Were you left shaken or stirred by Jedward's cover of 'Skyfall'? Did Willow Smith's take on Adele's theme leave you squealing Double O-MG? They are the latest in a long line of illustrious acts who have dared to cover a sacred James Bond theme, despite many feeling that such an act is tantamount to blasphemy. From Guns N' Roses to Geri Halliwell and Pulp to Partridge, here's a look at some of the all time highs and lows of various efforts over the years...
Guns N' Roses - Live And Let Die - BEST!
Perhaps the most famous Bond cover, Axl Rose's raspy and raw delivery and Slash's pulsating guitar work gave the original Wings theme a superb makeover in 1991. Roger Moore would definitely raise his eyebrow in approval!
Geri Halliwell - Live And Let Die - WORST!
Ginger Spice's attempt to tackle this theme is as doomed as Bond villain Jaws entering a beauty pageant. She should've covered 'You Only Live Spice' instead...
Radiohead - Nobody Does It Better - BEST!
Thom Yorke and co didn't do it better than Carly Simon - they just did it differently. The theme from The Spy Who Loved Me is superbly converted from sexy power ballad into sublime tortured angst-rock.
Alan Partridge – Nobody Does It Better - BEST!
A-ha! We're not referring to the Norwegian pop gods responsible for 'The Living Daylights', but the catchphrase of a broadcasting icon famed for his Bondathons. For the sake of his suffering audience, let's hope he didn't munch on a Scotch egg before opening his lungs. Beware the "bit of nipple" too...
Shirley Bassey - A View To A Kill - WORST!
You'll feel a strong inclination to 'dance into the fire' while listening to the legendary singer massacre Duran Duran's 1985 classic, which remains the only Bond theme to top the US charts. Bassey's vocals aren't to blame - it's a backing track that appears to have been rendered on a Fisher Price keyboard.
Nicole Scherzinger - GoldenEye - BEST!
The X Factor judge turns into an OctoPussycat Doll for this cover of the Bono-penned theme, which featured on the 2010 Nintendo Wii game. Remarkably faithful to the original, the song shows that Scherzinger can carve out a decent career as a Tina Turner impersonator should Simon Cowell ever axe her!
Arctic Monkeys - Diamonds Are Forever - BEST!
Shirley Bassey's sumptuous staple is pared down and given the guitar-based indie treatment by Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys. The song still holds the power to 'stimulate and tease', even with this low-key approach.
Coldplay - You Only Live Twice - WORST!
This B-side from Coldplay's 2001 single 'Don't Panic' deserves to be renamed 'You Only Live Twicezzz'. Despite sterling guitar work on this Nancy Sinatra cover, Chris Martin's languid vocals ensure you'll be put to sleep as fast as 007 in GoldenEye after he encountered a tranquiliser dart.
Bjork - You Only Live Twice - BJORK!
While the Icelandic icon's infamous attack on a reporter in an airport had shades of Xenia Onatopp, her main tie to the Bond franchise is this cover. Originally recorded for David Arnold's 1997 Shaken and Stirred album, the track was ditched and eventually surfaced on the singer's website. Whether you like it depends on how highly you rate Bjork's distinctive singing style...
Pulp - All Time High - BEST!
Did you know Pulp recorded a theme for Tomorrow Never Dies that was ignored in favour of Sheryl Crow's effort? The Britpop legends still had a crack at covering Rita Coolidge's Octopussy theme though, with Jarvis Cocker's whispery vocals leaving one feeling rather stirred...
Skyfall opens in UK cinemas on October 26 and November 9 in the US.
