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They Say It Couldn't Be Done
They Say It Couldn't Be Done

They Say It Couldn't Be Done

Performing artist Grandmaster Flash
Record company Elektra/Asylum Records
Date1985
Mediumpolyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
DimensionsOverall (Diameter): 11 7/8 in. (30.163 cm)
Credit LineMoPOP permanent collection
Object number1999.121.1.A-.C
Text Entries

They Say It Couldn't Be Done is an album by Grandmaster Flash, released in 1985. It is his second overall studio album, and his first album credited solely to him. It was the first Hip-Hop album released by Elektra Records. It was produced by Gavin Christopher and Grandmaster Flash (the group). The album also included "Girls Love the Way He Spins," and "Sign of the Times."

Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler, b. 1958) is one of the founding fathers of Hip-Hop and is known as the originator of scratching and mixing. Born in Bridgetown, Barbados and raised in the Bronx, Grandmaster Flash has been experimenting with vinyls since he was a toddler and grew a serious passion for music and engineering. His knowledge of audio equipment and experimentation led him to revolutionize the way DJs played records where he started using his turntable as an instrument. Grandmaster Flash perfected manipulating vinyl records where he would put his hands on the vinyl and manipulate it in a backward, forward, or counterclockwise motion. Through this process, Grandmaster Flash perfected beat looping and discovered many of the most iconic beats still commonly sampled today. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2007) and the Grammy Hall Of Fame (2012), Grandmaster Flash is acknowledged for pioneering a relationship between DJs and rappers and his innovative techniques of the turntable and mixing equipment.

Image of six men visibly laughing. Grandmaster Flash’s name is printed along the top in light blue lettering and The Said it Couldn’t Be Done is printed in gold letters at the bottom. Track list and credits printed on vinyl.
CopyrightThis work is issued under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) License. For more information, go to https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
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They Said It Couldn't Be Done
Elektra Entertainment Group
Date: 1985
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 1998.395.6.A-.C
The Message (Single) by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5
Date: July 1, 1982
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 1998.441.10.A,.B
The Source
Grandmaster Flash
Date: 1986
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 1998.395.9.A-.C
It's Nasty (Genius of Love) / It's Nasty (Genius of Love)
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Date: 1981
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 2000.19.7.A,.B
Freedom (Vocal) / Freedom (Instrumental)
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Date: 1980
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 2000.19.13.A,.B
Flash It to The Beat / Fusion Beats Vol. 2
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5
Date: 1979
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 2001.235.10.A,.B
The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel / The Party Mix
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5
Date: 1981
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 2001.235.19.A,.B
The Birthday Party / The Birthday Party (Instrumental)
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5
Date: 1981
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 2001.337.27.A,.B
Step Off / Step Off (Short Version)
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Date: 1984
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 2001.337.35.A,.B
New York, New York (Vocal) / New York, New York (Instrumental)
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5
Date: 1983
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 2001.337.53.A,.B
Super Rappin' Theme / Super Rappin' No. 2
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5
Date: 1980
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 2001.482.17.A,.B
The Birthday Party
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5
Date: 1981
Medium: polyvinyl chloride; paper (fiber product); ink
Object number: 2002.61.2073.A,.B