The music of Bond - James Bond

Tim Beveridge has organised local singers in a Bond themed concert. Photo / Supplied by Sandra Roberts

A hit squad of local singers have the classic 007 theme songs in their sights, Amy Ridout reports

For your ears only, it's the music of Bond - James Bond.

Music made famous by the likes of Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones and Nancy Sinatra will come alive at Auckland's Aotea Centre on November 22 with a new show that promises to be just as glamorous as the iconic films.

The concert will have its own Bond girls in Kiwi vocalists Tina Cross, Caitlin Smith, Rebecca Wright and Taisha, accompanied by a 20-piece orchestra.

The show's producer, Tim Beveridge, says the event will be spectacular. "I don't do things by halves - it's going to be huge.

"I've been a big fan of James Bond for ages, I think it's had the most iconic and well-known movie themes, spanning generations."

From the music of 1962's

Dr No

to the latest instalment

Quantum of Solace

, Bond aficionados can expect all the old favourites - including

Goldfinger

,

Nobody Does it Better

and

Live and Let Die

- along with a few surprises.

The contagious theme tune to

Austin Powers

, which Beveridge says is one of the "coolest pieces ever written," is also on the bill.

"It's called the Soul Bossanova, and it was written by Quincy Jones, but it wasn't originally written for the film."

The first ever song played in a Bond film is also included, and it is not one that many people know - unless you're an avid Bond fan, says Beveridge.

"It's a Calypso version of

Three Blind Mice

from

Dr No

.

"

Dr No

begins with these three blind guys walking down the road, with their hands on each others' shoulders and they turn out to be assassins."

Beveridge and musical director Mark Dennison selected the singers from a long list of potentials. "We came up with a range of artists with a different range and style," he says.

Seasoned songstress Tina Cross will perform the Shirley Bassey numbers. "Tina said 'I'll do it, as long as I do the Bassey stuff' - some singers would say 'as long as I don't do the Bassey stuff'!"

Beveridge also expects session singer Taisha to bring down the house. "There's a big Gladys Knight number [

Licence to Kill

] that we've given to Taisha and I just know she's going to absolutely kill it."

Beveridge says there is a fine line between staying true to the classic songs immortalised by stars such as Bassey and allowing the show's singers to make them their own. "I'm actually quite excited to hear what they're going to do with the songs.

"Inevitably people have their own style, you don't expect them to be clones of what we've heard in the past. But they've got to be stylistically faithful. Nobody wants to go to the concert and hear things reinterpreted in some bizarre fashion, so we spent a huge amount of time transcribing and orchestrating the original tracks.

"The cheesy way of putting it is to do the songs as people know and love them."

The event coincides with the release of the latest instalment of the Bond franchise

Quantum of Solace

on November 27 and Beveridge hopes the show will eventually tour the country.

LOWDOWN

What:

The music is Bond ... James Bond 08

Where:

Aotea Centre

When:

Saturday November 22, 8pmTickets: $69.90 - $89.90, www.the-edge.co.nz