Hull KR Launch Charity Song For Wembley
The club has teamed up with Erasure to record the charity single.
Hull KR have teamed up with Erasure to record a special edition version of their song “A Little Respect” to mark the club’s appearance in this season’s Challenge Cup final, with all proceeds going to charity.
The song, which features vocals from the club’s first team squad as well as the original backing track from the band, is available to download now from iTunes, with proceeds split between Freddie’s Friends, Downright Special and the Terrence Higgins Trust.
It's to celebrate the club's first Challenge Cup Final appearance in almost 30 years.
Social media footage of Rovers fans singing along to the tune after the recent semi-final victory over Warrington first attracted Erasure lead singer Andy Bell’s attention to the club and that connection is set to strengthen on the road to Wembley after the players recorded a charity version at local studio Fruit Trade Music.
Mr Bell said:
“When I saw the video of the Hull KR fans singing the song together and the club contacted me to ask if they could re-release it for charity, it was an easy decision.
“It’s fantastic to see what the song means to those fans and I couldn’t believe how many of them were singing along who wouldn’t have even been born when the song was originally released.
“The proceeds are going to three fantastic causes so I hope people get behind it and download the track. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the Cup Final result on August 29th and wish everyone at the club the best of luck.”
The special-edition version of “A Little Respect” will now become the club’s official song for the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Final against Leeds Rhinos at Wembley on Saturday, 29th August, with representatives of the charities joining the players and coaching staff in the studio this week to record the song and the track’s official music video.
Hull Kingston Rovers CEO Mike Smith said:
“We’ve seen over the past couple of weeks how our supporters have really taken this song to their hearts, especially during the celebrations after our semi-final victory.
“When Andy Bell uploaded his own tribute video to the club after the game, everything went one step further and the song has gone on to encapsulate a very special moment for the club on this season’s run to Wembley.
“Red, Red Robin will always be the traditional anthem associated with Hull Kingston Rovers and that will never change but we also wanted to celebrate a special connection between Erasure’s song and our club this season. Recording a special edition of the track before the Challenge Cup Final with all the proceeds going to charity seemed like the perfect option.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work to get the necessary permission for this project and our thanks go out to Erasure’s management team, BMG Records and Sony/ATV Music Publishing for their support, as well as our players and the people at Fruit Trade Music for getting involved.
“It’s now down to our supporters and music fans to play their part in helping to raise money for three very worthy causes by downloading the track. Given the excitement around the club for the Challenge Cup Final and their love for this song, I’m sure the charity single will prove very popular.”
Proceeds from the new edition of “A Little Respect” will be split between the Terrence Higgins Trust, a charity nominated by Andy which supports people with HIV, and Hull KR’s joint Charities of the Year for 2015 Downright Special and Freddie’s Friends.
Hull KR Community Trust manager Helen Schofield added:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for two small local charities that do amazing work with families across the region to raise their profiles and generate much-needed funds.
“Having spoken to both charities about this project, I know how excited they are to be involved and how grateful they are for this support not just from the club but also Andy Bell and his team.”