Girls Aloud Release Sarah Harding Version as Out of Control Deluxe Is Announced

Girls Aloud have opened the vaults for a major new edition of Out of Control, releasing a previously unheard version of “Miss You Bow Wow” built around the vocals of the late Sarah Harding.

The Girls Aloud Out of Control deluxe edition will arrive on 13 November 2026, expanding the group’s 2008 Number One album with rare recordings, alternate versions, live performances and remixes.

But the most emotional part of the announcement is available now. “Miss You Bow Wow (Sarah’s Version)” uses previously unheard vocal takes from Harding, giving one of the album’s fan favourites an entirely new focus.

Sarah Harding takes centre stage on Miss You Bow Wow

The original “Miss You Bow Wow” appeared on Out of Control in 2008, but the newly released version puts Sarah’s performance at the centre of the song.

Rather than being a newly created vocal performance, the track has been assembled from material recorded during the original album sessions, allowing fans to hear takes that remained in the archive for almost two decades.

Sarah Harding died from breast cancer in September 2021 at the age of 39.

Since then, Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh have repeatedly ensured that Sarah remains part of the group’s story. Their 2024 reunion tour included a substantial tribute to her, with archive footage and vocals incorporated into the live show.

The release of “Sarah’s Version” continues that approach without attempting to present the recording as something newly made after her death.

Out of Control becomes a 46-track collection

The expanded edition turns Out of Control into a much larger archive of the period.

The official Polydor 3CD edition contains the original album plus two additional discs featuring B-sides, unreleased recordings, alternate versions, live tracks and remixes.

Among the previously unreleased material are “Thinking About the Lonely” and “Starlight”, alongside an alternative version of “The Promise” and an unreleased James Reynolds single mix of “Rolling Back the Rivers in Time”.

The collection also digs much further back into Girls Aloud’s live history.

Recordings include “Girl Overboard” from The O2, “Something Kinda Ooooh” from Birmingham in 2007, “Waiting” from Wembley during the Chemistry tour and performances of “Biology”, “Graffiti My Soul”, “Call the Shots” and “Love Machine”.

A third disc collects the dance remixes produced around the album era, including mixes from Dave Audé, Utah Saints, Wideboys, Bimbo Jones and Almighty.

The album that gave Girls Aloud their first Number One

Out of Control was originally released in October 2008 and became Girls Aloud’s fifth studio album.

It was also their first studio record to reach Number One on the UK Albums Chart.

Official Charts says the album has accumulated around 811,000 UK chart units, making it the group’s biggest-selling studio album.

Its lead single, “The Promise”, also reached Number One and subsequently won Best British Single at the 2009 BRIT Awards, giving Girls Aloud their first BRIT Award.

That was followed by “The Loving Kind”, co-written with Pet Shop Boys, which reached the UK Top 10, while the epic “Untouchable” became another enduring fan favourite.

New formats for the 2026 release

The Girls Aloud Out of Control deluxe campaign is not limited to streaming.

The group’s official store is taking pre-orders for the expanded 3CD edition, blue vinyl and a picture disc, with several bundles also available.

The 3CD release contains the most additional material, while the vinyl formats focus on the original album itself.

New sleeve notes and previously unseen photography from the era are also included with the expanded physical release.

Girls Aloud continue reopening their archive

The announcement follows a period in which Girls Aloud have increasingly revisited their catalogue.

Albums including Sound of the Underground, What Will the Neighbours Say?, Chemistry and Tangled Up have all received expanded anniversary editions, bringing previously unavailable material onto streaming services and physical formats.

Out of Control is particularly significant because it became the final studio album released before the group’s original hiatus.

Almost 18 years later, its return offers fans considerably more than a straightforward vinyl reissue.

And with “Miss You Bow Wow (Sarah’s Version)” available now, the first piece of the project places Sarah Harding exactly where Girls Aloud fans would expect her to be: right at the heart of the group.