Fascinating Rhythm is a popular song written by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin in 1924. It was introduced by Cliff Edwards with Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire in the Broadway musical Lady Be Good, and the Astaire-Gershwin London recording was made on April 19, 1926 for Columbia. The tune became a signature show tune and jazz standard, and it provided the music for a famous Eleanor Powell dance sequence in the film Lady Be Good. There are many famous recordings, including a rare 1949 version by Joe Bari (Tony Bennett) and a 2018 duet with Diana Krall, which set a Guinness World Record for the longest time between original and re recording of the same single by the same artist. The Library of Congress National Recording Registry has honored the 1926 Astaire-Gershwin version and Sol Hoʻopiʻi's 1938 version of Fascinating Rhythm. The song has influenced other musicians as well, notably inspiring the riff to Deep Purple's 1974 track Burn.
