I.R.S. Records
Encyclopedia
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 (UK).
I.R.S. releases were distributed by A&M Records
until 1985, by MCA Records
until 1990, and finally by EMI
until the label folded in 1996.
. Under the agreement, A&M continued to release the label's pre-1985 catalog, much of which still can be found under the A&M banner.
In 1990, the band Green Day
included a mock letter from then-I.R.S. college radio rep Lori Blumenthal in one of their last cassette releases for Lookout Records. The fictional letter expressed IRS' interest in signing the band to the label. A mock reply letter from Lookout, also included in the cassette artwork, deemed I.R.S. a "cheesy" and "washed up" record label.
The last IRS release was the 1996 Buzzcocks
CD All Set before it folded. Shortly after, Copeland formed Ark 21 Records
.
, and distribution company for other indie labels, between 1980 and 1982. Faulty handled artists that didn't go through I.R.S.' distribution deal with A&M Records
.
Illegal Records
Illegal Records was set up by Copeland with his younger brother Stewart
and the manager of The Police
, Paul Mulligan. The label released The Police's debut single, "Fall Out
".
bands such as Alternative TV
and Squeeze.
No Speak Records
No Speak Records was set up as an all-instrumental imprint of I.R.S. in January 1988. The label featured some of the many talented guitarists (and a few other instrumentalists) forced into unemployment by the Punk and New Age music
takeover of the music industry.
, hosted by Peter Zaremba of The Fleshtones
. The series focused heavily on bands that recorded for the label.
, R.E.M.
, Chrome Molly
, The Animals
, Wishbone Ash
, Marillion
(US & Canada only), Henry Badowski
, Karel Fialka
, The English Beat
, Nuclear Assault
, Human Switchboard
, The Cramps
, The Go-Go's
, The Fleshtones
, Oingo Boingo
, Doctor and the Medics
, Squeeze, Suburban Lawns
, Over the Rhine, The Buzzcocks, The Alarm
, Gary Numan
, Wall of Voodoo
, General Public
, John Cale
, Renaissance
, Belinda Carlisle
, Sahotas
, Camper Van Beethoven
, Caterwaul
, Gren
, Dread Zeppelin
, The Surfing Brides, Show of Hands
, Lords of the New Church
, Fine Young Cannibals
, The Truth
, Black Sabbath
, Jane Wiedlin
, Let's Active and Concrete Blonde
.
An instrumental-only imprint, I.R.S. No Speak
, released albums by Wishbone Ash
, Stewart Copeland
, and William Orbit
. I.R.S. also produced the feature film Shakes the Clown
, which starred Bobcat Goldthwait
. They released David Lynch
and Alan R. Splet's soundtrack to Eraserhead
in the 1980s.
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,...
, started in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1979 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...
along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of 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...
, The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records (UK).
I.R.S. releases were distributed by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
until 1985, by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
until 1990, and finally by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
until the label folded in 1996.
History
In 1985, Copeland brokered a deal to switch the label's distributor to MCA RecordsMCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. Under the agreement, A&M continued to release the label's pre-1985 catalog, much of which still can be found under the A&M banner.
In 1990, the band Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
included a mock letter from then-I.R.S. college radio rep Lori Blumenthal in one of their last cassette releases for Lookout Records. The fictional letter expressed IRS' interest in signing the band to the label. A mock reply letter from Lookout, also included in the cassette artwork, deemed I.R.S. a "cheesy" and "washed up" record label.
The last IRS release was the 1996 Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
CD All Set before it folded. Shortly after, Copeland formed Ark 21 Records
Ark 21 Records
Ark 21 Records is a record label established by Miles Copeland & Stewart Copeland. The record label is based out of Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California.-Artists:* Ragheb Alamah* Beats Antique* The Badlees* Farrah* Faudel* The Human League* Hakim...
.
Faulty Products
Faulty Products was the UK holding company for I.R.S. Records of the UK record labels set up by Miles Copeland. It included Illegal Records, Deptford Fun City Records and others. Faulty Products was also an American independent record labelIndependent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, and distribution company for other indie labels, between 1980 and 1982. Faulty handled artists that didn't go through I.R.S.' distribution deal with A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
.
Illegal RecordsIllegal RecordsIllegal Records is a record label founded by Miles Copeland III with his younger brother Stewart Copeland and the manager of The Police, Paul Mulligan in 1977. The label released The Police's debut single, Fall Out....
Illegal Records was set up by Copeland with his younger brother StewartStewart 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...
and the manager of The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, Paul Mulligan. The label released The Police's debut single, "Fall Out
Fall Out
"Fall Out" was the first single released by The Police. It was originally released in May 1977 and then re-released in 1979. "Fall Out" was a 7" single with "Nothing Achieving" on its B-side...
".
Deptford Fun City Records
Deptford Fun City Records was set up by Copeland in the late 1970s as an outlet for DeptfordDeptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
bands such as Alternative TV
Alternative TV
Alternative TV were an English rock band, formed in London in 1976. Their punk rock and post-punk sound was influential for several musical artists.-History:...
and Squeeze.
No Speak RecordsI.R.S. No SpeakI.R.S. No Speak was an instrumental-only imprint of the I.R.S. Records record label, founded by Miles Copeland III in January 1988. Inspired by the success of Peter Baumann's Private Music, Windham Hill Records and Capitol Records Cinema Records, Copeland wanted to feature some of the many...
No Speak Records was set up as an all-instrumental imprint of I.R.S. in January 1988. The label featured some of the many talented guitarists (and a few other instrumentalists) forced into unemployment by the Punk and New Age musicNew 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...
takeover of the music industry.
The Cutting Edge
From 1983 to 1987, I.R.S. Records sponsored a weekly MTV show called I.R.S. Records Presents The Cutting EdgeI.R.S. Records Presents The Cutting Edge
I.R.S. Records Presents The Cutting Edge was a music program that aired on MTV from March 1983 to September 1987, on the last Sunday of every month. The first year of the show featured a variety of hosts including Jools Holland, Jeffrey Vallance, and Wazmo Nariz before settling on Peter Zaremba,...
, hosted by Peter Zaremba of The Fleshtones
The Fleshtones
The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York formed in 1976.- 1976-1979 :The Fleshtones were formed in 1976 in Whitestone, New York by Keith Streng and Marek Pakulski The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York formed in 1976.- 1976-1979 :The...
. The series focused heavily on bands that recorded for the label.
On The Charts
On the Charts was a 1994 compilation album that chronicled the acts of I.R.S. Records from 1979 to 1994.- Our Lips Are SealedOur Lips Are Sealed"Our Lips are Sealed" is a song written by Go-Go's guitarist Jane Wiedlin and Specials and Fun Boy Three singer Terry Hall. It was first recorded by The Go-Go's as the opening track on their 1981 album Beauty and the Beat and served as their debut American single...
- The Go-Go'sThe Go-Go'sThe Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts.... - Mexican RadioMexican Radio"Mexican Radio" is a song written and performed by the band Wall of Voodoo, and produced by Richard Mazda. The track was initially made commercially available on their 1983 album Call of the West. The song peaked at #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S...
[Edit] - Wall of VoodooWall of VoodooWall of Voodoo was an American New Wave group from Los Angeles best known for the 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based New Wave music with the spaghetti western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone.-Formation:... - Only a LadOnly a Lad-Personnel:Oingo Boingo* Danny Elfman - lead vocals* Steve Bartek - guitars* Richard Gibbs - keyboards* Kerry Hatch - bass* Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez - drums* Leon Schneiderman - baritone and alto saxophones* Sam "Sluggo" Phipps - tenor and soprano saxophones...
- Oingo BoingoOingo BoingoOingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group... - The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear ShadesThe Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" is a song by Timbuk3. It is the opening track from their debut album, Greetings from Timbuk 3. It was released by I.R.S. Records in 1986. The song made the Top 20 in the United States and The United Kingdom .- Background :The inspiration for the song,...
- Timbuk 3Timbuk 3Timbuk3 was an American post-punk band which released six original studio albums between 1986 and 1995 that were produced by Derrick Vedrani. They are most well known for their Top 20 single "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"... - Save It for Later - The English Beat
- She Drives Me CrazyShe Drives Me Crazy"She Drives Me Crazy" is a song recorded by the Fine Young Cannibals, included on their 1989 album The Raw and the Cooked. The song peaked at #5 as a single in the band's native UK in January 1989 before hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US on 15 April 1989...
- Fine Young CannibalsFine Young CannibalsFine Young Cannibals were a British band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984, by bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox , and singer Roland Gift... - Mad About You [Single Mix] - Belinda CarlisleBelinda CarlisleBelinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
- TendernessTenderness (song)"Tenderness" is a song by General Public from their 1984 album All the Rage, produced by I.R.S. Records.-Content:The song's lyrics tell about a man who really needs tenderness to feel like a man. It was one of the band's first singles...
- General PublicGeneral PublicGeneral Public were a band formed by The Beat vocalists, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger, and which included former members of Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Specials and The Clash... - The One I Love - R.E.M.R.E.M.R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
- JoeyJoey (Concrete Blonde song)"Joey" is a song from Concrete Blonde's third and most successful album Bloodletting. The song was released in 1990 and was sung by Johnette Napolitano...
- Concrete BlondeConcrete BlondeConcrete Blonde is an alternative rock band based in the United States. They were initially active from 1982 to 1995, and again from 2001 to 2004, and once again in 2010.-Biography:... - Rain in the Summertime [Edit] - The AlarmThe AlarmThe Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
- Dizz Knee LandDizz Knee Land"Dizz Knee Land" is the first single by Los Angeles-based group, dada, from their debut album, Puzzle."Dizz Knee Land" reached number 5 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.- Meaning :...
- dadaDada (band)Dada is a three piece rock band from California . The band is made up of Michael Gurley , Joie Calio and Phil Leavitt ....
Acts
Acts on I.R.S. included Foxy ShazamFoxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam is an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in 2004. The band is composed of lead vocalist Eric Sean Nally, guitarist Loren Turner, pianist Sky White, and bass player Daisy. Later, trumpeter and back-up vocalist Alex Nauth joined, and Aaron McVeigh became the band's permanent...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, Chrome Molly
Chrome Molly
Chrome Molly is the first album recorded by Die Monster Die, an alternative rock group consisting of Alice Cohen , Evan Player , Donna Smith ....
, The Animals
The Animals
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
, 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...
, Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
(US & Canada only), Henry Badowski
Henry Badowski
Henry Badowski is a British multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer, who was a member of several punk rock bands in the 1970s before embarking on a solo career.-Career:...
, Karel Fialka
Karel Fialka
Karel Fialka is a British singer-songwriter, best known for his 1987 single, "Hey, Matthew".-Career:He was born Karel Francis Fialka in Bengal, India, to a Scottish mother and Czech father. Fialka was launched in 1980 as the street poet of the 1980s...
, The English Beat
The Beat (band)
The Beat are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity and sociopolitical topics....
, Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault is an American thrash metal/crossover thrash band formed in 1984.-History:After the release of Anthrax's debut album Fistful of Metal, bass player Danny Lilker, a founding member of the group, was fired by the band...
, Human Switchboard
Human Switchboard
The Human Switchboard was a rock band.-1970s:The band was formed in 1977 when Bob Pfeifer met Myrna Marcarian at Syracuse University. They spent that summer back in Cleveland, where Pfeifer grew up. They, along with drummer Ron Metz, recorded an EP of four songs, enlisting David Thomas of Pere...
, The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
, The Go-Go's
The Go-Go's
The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
, The Fleshtones
The Fleshtones
The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York formed in 1976.- 1976-1979 :The Fleshtones were formed in 1976 in Whitestone, New York by Keith Streng and Marek Pakulski The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York formed in 1976.- 1976-1979 :The...
, Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group...
, Doctor and the Medics
Doctor and the Medics
Doctor and the Medics are a London based psychedelic rock band which enjoyed greatest success in the 1980s and are best known for their UK No. 1 song, "Spirit in the Sky"...
, Squeeze, Suburban Lawns
Suburban Lawns
The brainchild of CalArts students William "Vex Billingsgate" Ranson and Sue "Su Tissue" McLane, Suburban Lawns formed in Long Beach, California in 1978 out of the ashes of previous incarnations Art Attack and The Fabulons, recruiting Huntington Beach natives Richard "Frankie Ennui" Whitney and...
, Over the Rhine, The Buzzcocks, The Alarm
The Alarm
The Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
, Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
, Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo was an American New Wave group from Los Angeles best known for the 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based New Wave music with the spaghetti western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone.-Formation:...
, General Public
General Public
General Public were a band formed by The Beat vocalists, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger, and which included former members of Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Specials and The Clash...
, John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
, Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
, Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
, Sahotas
Sahotas
Sahotas were a U.K. based Bhangra/Rock/World music band. The band, started in Wolverhampton in the mid-1980s, had a line-up of five brothers. The band's music is very different from conventional Punjabi music. They have released music in both English and Punjabi...
, Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven is an American alternative rock group formed in Redlands, California in 1983.An eclectic band, Camper Van Beethoven mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk and alternative country, as well as various types of world music. Their aggressive musical pluralism created a...
, Caterwaul
Caterwaul (band)
Caterwaul was an American band, based in Phoenix, Arizona, featuring Betsy Martin on vocals and mandolin, Mark Schafer on guitar, Fred Cross on bass and Kevin Pinnt on drums.Their debut album, The Nature of Things was released on Lost Arts Records...
, Gren
Gren (recording artist)
Gren was a power-pop trio consisting of Brett White , Marcus Gonzales and John "Possum" Hill .Gren formed in Los Angeles, California, USA, in the spring of 1994. The band was signed to I.R.S. Records and released their first full-length album, Camp Grenada, in 1995...
, Dread Zeppelin
Dread Zeppelin
Dread Zeppelin is an American band best known for performing the songs of Led Zeppelin in a reggae style as sung by a 300 pound Vegas Elvis impersonator. Over the years they would also perform songs originally by Elvis Presley, Bob Marley and The Yardbirds. The group toured extensively around the...
, The Surfing Brides, Show of Hands
Show of Hands
Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots and folk duo comprising singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer. In recent years they have been accompanied on tour and in the studio by jazz double-bassist Miranda Sykes.-Origins:...
, Lords of the New Church
Lords of the New Church
Lords of the New Church may refer to:*The Lords of the New Church, a 1980s post-punk band*"Lords of the New Church" , a 1993 song by Tasmin Archer...
, Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals were a British band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984, by bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox , and singer Roland Gift...
, The Truth
The Truth (British band)
The Truth was a British rock band, who existed from the early 1980s to 1989.The group was formed by Dennis Greaves, formerly of Nine Below Zero, and Mick Lister in the early 1980s. They went through several line-up changes, but Greaves and Lister remained members throughout the group's run. They...
, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Jane Wiedlin
Jane Wiedlin
Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the rhythm guitarist of the all-female New Wave band The Go-Go's.-Early life:...
, Let's Active and Concrete Blonde
Concrete Blonde
Concrete Blonde is an alternative rock band based in the United States. They were initially active from 1982 to 1995, and again from 2001 to 2004, and once again in 2010.-Biography:...
.
An instrumental-only imprint, I.R.S. No Speak
I.R.S. No Speak
I.R.S. No Speak was an instrumental-only imprint of the I.R.S. Records record label, founded by Miles Copeland III in January 1988. Inspired by the success of Peter Baumann's Private Music, Windham Hill Records and Capitol Records Cinema Records, Copeland wanted to feature some of the many...
, released albums by 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...
, 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...
, and 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...
. I.R.S. also produced the feature film Shakes the Clown
Shakes the Clown
Shakes the Clown is a 1992 American movie directed and written by Bobcat Goldthwait, who performs the title role. It also features Julie Brown, Blake Clark, Paul Dooley, Kathy Griffin, Florence Henderson, Tom Kenny, Adam Sandler, Scott Herriott, LaWanda Page, Jack Gallagher, and a cameo by Robin...
, which starred Bobcat Goldthwait
Bobcat Goldthwait
Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
. They released David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
and Alan R. Splet's soundtrack to Eraserhead
Eraserhead
Eraserhead is a 1977 American surrealist film and the first feature film of David Lynch, who wrote, produced and directed. Lynch began working on the film at the AFI Conservatory, which gave him a $10,000 grant to make the film after he had begun working there following his 1971 move to Los Angeles...
in the 1980s.
External links
- I.R.S. Records I.R.S. Records history 1979-1985, Billboard charts; photo galleries; US and international discographies.
- Mr. Bill's I.R.S. Records Corner
- Discogs: I.R.S. discography
- Illegal Record discography discogs.com
- Faulty Products discography irscorner.com