This isn’t a song that actually ‘goes anywhere’ as such, but I’m certainly not complaining, for the charm starts just as it means to go on. Straight away you are sucked into this mesmerising gallop and though it feels like you have jumped on a slow moving train mid-journey, you certainly don’t feel like you have missed out on any of the good stuff. The Secret is a rhythmic mystery and though its duration is all-too brief at just 1:44 minutes long, it sets a mood and captures the imagination.
Coming together in the early 1970’s, Jessie Key and Sylvester Cleary, a.k.a Key & Cleary, were a funk/soul duo from Buffalo, New York. Though they recorded a handful of 45’s together in their 15 year partnership, some of their material remained unreleased and a full-length offering never materialised. That is until Now-Again Records issued a collection of their material back in 2019. Currently I am working my way through it, having never heard of this duo until now. Their drum-machine soul/funk is a mix of hit and miss for me, but there are some gems to be heard here!
Now-Again’s Love is the Way album documents the breadth of Key & Cleary’s recordings from 1970 until the mid 1980s – with lots of unreleased material also featured! Which I think will include today’s song? I don’t think this was ever released? The Secret is a curious little machine of sound definitely my favourite track of I’ve heard of theirs so far!
Check it out above and if you fancy hearing more – and reading a more extensive background to this duo – you can do that here. Enjoy!
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