Fascinating Rhythm (song)

"Fascinating Rhythm" is a popular song written by George Gershwin in 1924 with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.

It was first introduced by Cliff Edwards, Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire in the Broadway musical Lady Be Good. The Astaires also recorded the song on April 19, 1926 in London with George Gershwin on the piano (English Columbia 3968 or 8969).

A large number of recorded versions exist. One of the rarest recordings is one by Joe Bari (a pseudonym of Anthony Dominick Benedetto, later better known as Tony Bennett) for Leslie Records in 1949 and issued as catalog number 919 with "Vieni Qui" as the flip side. In 2012 a version by Hawaiian steel guitarist Sol Hoʻopiʻi was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry list of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" American sound recordings.

Recorded versions

 * Maxene Andrews
 * Victor Arden and Phil Ohman (piano roll duet)
 * Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire with George Gershwin on piano - rec. April 19, 1926 - released on Columbia 3969 (WA 3184-1)
 * Fred Astaire - rec. December 1952
 * Tony Bennett (1949, as Joe Bari)
 * Louis Bellson - rec. February 1954 - released on the LP The Amazing Artistry of Louis Bellson
 * Georgia Brown,
 * The Carpenters
 * Petula Clark
 * Rosemary Clooney
 * Zez Confrey (piano roll)
 * Come Shine
 * Xavier Cugat
 * Jamie Cullum
 * Vic Damone
 * Deep Purple - Burn (1974)
 * Tommy Dorsey And His Orchestra - rec. January 12, 1943 - from the movie "Girl Crazy" (1943)
 * Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards - rec. December 18, 1924 - released as Perfect 115690, matrix 105713-2
 * Les Elgart
 * Percy Faith
 * Michael Feinstein
 * Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (1959)
 * Wayne Fontana
 * The Four Tops
 * Judy Garland
 * George Gershwin
 * Jack Gibbons
 * Benny Goodman
 * Stephane Grappelli
 * Dave Grusin
 * Vince Guaraldi Trio
 * Ted Heath
 * The Hi-Lo's
 * Earl Hines
 * Sol Hoʻopiʻi
 * Dick Hyman
 * Antonio Carlos Jobim - recorded on the LP Passarim in 1987
 * Salena Jones
 * Stan Kenton
 * Morgana King - rec. 1964 - released on the LP A Taste of Honey
 * Lee Konitz
 * André Kostelanetz
 * Cleo Laine
 * Enoch Light
 * Herbie Mann
 * Billy May
 * Susannah McCorkle
 * Maureen McGovern
 * Jane Monheit and Mark O'Connor
 * Mark Murphy
 * Red Norvo
 * Virginia O'Brien
 * Art Pepper
 * Oscar Peterson
 * John Pizzarelli
 * André Previn
 * Buddy Rich
 * Freddie Rich (piano roll)
 * George Shearing
 * Stuff Smith
 * The Spinners
 * Tommy Steele
 * Claude Thornhill
 * Mel Tormé
 * Leslie Uggams
 * Caterina Valente
 * Sarah Vaughan - rec. August 15, 1964
 * Paul Whiteman