Who would have thought that an obscure independent album from Ohio would hide a cover version of “Rapper’s Delight”?

Three Decades Apart was recorded in 1981 by the Jim Fryan Band from Ashtabula, Ohio. The trio consisted of keyboardist Jim Fryan, drummer Rich Glus, and guitarist Dean Miller, who had just returned from a European tour with the Air Force Jazz Band. According to the back cover, the band combined musical influences from the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.

That makes “Rap Song,” their version of “Rapper’s Delight,” all the more surprising. The Sugarhill Gang released the hip-hop classic in 1979. It is widely regarded as the first rap single to reach a global audience of millions and helped introduce hip-hop far beyond New York City.

The Jim Fryan Band stays surprisingly close to the original, picks up the tempo just a little, and gives the song its own identity with a funky guitar. A version that’s instantly fun and one you’d never expect to find on an album like this.