In Radio Milwaukee's six-part podcast " Backspin," record collector Andy Noble explains that the The Majestics' 1982 single "Class A" has become a minor collectors item not because of its boundary-breaking A-side, Milwaukee's first rap song, but because of its B-side: "Key To Love," a tender soul ballad.
It turns out the Toronto jazz-fusion collective BADBADNOTGOOD are among the fans of that cult track. The group has released a cover of the song featuring singer Jonah Yano as part of a vinyl singles series for the label Light In The Attic. The 7-inch includes BADBADNOTGOOD's reverential take on the song, as well as The Majestics' sumptuous original.
“As lovers of old soul, funk and rare recordings, ‘Key to Love’ has always been a song that has had an impact on our heart and ears,” the band said in a statement. “We hope our version relays how special this song is and gives it some new listeners and a second life ... It’s an incredibly beautiful song that deserves to be heard, and we hope to play a small part in that.”
The press release also includes Majestics member Donald Cooper's thoughts on the cover.
“It is a pleasant surprise,” he said. “They did a good job and it was well done with their own slight personal twist ...
You can stream both versions below. And if you missed it, you can also watch The Majestics' incredible performance on 414 Live.
Backspin is available wherever you get your podcasts.