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"I'll Stand by You" is a 1994 song recorded by The Pretenders from their sixth studio album, Last of the Independents. Written by Chrissie Hynde in collaboration with the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, it was the Pretenders' most recent significant hit single. The song is a ballad that pledges love and faithful assistance in times of personal darkness. Since its initial release, "I'll Stand by You" has also become a major hit for British girl group Girls Aloud in 2004 and Carrie Underwood in 2007, both times recorded as a charity single. The hit show Glee also did a cover of this song in Season 1 Episode 10.
[edit] The Pretenders original"I'll Stand by You" was released as the second single from the album Last of the Independents in 1994, and it reached number sixteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the top forty on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and number ten in the United Kingdom. It charted higher in the UK and the U.S. than "Night in My Veins", the album's first single. The "I'll Stand by You" music video was released in 1994 and features Chrissie Hynde caring for an ill man. The song is availible in the form of DLC for the Xbox 360 Game Lips. [edit] Charts
[edit] Girls Aloud version
English pop girl group Girls Aloud recorded a cover of "I'll Stand by You", produced by Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania to be the official Children in Need song in 2004. The track was announced a single just ten days before its 15 November 2004 release.[1] It became Girls Aloud's second number one on the UK Singles Chart.[2] The song appears on Girls Aloud's second album What Will the Neighbours Say?. The first version of "I'll Stand by You" that Xenomania created was described as a "weird, modernist breakbeat version", which was scrapped upon deciding an updated version of the original song would be better suited for Children in Need.[3] Girls Aloud toured radio stations across the United Kingdom and performed an acoustic arrangement of "I'll Stand by You" that they arranged themselves.[3] [edit] Reception[edit] CriticalThe Girls Aloud version of "I'll Stand By You" was not well received by critics. The Guardian praised Girls Aloud's album, but said that "I'll Stand by You" was "a thing of death-dealing tedium."[4] It was called "a particular soggy area" on the album.[5] BBC Music felt it was "arguable whether this cover adds much to the Pretenders' original."[6] One review went as far as calling the song "a sub-karaoke version, limp, tired, and uninspired."[7] Stylus Magazine actually commended the song, comparing it to Shakespears Sister and calling it "far, far better than anyone gives it credit for."[8] [edit] Commercial"I'll Stand by You" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Girls Aloud's second single to do so.[9] It sold 57,597 copies in its first week. The song also remained at the top for a second week.[10] It stayed in the UK top forty for nine weeks, and it was ranked thirty-fourth on the year-end chart (see 2004 in British music). In the Republic of Ireland, the song peaked at number three for four consecutive weeks. In total, the single remained nine weeks in the top ten and fifteen weeks in the Irish Singles Chart. The girls recieved alot of critisism when it was announced that they would not be performing the song on theyre fifth arena tour. Alot of tabloids claimed "It was a massive song and it was a number one so it should be performed". Band member Nadine stated "Unfortunately it does not fit into any of the themes chosen" while Sarah Harding said "If we were to perform all our 'massive songs' we would still be up there now [the first night of the show at midnight]. Band mates Kimberely and Cheryl claim they fought for this song to be included in the set list but it was not chosen. Other songs that recieved critisism the same were No Good Advice, Jump, Wake Me Up, Long Hot Summer, Whole Lotta History, I Thnk Were Alone Now, Walk This Way and Can't Speak French. Commenting on this Nadine Coyle said "We done our Greatest Hits Tour not too long ago and this is The Out Of Control Tour". It was also said that I'll Stand By You could have been included if the tour wasnt 'overloaded with album tracks'. It was also critisised the fact that an extract of the song was not put into the megamix at the end of the set of the tour. [edit] Music videoThe video for Girls Aloud's version of "I'll Stand by You" was directed by Trudy Bellinger.[11] It begins with each member of the group lying or sitting motionless in a parched desert. At the song's climax, a thunderstorm begins, and the members of Girls Aloud come together and stand in a circle. A special Children in Need version of the video depicts the group members holding "Pudsey" teddy bears, the mascot of the organisation, towards the end of the video. [edit] Track listings and formatsThese are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "I'll Stand by You" by the Girls Aloud.
[edit] Versions and release appearancesThese are the official Girls Aloud versions and remixes and the release they appear on, of:
[edit] Charts
[edit] Live PerformancesThe band performed the song at the following events:
[edit] Rod Stewart versionThe song was also recorded by Rod Stewart on his album Still The Same... Great Rock Classics Of Our Time. [edit] Patti Labelle VersionThe song was also recorded by Patti Labelle on her 2005 album Classic Moments. She performed the song as a tribute to Destiny's Child when they won an award for being the best selling female group of all time. She also performed the song on the NBC show Clash of the Choirs, where she had one of her choir members sing the lead vocals. [edit] Carrie Underwood version
"I'll Stand by You" was covered in 2007 by Carrie Underwood as a charity single, recorded for the show Idol Gives Back which aired on April 25, 2007. Carrie Underwood performed the song during her visit to Africa, which was used as soundtrack for a video vignette, where Underwood is seen singing to children and doing different activities with them. The single and the video were released on the U.S. iTunes Store on April 26, 2007. Ryan Seacrest announced that all money made on digital downloads would be donated to charity to help millions of poor children at the time. On its first days of release, the song sold over 124,000 digital downloads,[citation needed] prompting a debut on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at number six, Underwood's highest Hot 100 position since her 2005 debut single "Inside Your Heaven", which debuted at number one. It was eventually removed from iTunes, leading the single to have one of the biggest falls in Hot 100 history. The single collected over 300,000 digital downloads in the time period it was available for download. As announced, all profits from the sale of the single were donated to charity. The single also received unsolicited airplay on U.S. country music radio stations, despite not being officially released to country radio. Underwood performed the song on the American Idol Season Six Finale on May 23, 2007. [edit] Music video The music video was filmed in Africa. Underwood is seen singing to young children and helping them with different art projects, such as painting. At one point in the video, she is seen walking into a cemetery with a girl on her arms, and a boy by her hand who is carrying flowers. Underwood is also seen crying towards the end of the video, when she is helping an ill person. This music video was made available for download on the U.S. iTunes Store. [edit] Charts
[edit] References
Categories: 1994 singles | 2004 singles | 2007 singles | Songs written by Tom Kelly | Songs written by Billy Steinberg | Charity singles | Girls Aloud songs | Carrie Underwood songs | UK Singles Chart number-one singles | Rod Stewart songs | Songs produced by Xenomania | The Pretenders songs | Music videos directed by Trudy Bellinger | Songs written by Chrissie Hynde | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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