Illegal Records
Encyclopedia
Illegal 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
.
Copeland went on to sign more artists and start several other indie sublabels including Deptford Fun City Records, Step-Forward Records and Total Noise Records. He also launched the foreign divisions, France & Netherlands, that released some of the same titles with different catalog numbers, and some exclusive titles as well.
In 1979, after Copeland started I.R.S. Records
, Illegal became its distributor in UK & Europe. It continued its operations until 1988, when it merged its operations with I.R.S.
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...
with his younger brother 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 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 in 1977. 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...
.
Copeland went on to sign more artists and start several other indie sublabels including Deptford Fun City Records, Step-Forward Records and Total Noise Records. He also launched the foreign divisions, France & Netherlands, that released some of the same titles with different catalog numbers, and some exclusive titles as well.
In 1979, after Copeland started 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...
, Illegal became its distributor in UK & Europe. It continued its operations until 1988, when it merged its operations with I.R.S.
Sub labels
- Deptford Fun City Records - Outlet for DeptfordDeptfordDeptford 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 TVAlternative TVAlternative 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. Defunct since 1980. - Step-Forward Records - Sublabel for Punk bands such as ChelseaChelsea (band)Chelsea are an English punk rock band, formed in London in 1976.Three of the four original band members went on to help found Generation X. More than two decades after its release, "Right to Work", Chelsea's debut single, was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all...
, The Fall & The CortinasThe Cortinas (punk band)The Cortinas were a 1970s Bristol-based punk rock band. Guitarist Nick Sheppard went on to play with The Clash. In 2001, the band’s debut single, "Fascist Dictator" , was included in a leading British music magazine’s list of the best punk-rock singles of all-time.-Biography:Named after a car, the...
. Defunct since 1983.