Shirley Bassey

Welsh singer, 1937-.

The only person to have sung more than one James Bond theme (Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker- she did one for Thunderball too called "Mr Kiss-Kiss Bang-Bang," but the studio went with the Tom Jones version. Affectionately and spooneristically referred to as "Burly Chassis".

Her other famous songs include:

• "Big Spender" ("Hey, Big Spender!")
• "As Long As He Needs Me" (From Oliver!)
• "History Repeating".
• Believe it or not, a cover of "Get The Party Started" (even included on Dancing On Ice)

Bassey's singing style, the singing equivalent of Chewing the Scenery, has been much imitated:

• Geri Halliwell's "Look At Me" definitely has a hint of Bassey to it.
• At points - the Title Song for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the song takes on the Bassey-style, appropriate considering the other Spy tropes it plays with.
• Richard Cheese did a lounge cover of "Rock the Casbah". Changing the pitch of it turns the cover into a dead-on Bassey pastiche.
• The opening theme for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me is a parody of Bassey's Bond themes.
• Roza Rymbaeva used this in her debut song "Alia."