| The Rhythm of Life | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations |
| Album: | G.I.T. on Broadway |
| Released: | 1970 |
| Genre: | Funk, R&B, Soul |
| Label: | Tamla Motown TMO 9149 |
| Producer: | George Schlatter[1] |
| Chronology: | Diana Ross & the Supremes |
| Prev Title: | Up the Ladder to the Roof |
| Prev Year: | 1970 |
| Next Title: | Why (Must We Fall in Love) |
| Next Year: | 1970 |
"The Rhythm of Life" is a song from the 1966 Broadway musical Sweet Charity, written by composer Cy Coleman and lyricist Dorothy Fields.
In the musical, the song is performed by the character Big Daddy, the leader of an alternative "hippie" religious group/cult called the "Rhythm of Life Church." In the 1969 movie musical adaptation of Sweet Charity, directed by Bob Fosse (who also directed the original Broadway production), the song is performed by Sammy Davis Jr., who co-stars as Big Daddy in the film.[2]
The same year as the release of the Sweet Charity film, Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations covered the song for their G.I.T. on Broadway television special, originally broadcast November 12, 1969 on NBC with a soundtrack album released a few days earlier on November 7. Their version was released as a single in 1970 in Australia and New Zealand, where it was a top 5 and top 20 hit, respectively.
| Chart (1970) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Cashbox)[3] | 3 | |
| Australia (Go-Set)[4] | 7 | |
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 5 | |
| New Zealand (Listener) [6] | 16 |