I.R.S. No Speak was an instrumental-only imprint of the I.R.S. Records

I.R.S. Records

I.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...

 record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

, founded by Miles Copeland III

Miles Copeland III

Miles Axe Copeland III is an American entertainment executive, best known for founding I.R.S. Records. His brother, Stewart Copeland, was part of the pop-rock trio The Police, which Miles managed...

 in January 1988. Inspired by the success of Peter Baumann

Peter Baumann

Peter Baumann formed the core line-up of the German electronic group Tangerine Dream with Edgar Froese and Christopher Franke in 1971. While touring with the band, Baumann composed his first solo album in 1976...

's Private Music

Private Music

Private Music is a United States record company founded in 1984 by experimental musician Peter Baumann, as a home for instrumental music. Initially signing such artists as Yanni, Suzanne Ciani, Patrick O'Hearn, and Baumann's former bandmates Tangerine Dream, the record label specialized in New Age...

, Windham Hill Records

Windham Hill Records

Windham Hill Records is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment specializing in Acoustic, New Age and Folk music. Originally founded in 1976 as an Independent record label by guitarist and carpenter William Ackerman and his then-wife Anne Robinson, Windham Hill was a successful and well-respected...

 and Capitol Records

Capitol Records

Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...

 Cinema Records, Copeland wanted to feature some of the many excellent rock musicians who had been left unemployed by the 1980s disco

Disco

Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...

 and punk takeover of the music industry. He also wanted to take a poke at New Age Music

New Age music

New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...

, stating in the introductory brochure, "It should be apparent that what No Speak isn't is New Age. No Speak eats New Age for breakfast." Though musically successful the label was not financially viable, and folded after only three years and 19 releases.

No Speak Catalog

No.	Artist	Title	Date	Notes
001	Pete Haycock Pete Haycock Pete Haycock is a guitarist and composer who started his career as lead guitarist and vocalist with the Climax Chicago Blues Band. Born at 63 Tixall Road, Stafford, Staffordshire....	Guitar & Son	1988	guitarist for Climax Blues Band Climax Blues Band Climax Blues Band was formed in Stafford, England in 1968. The original members were guitarists Peter Haycock and Derek Holt; keyboardist Arthur Wood; bassist Richard Jones; drummer George Newsome; and vocalist and harmonica player, Colin Cooper.In 1970, the group shortened its name to the Climax... , whom Copeland managed
002	Wishbone Ash Wishbone Ash Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...	Nouveau Calls	1988	band reunited to record this album for their former manager, Copeland
003	Stewart Copeland Stewart Copeland Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...	The Equalizer & Other Cliff Hangers	1988	brother of Miles and the drummer for The Police
004	William Orbit William Orbit William Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...	Strange Cargo	1988	producer and electronic keyboardist
005	Billy Currie Billy Currie Billy Currie is an English violist, violinist, pianist, keyboardist, and songwriter...	Transportation	1988	keyboardist with Ultravox Ultravox Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
006	Steve Hunter	The Deacon	1988	guitarist for Lou Reed Lou Reed Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
007	Jimmy Z	Anytime... Anyplace!	1988	Jimmy Zavala, saxophonist for Rod Stewart Rod Stewart Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
008	various artists	Guitar Speak	1988	sampler with commissioned pieces from Alvin Lee Alvin Lee Alvin Lee is an English rock guitarist and singer. He began playing guitar at the age of 13, and with Leo Lyons formed the core of the band Ten Years After in 1960... , Randy California Randy California Randy California was a guitarist, singer and songwriter and one of the original members of the rock group Spirit, formed in 1967.-Biography:... , Eric Johnson Eric Johnson Eric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings... , Leslie West Leslie West Leslie West is an American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter.-Biography:Originally named Leslie Weinstein, West was born in New York City, grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey, and in East Meadow, Forest Hills and Lawrence. After his parents divorced, he changed his surname to West... , Ronnie Montrose Ronnie Montrose Ronnie Montrose, is an Amercian rock guitarist who has headed his own bands as well as performing with a variety of musicians, including Sammy Hagar, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, The Beau Brummels, Boz Scaggs, Beaver & Krause, Gary Wright, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, Dan Hartman, Edgar... , Steve Howe Steve Howe (guitarist) Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes... , Phil Manzanera Phil Manzanera Phil Manzanera is a musician and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music. In 2006 Manzanera co-produced David Gilmour's album On An Island and played in Gilmour's band for tours in Europe and North America... , Rick Derringer Rick Derringer Rick Derringer is an American guitarist, vocalist, and entertainer.-1960s:When he was seventeen years old, his band The McCoys recorded "Hang on Sloopy" in the summer of 1965, which became the number one song in America before "Yesterday" by The Beatles knocked it out of the top spot. The song was... , Pete Haycock, Steve Hunter, Hank Marvin Hank Marvin Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...  & Robby Krieger
009	Robby Krieger Robby Krieger Robert Alan "Robby" Krieger is an American rock guitarist and songwriter. He was the guitarist in The Doors, and wrote some of the band's best known songs, including "Light My Fire," "Love Me Two Times," "Touch Me," and "Love Her Madly."...	No Habla	1989	Guitarist for The Doors The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
010	various artists	Guitar Speak II	1990	sampler with commissioned pieces from Tony Iommi Tony Iommi Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in... , Jan Akkerman, James Mankey James Mankey James Andrew Mankey is an American rock guitarist, who has been the longtime guitarist in Concrete Blonde and also played with Sparks.Born 23 May 1952 in Washington, USA. Released J.A.M. - a solo work of instrumental music in 2003-External links:****... , Dennis Greaves, Hank Marvin, Robin Trower Robin Trower Robin Leonard Trower , known professionally as Robin Trower, is an English rock guitarist who achieved success with Procol Harum during the 1960s, and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio.-Biography:... , Frank Marino, Harvey Mandel Harvey Mandel Harvey Mandel is an American guitarist known for his innovative approach to electric guitar playing. A professional at twenty, he played with Charlie Musselwhite, Canned Heat, The Rolling Stones, and John Mayall before starting a solo career... , Jean-Paul Bourelly Jean-Paul Bourelly Jean-Paul Bourelly is an American jazz fusion and blues rock guitarist.Bourelly was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, his mother American and his father an immigrant from Haiti. Bourelly sang at the Lyric Opera when he was ten years old and learned piano and drums, picking up guitar by age...  & Bernie Marsden Bernie Marsden -External links:*...
011	Jan Akkerman Jan Akkerman Jan Akkerman is a Dutch guitarist. Akkerman is a distinctive guitarist, constantly experimenting with new equipment and guitars. Akkerman's distinctive guitar sound is characterised by his pioneering use of volume swells which produce a smooth, fluty, sustained tone, and other complex techniques...	The Noise of Art	1990	guitarist for Focus Focus (band) Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia"...
012	William Orbit William Orbit William Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...	Strange Cargo 2 Strange Cargo II Strange Cargo 2 is the third album by electronic instrumentalist William Orbit. It is the second in a series similarly titled albums: Strange Cargo, Strange Cargo III, and Strange Cargo Hinterland.-Track listing:#"Dark Eyed Kid"#"Atom Dream"...	1990
013	Darryl Way Darryl Way Darryl Way is a British rock and classical musician who was a founding member of Curved Air and co-writer of their only hit single, "Back Street Luv". He is best known as a violinist although he also played keyboards.He began his musical training at Dartington College of Arts, and later studied at...	Under The Soft	1991	violinist for Curved Air Curved Air Curved Air are a pioneering British progressive rock group formed in 1970 by musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds, including classic, folk, and electronic sound. The resulting sound of the band was a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and fusion with classical elements... , Darryl Way's Wolf
014	Ronnie Montrose Ronnie Montrose Ronnie Montrose, is an Amercian rock guitarist who has headed his own bands as well as performing with a variety of musicians, including Sammy Hagar, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, The Beau Brummels, Boz Scaggs, Beaver & Krause, Gary Wright, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, Dan Hartman, Edgar...	Mutatis Mutandis Mutatis Mutandis (album) - Track listing :# "Mutatis Mutandis" 5:05# "Right Saddle/Wrong Horse" 4:22# "Heavy Agenda" 3:52# "Greed Kills" 3:54# "Mercury" 3:54# "Zero Tolerance" 4:15# "Velox" 3:59# "Company Policy" 4:01# "The Nomad" 3:48# "Tonga" 3:53...	1991	guitarist for Montrose Montrose (band) Montrose was a California-based hard rock band. The band originally featured Ronnie Montrose on guitar and future solo artist and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar... , others
015	various artists	Guitar Speak III	1991	sampler with commissioned pieces from Nils Lofgren Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren is an American rock music recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist... , Steve Hackett Steve Hackett Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career... , Tom Verlaine Tom Verlaine Tom Verlaine is a singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontman for the New York rock band Television.-Biography:... , Bob Mould Bob Mould Robert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:... , Adrian Belew Adrian Belew Adrian Belew is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer... , Gary Myrick Gary Myrick -Career:Born in Dallas, Texas, Gary Myrick played guitar and sang in Dallas and neighboring Fort Worth starting as a teenager. Eventually, he built a significant enough reputation to be asked to join Austin, Texas band Kracker Jack, replacing Stevie Ray Vaughan who had left to begin his solo... , Mick Taylor Mick Taylor Michael Kevin "Mick" Taylor is an English musician, best known as a former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and The Rolling Stones... , Dominic Miller Dominic Miller Dominic Miller is an Argentine-English guitarist who toured and recorded with World Party and King Swamp, worked on Phil Collins' solo album ...But Seriously and played guitar on every Sting album and tour since 1990... , Robert Fripp Robert Fripp Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...  & Steve Morse Steve Morse Steven J. "Steve" Morse is an American guitarist and composer, best known for his work in the hard rock band Deep Purple since 1994. He began his career to form the unique styled instrumental rock band Dixie Dregs in the 1970. Morse's musical inspiration comes from country, funk, jazz fusion, and...
MILES	various artists	Instrumental Hits for the '90s	1988	sampler of 17 songs from the No Speak catalog (promo only)
IRSD-NSPROMO	various artists	Music Too Good For Words / Instrumental Rock for the 90s	1988	sampler of 8 songs from the No Speak catalog, 4 songs Forte and 4 songs Pianissimo
39099	various artists	Music Too Good For Words	1988	sampler of 2 songs each from the first 4 No Speak releases
39112	various artists	Music Too Good For Words, Two	1988	sampler of 12 songs from the No Speak catalog
13024	various artists	Night of the Guitar - Live!	1989	highlights of a 26 November 1988 concert featuring Steve Howe, Leslie West, Robby Krieger, Randy California, Steve Hunter, Pete Haycock, Andy Powell Andy Powell Andy Powell is an English guitarist and songwriter, and best known as a founding member of Wishbone Ash.-Early life and career:... , Ted Turner Ted Turner (guitarist) -External links:*.*.*.... & Alvin Lee -- LP and CD differ slightly in contents