“Fascination” | |
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Song | |
Written | 1904–1905 |
Published | 1904 (piano), 1905 (vocal) |
Composer(s) | Fermo Dante Marchetti |
Lyricist(s) |
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“Fascination” is a popular waltz song with music (1904) by Fermo Dante Marchetti and lyrics (1905) by Maurice de Féraudy.
It was first published in Hamburg (Anton J. Benjamin) and Paris (Édition F. D. Marchetti) in 1904 in a version for piano solo (‘Valse Tzigane’). As a song with de Féraudy’s words, it was first performed by the French music-hall singer Paulette Darty, in 1905, and published the same year.
With its English lyrics, by Dick Manning, “Fascination” was recorded by diverse artists including: Dick Jacobs, Nat King Cole, Earl Grant and David Carroll, all of whose versions, except Grant, made the charts. The Melachrino Strings recorded an instrumental version of the song in London on January 26, 1949. It was released by EMIon the His Master’s Voice label as catalog numbers B 9781, HN 2882, JK 2660 and SAB 121. Other instrumental versions include Paul Mauriat who recorded an instrumental version of the song on his album Best of France. Pete Fountain recorded it in a medley with “Basin Street Blues”, “Tin Roof Blues” and “Way Down Yonder In New Orleans”.
In 1957, two of the more popular recordings of “Fascination” were released, Dinah Shore went to #15 on the Billboard Most Played By Jockeys chart, while a recording by Jane Morgan was released by Kapp Records as catalog number 191, which proved to become her signature song. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on September 9, 1957. On the Disk Jockey chart, it peaked at #7; on the Best Seller chart, at #12; on the composite chart of the top 100 songs, it reached #11.
Watch the movie. Fascination featured in the movie “Love in The Afternoon”.
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