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Girls Aloud announce Sound of the Underground anniversary vinyl raising money for Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro
The hit song turns 20 this year.
The band are continuing to honour Sarah Harding’s memory (Picture: Girls Aloud/Polydor)
Girls Aloud have announced a special Sound of the Underground vinyl to raise money in memory of Sarah Harding.
The pop song catapulted members Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, and Cheryl to fame, as well as late member Harding, who died from breast cancer in September last year.
Now, in honour of the 2002 song’s 20th anniversary, a limited edition 7″ vinyl is available for pre-order, set for release on December 9.
Girls Aloud and their record company Polydor will be donating 100% of the profits received from the sale of the record (meaning income received less actual costs) to The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal, which is part of The Christie Charitable Fund.
This is the first time the number one smash hit single has been issued on a collectible vinyl, with just 5,000 copies up for grabs, all of which are backed with a never-before-released alternative vocal version of the song from the archives.
Sound of the Underground was released after the girl group beat their Popstars: The Rivals competitors to top the Christmas charts, and it went on to spend four weeks at the number one spot.
Sound of the Underground catapulted Girls Aloud to stardom in 2002 (Picture: Getty/REX)
The vinyl’s release follows an emotional weekend for the remaining members of Girls Aloud, after they held The Primrose Ball in London in Harding’s honour and to raise vital funds for cancer treatment.
Hosted by the stars and presented by Fearne Cotton, the evening saw performances by Olly Alexander, Ricky Wilson (Kaiser Chiefs) and Will Young, with a live auction including an original canvas depicting Harding by The Connor Brothers.
The vinyl will raise funds for cancer treatments via The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal (Picture: Girls Aloud/Polydor)
Reflecting on the evening – which was one of Harding’s final wishes before her death – Call My Name hitmaker Cheryl shared a heartfelt Instagram post, after she also delivered a heartfelt speech at the ball.
‘After an intensely emotional (& quite stressful) year of planning & organisation we managed to fulfil our last promise to Sarah,’ she began in her caption, sharing a slew of snaps from the special night.
‘None of us can fight this awful disease by ourselves but by coming together, leaning on each other and fighting side by side we can surely try.’
Harding died in September last year, aged 39 (Picture: Getty)
Cheryl expressed her ‘deep’ gratitude for each person who helped in the band’s endeavour to hold the event and said they are all ‘incredibly proud’ to have reached their fundraising target.
She thanked host Fearne and their special guests, praising them for ‘lifting a weight’ off the girls’ shoulders and bringing ‘light and warmth’ to the room.
The remaining members of Girls Aloud raised thousands of pounds at the charity ball, which was Harding’s last wish (Picture: Getty)
Cheryl also gave a shoutout to the band’s pyjama collection, which are available in Primark and ‘flying off the shelves,’ also raising money for charity.
The former X Factor judge explained that these sales mean ‘the people still suffering can be helped in Sarah’s honour’ and the more money that is raised, ‘the more we can do to help others with breast cancer.’
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‘I am blown away that even in these current times & circumstances people are still willing to think of how to help support others in this continuous fight,’ she concluded.
‘We’ll get there together. One step at a time.’
The Sound of the Underground 7″ vinyl is available to pre-order now.
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
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