G is for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

Ah, hip hop, some good, some...well, let's leave it there, shall we? But in the good category I would definitely put Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, if only for their splendid name.

I really liked The Message by GFATFF, so much so that when it appeared on the jukebox of a rather seedy (yes, a bit more seediness) pub I used to frequent in Bideford I'd try to put it on again and again. The single includes the insistent line "Don't push me, cos I'm close to the edge" and so it seems was John, the landlord of said seedy pub. By repeatedly selecting the single I drove him nuts and he rejected it whenever it came on to play. Never mind, I had some good nights in that boozer.

Here is The Message in all its glory. There is no chance John can reject it, he passed away a few years ago.

Also-rans: I'm not a fan of Genesis, but play I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) from their album Selling England By The Pound and I am instantly transported to Gatefield Sounds record shop (I think that was the name) in Canterbury. I used to go in there in my teens, smoke countless cigarettes and spend hours listening to records on the headphones that all record shops used to have. The song had that great line "Me, I'm just a lawnmower, you can tell me by the way I walk." No idea what it means and I don't really care. I never bought the album, either.

For more on the A to Z Challenge go to: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/