The Word

Recorded and released as Junkyard Band’s debut single in 1986, with Rick Rubin producing for Def Jam. It was issued as the A-side of the "The Word" / "Sardines" single by the Washington, D.C. go-go group. The track introduced Junkyard Band to a wider audience and became one of the group’s signature recordings. Contemporary coverage and later summaries note that the song received considerable airplay. "The Word" has remained part of the group’s best-known material and has been sampled by later artists including Beastie Boys, Cut Chemist, Invisibl Skratch Piklz, Masters Of Ceremony, MC Zappa, Stetsasonic, and Timbaland. Its continued circulation has kept it central to the history of go-go’s crossover moment.