Career diamonds that shine for ever

Nothing boosts a career like singing a James Bond theme tune. If nothing else, acts who have lent their vocals to 007 soundtracks tend to achieve chart glory and a place in history.

One example is eighties band Duran Duran. Although they struggled to hold it together after pairing with the super spy in 1985's A View To A Kill, their song for the film is the most successful Bond theme to date, peaking at number one in the US charts, and number two in the UK.

Last week, news broke that Alicia Keys and Jack White are the latest to join the roll call of Bond soundtracks, performing new single Another Way To Die for the hotly anticipated Quantum Of Solace.

The 22nd official movie adventure is set to release in the UAE on November 6. Not surprisingly, given its unwieldy title, it will be the fifth Bond outing whose flagship song does not include the film's name. We look back at some of the most memorable tunes.


Shirley Bassey

With three tracks, the Welsh singer has performed the most Bond themes. She started in 1964 with Goldfinger (which stormed the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and gave Shirley her first US Top 10 hit) and her strong, dramatic vocals soon became synonymous with the spy franchise, following that up with perhaps her best-known song, Diamonds Are Forever in 1971, performed for a film that marked Sean Connery's return to Bond after George Lazenby's stint.

Although she hasn't sung a 007 song since 1979's Moonraker, many call the star their favourite of the Bond singers and her brassy, powerful style is often mimicked.

Nor have the passing decades dented the appeal of Dame Shirley's James Bond songs – last year she performed Diamonds Are Forever at the UK summer festival Glastonbury, much to the delight of festival-goers.


Paul McCartney & Wings

Legend has it that 007 bosses wanted Macca to compose the theme for the 1973 film Live And Let Die but wanted another artist to perform it.

But the former Beatle apparently refused unless his band Wings could sing the track. He was clearly right to stick to his guns – the song became the most successful Bond theme tune at that time and was the first to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.


Tina Turner

Bono and The Edge, of U2, offered to write the theme song to 1995's Goldeneye once they heard Tina Turner had been asked to record it.

It became one of the highest-charting singles of her career – which had begun to slow down by the mid-90s – and it made number seven on the UK singles chart. Shortly after, Turner released her eighth original studio album, Wildest Dreams, the tour for which was a record breaker, becoming one of the most extensive ever by a single performer and grossing more than $100 million (Dh367m) in Europe alone.


Garbage

Scottish-American rockers Garbage warbled the title track to 1999's The World Is Not Enough and admitted it was a dream come true.

Vocalist Shirley Manson told Kerrang! magazine, "one of the biggest attractions in doing a Bond song is that you know it's going down in movie history". Review site IGN later included the song in their list of the best James Bond theme tunes of all time.

Sheryl Crow

The American singer-songwriter co-composed and performed Tomorrow Never Dies for the 1997 movie, which gave her her fifth Top 20 hit in the UK.

It wasn't originally intended to be the official theme tune but impressed bosses so much that it was bumped up to the top slot. The song was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Grammy but failed to land either, losing both to My Heart Will Go On from the film Titanic.


Madonna

Madge's Bond outing, with Die Another Day in 2002, has been one of the franchise's most successful theme songs to date. It peaked at number three in the UK singles charts and spent a whopping 11 weeks at number one on the US Billboard Singles Sales charts.

While it was popular with fans, critical reception to the trendy techno tune was mixed. Oddly, it was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song.

In 2003, Madonna included the song on her album American Life. She also made a cameo appearance in the film.