version’ has already gone down an instant hit 20 years from its release, with the emotional punch of hearing Harding’s clearly hitting listeners hard.
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‘I’ll Stand By You’ went straight to the top of the UK Singles Chart when it was first released and was their second-ever number one. We have a very strong feeling that the importance of this re-release will see it do exactly the same – just in time for Christmas, no less.
Fans were left spellbound during what was casually referred to as ‘Sarah’s moment’ on the Girls Aloud reunion tour, where they truly did allow her singing to become the star of the show:
As if the charity single wasn’t a tear-jerking enough prospect already, ‘I’ll Stand By You – Sarah’s Version’ is also set to be released on 15 November, just two days before what would have been Harding’s 43rd birthday. We’re not crying, you are.
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In aid of The Christie and the Sarah Harding Legacy Project, more than £1 million has been raised in the Stopfordian’s memory and for breast cancer awareness through initiatives like the creation of the mural and members of the hospital doing charity runs, bike rides, swims and more.
Speaking on social media, the band added: “The track played a key part in our ‘The Girls Aloud Show’ arena tour this summer & was an emotional moment for us all.”
BBC Children in Need 2024 takes place next Friday (15 November) and highlights from their reunion tour, where ‘Sarah’s Version’ was first heard by the masses, will be shown on ITV at 8pm the following Sunday.
Featured Images — BBC Children In Need/The Christie
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Oasis, Joy Division and New Order named as 2026 inductees into world-famous Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Emily Sergeant
It’s official – three of Manchester’s most iconic bands are joining history.
That’s because it’s been announced today that both Oasis, and Joy Division/New Order (as one act) are being inducted into the world-famous Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the 2026 cohort, which is not only a huge deal for the bands individually, but also for our city’s music legacy.
It would not be an understatement to say that these past few years have been some of the biggest in Oasis‘ career, given the fact that they played all across the world 2025 on what is one of the biggest reunion tours of all time – including five nostalgia-drenched gigs in Manchester’s Heaton Park last summer.
But despite everything they’ve done over the past three decades, this could still be one of the iconic Manchester band’s greatest achievements.
Announcing Oasis’ induction this week, a statement on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website reads: “Oasis are one of the most successful and influential acts of all time. Exploding out of the 1990s UK music scene, they reclaimed big, brash, hook-filled rock & roll with their anthemic sound, cool swagger, expertly crafted lyrics, and electrifying live performances – eventually selling over a hundred million records.
“Their songs have become England’s go-to anthems, sung in unison by fans at sporting events and social gatherings and inspiring countless bands.”
The Gallagher brothers reunion last year was also noted by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as being one of the key reasons for their induction, proving that the band’s influence ‘remains as strong as ever’.
I wanna thank all the people who voted for us it’s a real honour ever since I was a little kid and singing in the shower I’d dream about 1 day being in the RnR hall of fame it’s true what they say anything is possible if you have a dream LG x
It’s not just celebration for Oasis, of course, as two of Manchester’s other most revered bands, Joy Division and New Order, have also been chosen as 2026 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
A statement on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website about Joy Division and New Order’s joint induction reads: “Joy Division and New Order were postpunk pioneers and electronic dance-floor innovators, inspiring thousands of bands and becoming a beacon for millions of listeners.
“Spearheading the late 1970s Manchester music scene, their story is a remarkable tale of revolution, metamorphosis, and influence.
“Their dark and droning transmissions ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ and ‘Blue Monday’ were foundational to both dance music and alternative rock, and they still resonate deeply with outsiders and adventurous souls.
“They were innovative musicians who created something revolutionary and massively influential – not once, but twice.”
The 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on 14 November at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Featured Image – Jill Furmanovsky (Publicity Picture)
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Morrissey claims sole credit for The Smiths’ iconic Salford Lads’ Club photo shoot idea
Danny Jones
Morrissey is once again raising the issue of credit and disputes over The Smiths’ legacy, as the controversial former frontman has now claimed that their iconic photo shoot outside of Salford Lads’ Club was entirely his idea.
The 66-year-old lead singer turned solo star from Urmston is no stranger to sparking debates and attracting controversy, and it seems his latest is to do with one of the most iconic images in British music history, let alone just Greater Manchester.
The Davyhulme-born bard and divisive artist goes on to claim that the other co-founding members of the iconic Manc band initially viewed as more of his “lunacy” – the suggestion seemingly being (as it often is with Morrissey) that they simply didn’t understand the ‘genius’ at the time.
Many of his most die-hard fans still believe that most don’t and never will.
He even jokes that, in another life, it could very well have been something entirely different and random, such as the Kellogg’s factory in Trafford, basically suggesting that other members would have simply followed suit.
In his words, he argues that “now millions of people come from all over the world to be photographed on that very spot, it is claimed as a Smiths idea. It wasn’t, it isn’t, and it never shall be.”
Once again, this is by no means the first time he’s called into question, ‘who did what’ and/or who owns what bit of intellectual property; in fact, there was apparently another one of these instances with Johnny Marr only recently.
‘Moz’ and Marr have been at loggerheads pretty much ever since the group disbanded back in 1987, and still look to be far away from seeing eye to eye on virtually anything.
Danny Jones -
7th November 2024 
