That‘s why I was at the Electric Proms watching this very performance.Īs lovely as Matt Monro’s From Russia With Love was, Goldfinger was arguably the first true James Bond theme as we know it today, and remains the archetypal one. Let’s be honest, they’re the reason you’re here and they’re almost certainly the reason I am too. Of course, there are two songs - three at a push - which scream 007 louder than almost anything else in musical Bondage. The track continues the Pet Shop Boys’ impressive track record of writing for female icons, following their work with Dusty Springfield, Liza Minnelli and Tina Turner - the latter on Wildest Dreams, the album that spawned GoldenEye. “A brave face, stiff upper lip will do the trick/ The mask is flung, the face is mine, it seems fine…” Its closer, the Tennant/Lowe penned The Performance Of My Life is a fragile, show-stopping torch song which apparently reduced Shirl to tears while recording it, and even drops hints to future divas: Produced by David Arnold who, like Bassey is responsible for some of the most impressive James Bond themes, it’s an understated and timeless affair which befits her grandiose status together with a healthy dollop of artistic endeavour. While I have a soft spot for 2000’s reswizzle job Diamonds Are Forever: The Remix Album, The Performance is certainly her most cohesive collection, this century at last.

Shirley bassey mr kiss kiss bang bang