Fans left shaken and stirred as Bond title track artists unveiled

IT IS one of the few pieces of film music that attracts as much attention as the movie itself – the James Bond theme song.

Almost a genre in its own right, the list of artists who have stepped up to record it reads like a who's who of modern 20th-century music, including Sir Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Lulu, Carly Simon and Nancy Sinatra.

However, the makers of Quantum Of Solace, the 22nd episode in the Bond franchise which is due to be released in the UK in October, defied expectations yesterday as they announced the alternative-rocker Jack White and R'n'B singer Alicia Keys would perform the first Bond duet with Another Way To Die.

The decision is a break from the traditional Bond theme, as epitomised by Diamonds Are Forever, with its trademark swooping John Barry strings and soaring Shirley Bassey vocals, or even the big pop production of Duran Duran's A View To A Kill.

Yesterday's announcement ended months of speculation over who would record the theme song. British popstars Duffy and Leona Lewis were tipped to take the job, as was 1980s icon Grace Jones.

It was also rumoured that Amy Winehouse had been working on a track with top producer Mark Ronson, but the recording failed to materialise following claims Ronson was dissatisfied with the results.

Ajay Chowdhury, editor of the James Bond fan magazine Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, said that the decision to pick White and Keys was not a total surprise. He said: "As usual, the producers have done what was not quite expected.

"They could have gone for a Bassey-type or Duffy-type – pretty bog-standard Bond stuff – but I think they're one step ahead of the curve with their choice.

"I think it's an incredibly exciting, intriguing choice."

However, Mr Chowdhury said that a strong title song did not necessarily mean a good Bond movie, citing the tracks on A View To A Kill and Live And Let Die as being more memorable than the film.

Alistair Harkness, film critic for The Scotsman, cast doubt on the likely quality of the song: "Generally, the most recent ones have been really bad, so made no impression on the film.

"Madonna's Die Another Day was probably the worst one ever.

"It's the old tunes, the likes of Goldfinger and The Spy Who Loved Me, which are generally most memorable."

He added: "(The title song] can have an impact on the film itself: the classic Bond film starts with an action scene, then you go into an elaborate opening credit and song, which help set the mood for the rest of the movie.

"If it's bad, then it detracts from that."