Proud (Heather Small song)

"Proud" is a song by M People singer Heather Small, which was released in May 2000, peaking at #16 on the UK Singles Chart^[1]. It was the title track from her debut album Proud, and was released as her first single becoming a worldwide hit. The song was co-written with and produced by Peter-John Vettese.

In 2005, the song was adopted as the official theme for the London 2012 Olympic bid, and was featured in a widely-seen promotional video for the bid.^[2] Re-released in honour of this, and due to the fact a new M People greatest hits titled Ultimate Collection, which also included two of Small's solo songs, was released the same year, the song returned to the UK Singles Chart peaking at #33 and remaining in the Top 75 for two more weeks.^[3] The song was also re-released on The Biggest Loser soundtrack in 2006. It peaked at #34.^[4]

Track listing

Official versions

• Album Version – 4:29
• Single Version – 3:54
• Radio Edit – 3:45
• Peter Presta QAF V Mix – 5:01
• Josh Harris Remix – 4:19

Charts

In the media

• Heather Small performed "Proud" at the 60th anniversary of VE day in Trafalgar Square.^[9]
• She also performed the song for the launch of the Queen Mary 2.^[9]
• She appeared at a performance to celebrate Britain's successful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.^[9]
• Proud was featured in the American version of the popular hit series Queer as Folk; the recording was featured in both the debut episode in 2000, as well as the 2005 series finale.
• Small also appeared in the Visa London 2012 Party at The Mall on August 24 2008 to celebrate official countdown of the Olympic Games coming to London
• In 2005, Small performed for the Tsunami Relief Concert at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium. This concert was able to raise over £1.25 million and bring awareness to distressed countries.^[9]
• In November 2005 Small made her US television debut performing "Proud" on The Oprah Winfrey Show whereupon Winfrey named it as the new theme for the program.^[9]
• "Proud" is used as the theme music for the season two onwards of NBC's weight-losing reality show The Biggest Loser.
• The song is being used on the soundtrack of the film Akeelah and the Bee. The soundtrack was released in the US on April 4th, 2006 and the film on April 28th, 2006 in US theatres.
• In 2006, the song "Proud" was used as the main campaign song for Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick.
• On December 14 2008, she sang the song at the 2008 BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, at the Echo Arena in Liverpool. This was to celebrate the achievements of British Olympians at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
• The song is also widely used in many videos and events as an unofficial theme for the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.
• The song was at a time the school song for AKIS-BS.
• In the British sitcom, Miranda, Miranda's best friend Stevie has a cardboard cutout of Small's face. She is regularly seen holding it up and singing the main line of the chorus ("What have you done today to make you feel proud?"), then replying to herself by stating an achievement she has accomplished that day (eg. "Well Miss Heather Small, today I've completed the expenditure-chart for our joke-shop, and taken the delivery of hen-night stock").
• It is also used as the company song within the Thomas Cook Group. Employees follow the 'PROUD' values (Pioneering our future, Results oriented, Obsessed with customer service, United as one team and Driving robust decisions).
• The british supermarket Tesco uses the song in most of their employee training videos.
• On Red Nose Day 2011, Small appeared in a sketch of the aforementioned Miranda, alongside Stevie, where they tried to out-sing each other on "Proud".

References