Bomding Exercise.

SEXY string quartet Bond prefer to fiddle with beautiful girls - and that's official.

The girls came close to disappointing red-blooded male followers by recruiting a MAN to replace departing Bond bombshell Haylie Ecker.

When violinist Haylie left to have a baby, the band was inundated with musicians wanting to take her place.

And 33 year-old viola player Tania Davis lets slip a secret.

''We got loads of applications from different violinists - and a few from very handsome male violinists!" she says.

"'We talked about recruiting a guy but we felt it wouldn't be quite the same vibe..

"We like the Girl Power thing.'' Instead, they turned to elegant Elspeth Hanson, who they spotted performing at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

''She was on stage with Jimmy Page and David Beckham,'' recalls Tania.

''She was playing really well and improvising - and we thought she looked great." Along with second violinist Eos Chater and cellist Gay-Yee Westerhoff, Bond are now working on a new album.

They have just recorded a new version of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, which they showcased yesterday at a series of free shows at Birmingham's Bullring.

The tracks were commissioned by Peugeot to mark the launch of their new 308 CC model and are available to download free from www.

opentoallseasons.co.uk.

Tania says the foursome had hoped to get a free car from the deal.

''We wanted a Peugeot," she smiles. "But we've all got cars already and we thought it would make things too complicated.

"Having an extra car in London is never an easy thing.'' Tania adds that as well as promoting and touring their forthcoming album, the girls are keen to work on some music for films.

''And we'd love to be involved in the next Olympics in some way," she adds.

"Elspeth already has a foot in the door, having been the violinist at the last closing ceremony.'' ACTHE CHARTS TOP 10 ALBUMS TOP 10 SINGLES 1 PAOLO NUTINI: Sunny Side Up 2 DANIEL MERRIWEATHER: Love & War 3 EMINEM: Relapse 4 ESCALA: Escala 5 GREEN DAY: 21st Century Breakdown 6 LILY ALLEN: It's Not Me It's You 7 PAUL POTTS: Passione 8 PRODIGY: Invaders Must Die 9 KILLERS: Day & Age 10 DIANA KRALL: Quiet Nights 1 BLACK EYED PEAS: Boom Boom Pow 2 DIZZEE RASCAL: Bonkers 3 AGNES: Release Me 4 KASABIAN: Fire 5 PET SHOP BOYS: Did You See Me Coming 6 DANIEL MERRIWEATHER: Red 7 TINCHY STRYDER: Number 1 8 SOULJA BOY: Kiss Me Thru The Phone 9 LA ROUX: In For The Kill 10 VERONICAS: Untouched . Chart compiled by HMV Birmingham