Fascinating Rhythm Fascinating Rhythm "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
Fred Astaire film for Paramount, "Funny Face" (1957), teamed him with Audrey Hepburn and Kay Thompson and despite the sumptuousness of the production and the strong reviews from critics, it failed to make back its cost. Similarly, Astaire's next project – his final musical at M-G-M, "Silk Stockings" (1957), in which he co-starred with Cyd Charisse, also lost money at the box office. As a result, Astaire withdrew from motion pictures for two years. During 1952, Astaire recorded "The Astaire Story", a four-volume album with a quintet led by Oscar Peterson. The album, produced by Norman Granz, provided a musical overview of