“Fascination“ is a popular waltz song with music written in 1904 by Fermo Dante Marchetti….with lyrics written in 1905 by Maurice de Féraudy….which was first published in Hamburg (Anton J. Benjamin)….and Paris (Édition F. D. Marchetti) in 1904 in a version for piano solo (‘Valse Tzigane’)….when as a song with de Féraudy’s words….it was first performed by the French music-hall singer Paulette Darty, in 1905….while being published the same year. With its English lyrics, by Dick Manning, “Fascination” was recorded by diverse artists including Dick Jacobs, Nat King Cole and David Carroll….when all of whose versions made the charts.
In 1957, two of the more popular recordings of “Fascination” were released….with the one by Dinah Shore going to # 15 on the Billboard Most Played By Jockeys chart….while a recording by Jane Morgan was released by Kapp Records as catalog # 191….which proved to become her signature song. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on September 9, 1957….as well as on the Disk Jockey chart….where it peaked at # 7….while on the Best Seller chart at # 12…..and on the composite chart of the top 100 songs, it reached # 11.
As seen in this video herewith…..comedians Gilda Radner and Steve Martin provide a delightful “spontaneous interlude dance” to “Fascination” at a local night club in an original skit on a Saturday Night Live in 1983.
